Site Report

WoSASPIN 7062
NS 3878 8260
See also site 1119/0 for Balloch Castle

Balloch Castle was once the property of the Earls of Lennox, and possessed by them until 1652 when it was purchased by Sir John Colquhoun of Luss. In the 15th century the Castle became the property of the family of Stewart, Lords Darnley, who were afterwards regranted the title of Earls of Lennox. By 1511 it had been replaced by Inchmurrin
as "the chief messuage" of the Earldom of Lennox; and after this period Balloch was gradually deserted.
The Castle was situated on the southern extremity of Loch Lomond and on the east side of the River Leven. Nothing now remains except a mound surroundeed by a ditch. When draining this moat, a causeway leading to what appeared to have been a drawbridge, or bridge, was found. The causeway consisted of the remains of oak beams with uprights mortised into them.
W Fraser 1869

A portion of the old walls of Balloch Castle are incorporated with the modern building.
D Macleod 1883

Balloch Castle was the seat of the Earls of Lennox from the 12th century to the 14th century and many of their charter were dated at the castle.
G Chalmers 1890

A large irregularly shaped natural mound with a ditch running round it, is the only remnant of Balloch Castle. The base of the ditch varies from 2-4m broad, and lies 2.0m below the top of the mound. It is only 0.5m deep on the SW side. Traces of a broad outer bank- spread to 10.0m and 0.3m high - are to be seen on top of the outer lip of the ditch within the meadow on the NE.
A broad marsh lies to the NE of the mound, and the moat on the N W and SE sides runs into it. No traces of building foundations are to be seen on top of the mound, and no trace of the causeway referred to by Fraser was found. The Balloch Park (Glasgow Corporation) Keeper confirmed that some of the stones from the Castle were used in the building of the modern building of the same name: but these stones are not evident in the edifice.
Visited by OS (JLD) 25 September 1956

The earthworks of Balloch Castle are as described by OS (JLD).
Revised at 25" scale.
Visited by OS (WDJ) 22 January 1963.

NS 387 826 On low-lying ground by the shore of Loch Lomond is a low, irregularly-shaped natural mound measuring SOm by 45m. It is bounded on three sides by a ditch Sm wide, and on the fourth side by a strip of marsh 25m wide.
RCAHMS 1978, visited August 1977
W Fraser 1869; G Chalmers 1890; G StelI 1972

Evaluation of the area between the metalled path and the River Leven, south-west of the castle, was undertaken by AOC Archaeology between 2nd and 4th September 1998, in advance of the construction of a footbridge associated with the Drumkinnon Bay development (see planning data). Only part of the bridge footprint area could be evaluated due to extreme waterlogging, but the trial trenches were excavated in the 'bulge' immediately adjacent to the castle, the area felt most likely to preserve archaeological deposits or structures associated with the castle.
Four trenches were opened, but revealed only one archaeological feature - a rough cobbled surface between 0.15 and 0.25 metres thick, constructed on top of the natural yellow/orange sand, and preserved beneath 0.05 to 0.1 metres of turf and topsoil. Much of this feature was removed by machine, but it seemed to form a track, about 1.5 metres wide by up to 17 metres long, leading to the river bank. No artefacts were recovered.
Because of the relatively poor construction of this cobbled track, the shallow depth of soil formed above it, and the fact that it stopped well short of the castle, it is felt that this feature is unlikely to be associated with the occupation of the castle. It is probably a later feature.
Given the lack of any other archaeological evidence from the evaluation trenches it is not felt that further work will be required in advance of construction of the footbridge.
Cook, M (AOC Archaeology), 1998.
Report in SMR archive.
Entered WoSAS (CF) 04/11/98