

In 1556 John Knox preached here to the 4th Earl and his followers. His persuasive oratory won Campbell support for his Reforming cause, and the Campbells helped push through Knox's ambitious religious reforms. In the castle garden is John Knox's Pulpit, a memorial to the Campbell involvement in the Scottish Reformation.
A later generation of Campbells supported the Covenanters, and this led to trouble in 1645 when soldiers from the Ogilvy and Maclean clans besieged Castle Campbell in support of the Earl of Montrose. The castle garrison held out, but the Campbell enemies ravaged Campbell lands nearby.

Campbell himself went to the block after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1661, though subsequent Campbell Earls switched allegiances again and won back royal favour. But the Campbells eventually abandoned the castle in favour of a residence in Stirling, leaving Castle Gloom to dwindle into a ruin. Now partially restored, you can visit the historic medieval castle ruins, including the dark and dismal dungeon, as well as the more comfortable 16th and 17th century residence.
Visiting
The castle is well signposted from Dollar, but the road to the castle is quite steep and narrow - and full of potholes when we visited. From the lower parking lot there is a beautiful uphill walk wooded walk along a stream (requires good physical condition and can be slippery in wet weather). From the castle itself there are signposted walks along Dollar Glen, passing several lovely waterfalls.
Castle Campbell is wihout doubt one of the most beautifully situated castles I've ever visited, and that's most of the major castles in Britain! The tower seems to rise up out of the surrounding forset like a fairy tale fortress. If you climb to the top of the tower the views down the glen to Dollar and beyond are stunning.
As for the castle itself, there's something for everyone; from the ruined medieval castle to the wonderful remains of the 16th century rsidence. Look for the grotesque carvings of faces on the ceiling!