Fincharn Castle, also known as Fionchairn Castle and Glassery Castle, is a ruined castle near Ford on the southwest shore of

Loch Awe Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Obha'') is a large body of freshwater in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. The castle was probably built in about 1240, the year the lands of Fincharn were granted to Giolla Easbaig Mac Giolla Chríost by

Alexander II, King of Scotland Alexander II (Medieval Gaelic: '; Modern Gaelic: '; 24 August 1198 – 6 July 1249) was King of Scotland from 1214 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of York (1237) which defined the boundary between England and Scotland, virtually unc ...

. The castle seems to be identical one mentioned in correspondence between

Alasdair Óg Mac Domhnaill Alasdair is a Scottish Gaelic given name. The name is a Gaelic form of ''Alexander'' which has long been a popular name in Scotland. The personal name ''Alasdair'' is often Anglicised as ''Alistair'', '' Alastair'', and ''Alaster''.''A Dictionary ...

and

Edward I, King of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...

in 1297. According to this correspondence, Alasdair Óg seized control of the barony and castle of "Glasrog" from the Steward of Scotland on account of the steward's disloyalty to the English king. The castle may have been one of the three mentioned in correspondence between Eóin Mac Dubhghaill and Edward I in 1308 or 1309. According to this correspondence, Eóin garrisoned these castle on behalf of the English king. It is a scheduled ancient monument. ''Fincharn Castle SM5276'' (n.d.).

References

* * * {{Portal bar, Scotland Ruined castles in Argyll and Bute Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Argyll and Bute