Castle Toward
Encyclopedia
Castle Toward is an outdoor education
facility, based in a nineteenth century country house on the southern tip of the Cowal peninsula in Argyll
, Scotland
.
until 1809. The ruins lie around 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) south-east of the later building.
, former Lord Provost of Glasgow, as his family's country house. Later owned and extended by the Coats family of Paisley
, the house is a castellated mansion, with Italian plasterwork installed in the public rooms in 1920. The grounds incorporate the ruins of the sixteenth century Toward Castle, the Chinese ponds, wooded areas, access to the shore, and views over the Firth of Clyde
.
During the Second World War the castle was used as a combined operations
centre (COC No. 2), HMS Brontosaurus.
The castle, and 226 acre (0.91459036 km²) of woodland, were purchased by the Corporation of Glasgow
in the 1940s. The building was used initially as a residential school for children recovering from illness or living in deprived home conditions. It then became available for residential education for children from all Glasgow Primary Schools and operated for 50 years as an outdoor education centre, being used by up to 400,000 children from Glasgow and Renfrewshire
.
With the reorganisation of local government in Scotland in 1996, ownership passed to Argyll and Bute Council
and such centres were threatened with closure. A rescue operation was mounted by Castle Toward’s then principal, Peter Wilson, and a company, Actual Reality was formed, which kept the castle in use as an outdoor activity centre, along with the council-owned centre at Ardentinny
. There have been several attempts by the council to sell the estate, but all have met with fierce opposition.
On 13th November 2009 Argyll and Bute Council closed the castle on the grounds that it was unfit for purpose. This followed directly Actual Reality's request to upgrade the fire protection system following an audit of the castle in co-operation with Strathclyde Fire Brigade. There is currently a growing online campaign to save Castle Toward, including a Facebook campaign which has attracted over 4000 members in its first month.
Toward Castle is now a residential training centre operated by Actual Reality. Outdoor education activities include high ropes, kayaking, and orienteering, as well as gorge walks and hill walks. For younger children there are wide games, amongst other outdoor games. Its long history has led to a multitude of ghost stories, much perpetuated by the young people who visit.
The grounds of the outdoor education centre were used as a location for the children's BBC Television
series Raven
, featuring the actor James MacKenzie, up to and including the seventh series at the start of 2008.
As well as outdoor education, the house is also used for residential courses for young people in music and art. The Glasgow Schools' Symphony Orchestra and West of Scotland Schools' Concert Band visit regularly. The castle's composer-in-residence is John Maxwell Geddes, who wrote a Postlude for Strings in protest at plans to sell the castle.
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
facility, based in a nineteenth century country house on the southern tip of the Cowal peninsula in Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Toward Castle
The original Toward Castle dates from the 15th century. Now ruined, it was owned by the Clan LamontClan Lamont
Clan Lamont is a Highland Scottish clan. Clan Lamont claim descent from Lauman who lived in Cowal in 1238. Tradition gives this Lauman a descent from an Irish prince of the O'Neill dynasty, Ánrothán Ua Néill, son of Áed, son of Flaithbertach Ua Néill, King of Ailech and Cenél nEógain, died 1036...
until 1809. The ruins lie around 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) south-east of the later building.
Castle Toward
The present Castle Toward was built in 1820 by Kirkman FinlayKirkman Finlay
Kirkman Finlay was one of the leading merchants in Glasgow, Scotland. He was Lord Provost of Glasgow and Member of Parliament.Kirkman was born in the Gallowgate, the second son of textile manufacturer James Finlay...
, former Lord Provost of Glasgow, as his family's country house. Later owned and extended by the Coats family of Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, the house is a castellated mansion, with Italian plasterwork installed in the public rooms in 1920. The grounds incorporate the ruins of the sixteenth century Toward Castle, the Chinese ponds, wooded areas, access to the shore, and views over the Firth of Clyde
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
.
During the Second World War the castle was used as a combined operations
Combined operations
In military use, combined operations , also known as joint operations, or interoperability capability, are either operations conducted by forces of two or more allied nations acting together for the accomplishment of a common strategy, a strategic and operational and sometimes tactical cooperation...
centre (COC No. 2), HMS Brontosaurus.
The castle, and 226 acre (0.91459036 km²) of woodland, were purchased by the Corporation of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in the 1940s. The building was used initially as a residential school for children recovering from illness or living in deprived home conditions. It then became available for residential education for children from all Glasgow Primary Schools and operated for 50 years as an outdoor education centre, being used by up to 400,000 children from Glasgow and Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
.
With the reorganisation of local government in Scotland in 1996, ownership passed to Argyll and Bute Council
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
and such centres were threatened with closure. A rescue operation was mounted by Castle Toward’s then principal, Peter Wilson, and a company, Actual Reality was formed, which kept the castle in use as an outdoor activity centre, along with the council-owned centre at Ardentinny
Ardentinny
Ardentinny is a small village on the west shore of Loch Long, fourteen miles from Dunoon in Argyll on the Cowal peninsula. Nearby is 'Cruach a Chaise' while on the opposite side of Loch Long is the village of Coulport, home of HMNB Clyde, the base for Britain's Trident Nuclear Defence Force.The...
. There have been several attempts by the council to sell the estate, but all have met with fierce opposition.
On 13th November 2009 Argyll and Bute Council closed the castle on the grounds that it was unfit for purpose. This followed directly Actual Reality's request to upgrade the fire protection system following an audit of the castle in co-operation with Strathclyde Fire Brigade. There is currently a growing online campaign to save Castle Toward, including a Facebook campaign which has attracted over 4000 members in its first month.
Current uses
The grounds of the outdoor education centre were used as a location for the children's BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series Raven
Raven (game show)
Raven was a multi-BAFTA-winning BBC Scotland children's adventure game show that aired on CBBC in the UK and on BBC Kids in Canada from 2002 to 2010 over the course of ten series, with three spin-off series. It is hosted by James Mackenzie in the title role, who conducts a group of children, known...
, featuring the actor James MacKenzie, up to and including the seventh series at the start of 2008.
As well as outdoor education, the house is also used for residential courses for young people in music and art. The Glasgow Schools' Symphony Orchestra and West of Scotland Schools' Concert Band visit regularly. The castle's composer-in-residence is John Maxwell Geddes, who wrote a Postlude for Strings in protest at plans to sell the castle.