Toward Castle

[Mike1]

One of the Lamont castles was Toward. Sadly, the castle was nearly destroyed in 1646 and little has been done to preserve it. None of that could stop me from going "back home".

A pal and I rode the bus from Dunoon to Toward Lighthouse and then tramped the 2-3 miles to the castle ruins.


And yes, the phrase "the hills and glens have been cleared of men to make way for the Great White Sheep" was very much on my mind that afternoon.



Looking into the courtyard from the entry arch


Looking back at the entry arch


The chapel area of the ruins


Looking from the chapel to the kitchen area. The arch is the remains of the hearth.


Looking up at the tower from the kitchen area


Looking across to the Isle of Bute from the castle courtyard

[Splash_4]

WOW, Those are some nice photos. It must of been something to tread the ground where your ancestors were.

[Dreadbelly]

Question...

What is to stop somebody from, well, for lack of a better word, squatting there, living there, and performing improvements while they stayed? I know from friends online that England has similar squatters laws as the US. People that squat in a home and do improvements can gain a chance to keep the home, legally. I believe the term is called Adverse Possession, and I know that the US and England are remarkably similar in how it worked. Even if the land is "owned" by another person, if that person is doing nothing to improve the land, this actually increases the squatter's chance of laying claim. Just make sure you bring a camera to document each day's progress and have a plan how to restore said castle to its former glory.

If dedicated Lamonts took up residence there, and refused to leave, and worked to improve it, wouldn't that be a good thing?

[Dirk Skene]

If I may ask ..... How did it feel to tread there?

[Mike1]

If I may ask ..... How did it feel to tread there?

People are likely not going to believe it, but the sense of deja vu was overwhelming. I'll not mention it being a very emotional time for me, as I don't want you to think me a softie.

When we first set foot on the docks at Dunoon, Carol suggested we hit the information center to determine where the Lamont Memorial was located. Somehow, I already knew. We got directions and Carol was about to give up, when I remarked we only needed to walk around a bend in the road and the monument would be at the top of the hill. Which happened to be exactly where it was, although I had never set foot in Dunoon before that day.

When we were walking down the road toward Toward (and for those wondering, Toward rhymes with Howard), I suddenly felt it was time to jump a fence and cut through a wooded area. And it was a good premonition, as we saw an entry gateway that many visitors to the area miss completely. I was unaware of its existence before that day, yet jumping that fence took us right to the gateway.

I've managed to sense connections to other areas of Scotland, even before I knew the connections existed. I've been in Alloa, in Clackmannanshire, on countless occasions. There's nothing real noteworthy in Alloa (excepting Alloa Tower, home to the Earl of Mar), yet I could always 'feel' something when I was in Alloa. Just a couple months ago, I found evidence of some of my maternal forebears having resided there in the later 17th century.

I cannot explain the feeling, other than a "knowledge" of where I am at the time.

[Kilted KT]

Question...

What is to stop somebody from, well, for lack of a better word, squatting there, living there, and performing improvements while they stayed? I know from friends online that England has similar squatters laws as the US. People that squat in a home and do improvements can gain a chance to keep the home, legally. I believe the term is called Adverse Possession, and I know that the US and England are remarkably similar in how it worked. Even if the land is "owned" by another person, if that person is doing nothing to improve the land, this actually increases the squatter's chance of laying claim. Just make sure you bring a camera to document each day's progress and have a plan how to restore said castle to its former glory.

If dedicated Lamonts took up residence there, and refused to leave, and worked to improve it, wouldn't that be a good thing?

hmm...based on this I need to start hunting for castle ruins that I can "inhabit"!!!

oh, those are great pics. I love castles, not matter what condition they are in!

[JimB]

Beautiful pictures....sad, but beautiful none the less.
I can see some beautiful watercolor paintings coming from there...

As they say, The Blood is Strong.

[Dreadbelly]

hmm...based on this I need to start hunting for castle ruins that I can "inhabit"!!!

oh, those are great pics. I love castles, not matter what condition they are in!

Look up squatters rights online... There are actually a very large number of people in the world reclaiming homes and houses and other structures like old churches by living in them and doing actual improvements. In the US, it is called Homesteading. In England, there are a bunch of people that squat in homes that have sat empty for years and the laws have changed to actually protect these types of squatters because they are fighting urban decay. There is a group that works in both the US and the UK recruiting homeless people or low income families and getting them to live in abandoned houses, and then providing them resources to do improvements and have a chance to keep the home.

All it takes to start the process from what I have heard from so many squatters is to get a door and a lock with a key that you own. Even if the structure is missing a wall or has wide open windows, getting a door up with a lock that you own is grounds for claim. Once you do that, especially in England, you have certain legal rights. As well as obligations to continue to improve the structure.

I don't know all of the details, but I know there are a lot of resources out there to help folks that want to help themselves.

[Big Dave]

Wonderful pictures.

[Dirka Skene]

Beautiful pictures. It's terribly sad that such a place has gone to ruin.