A view of Castle Campbell, Scotland, with washerwomen on the river bank in the foreground

Castle Campbell is situated on a high rocky outcrop with two streams, the Burns of Care and Sorrow on either side. Originally the property of the Stewarts, when it was known as Gloom Castle as it lay in the shadow of Gloom Hill, the castle passed by marriage to Colin Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, who changed the name to Castle Campbell by an act of Parliament in 1489. The Argyll clan rose to become the most powerful family in the Western Highlands. Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl and 1st Marquis of Argyll had crowned King Charles I at Scone in 1651 but soon after switched his loyalties in favour of Cromwell. The English garrison stationed in his castle became an obvious target and the castle was sacked and burned in 1654. In 1661, a year after King Charles II's return, the 8th Earl was executed for his support of Cromwell and while the Earldom was restored to his son, the castle remained abandoned. The lands continued to be held by the Campbells until their sale in 1805.