Clan Campbell - Castle Sween - Photo Print

Aly Wight photographed Castle Sween from the loch shore, standing among the lichen-covered rocks at the water's edge with the ruined walls rising from a rocky promontory ahead. The long exposure has smoothed the water of Loch Sween to silk, and the light is soft and low, casting a cool, quiet mood across the stone and the sea. This is one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland, dating from the twelfth century when this part of the west coast was still under Norse influence. The castle passed through several hands over the centuries. The MacSweens built it, the Stewarts of Menteith held it, and the MacMillans left their mark with a round tower that still bears their name. Eventually the castle came to the Campbells, part of the clan's steady expansion across Argyll as they absorbed the lands and strongholds of older families.

If you carry the Campbell name, Castle Sween is a piece of the larger story of how your clan came to shape the west Highlands.