In 1562 Donald McGillespic Vic O'Challum received the lands of Poltalloch from Duncan Campbell of Duntrune in return for certain services. Two hundred years later, the O'Challums (now anglicised to Malcolm or McCallum) bought out the Campbells. Today their direct descendants still occupy Duntrune and farm the land.
Always a Campbell stronghold in those days, it was never the scene of a major conflict, and is now accepted as the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. The vaulted rooms on the ground floor date from the 12th Century, and the remainder of the keep from the 16th. Our ghost is a well-authenticated, handless piper, whose musical warning, “Cholla mo Run, Seachain a Dun” saved his master Colkitto McDonald from a Campbell ambush.
Four thousand years before the first Campbell, neolithic man gave up a nomadic hunting life to settl ehere where the land drained easilyt and responded to his simple implements. The Scots of Dalriada came later, attracted not only by the fertility of the area, but also because it was central to their kingdom and all outposts were easily reached.
A 12th century castle, center of a 5000 acre estate, seated high upon the spectacular rugged coast line of Argyll and surrounded by the outstanding landscape of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada.
Home of the Malcolm family since the late 1700s, it is steeped in personality and history.
