What is recorded here

Castle Sween stands as a ruined rectangular curtain wall on the western coast of Argyll, built around the 1140s by Suibhne the Red to protect small galleys beached in the sea lochs. The MacSweens held the lands until the 1260s, but later owners including the MacDonalds, Menteiths and Campbells took turns controlling the site. Alaisdair MacColla destroyed the castle during the War of the Three Kingdoms, and it was abandoned because the damage was never repaired. A flint arrowhead and a neolithic carved stone ball have also been found there, proving people used the place long before the stone walls rose.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Castle Sween as Findspot (period Unassigned), Arrowhead (flint)(period Unassigned), Carved Stone Ball (neolithic). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 10m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Built by the Clan Sween in the 13th century, Castle Sween is one of the oldest inhabited castles in Scotland. It is remembered for its long history of continuous occupation and its strategic importance in the region's medieval history.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.