"As far back as the Iron Age, this has been the site of a strategically important settlement. Its early residents were known to have traded with the Romans. The presence of a settlement is first recorded in a letter Saint Patrick wrote to King Ceretic of Alt Clut in the late 5th century."
"From the fifth century until the ninth, the castle was the center of the independent British Kingdom of Strathclyde. Alt Clut or Alcluith, literally "Clyde Rock", the Brythonic name for Dumbarton Rock, became a metonym for kingdom. The king of the Britons of Dumbarton in about AD 570 was Riderch Hael, who features in Welsh and Latin works."
"During his reign Merlin was said to have stayed at Alt Clut. The medieval Scalacronica of Sir Thomas Grey records the legend that "Arthur left Hoël of Little Britain his nephew sick at Alcluit in Scotland." Hoël made a full recovery, but was besieged in the castle by the Scots and Picts."
"In 756, the first (and second) losses of Dumbarton Rock were recorded. A joint force of Picts and Northumbrians captured Alcluith after a siege, only to lose it again a few days later. By 870, Dumbarton Rock was home to a tightly packed British settlement, which served as a fortress and as the capital of Alt Clut. The Vikings laid siege to Dumbarton for four months, eventually defeating the inhabitants when they cut off their water supply. The Norse king Olaf returned to the Viking city of Dublin in 871, with two hundred ships full of slaves and looted treasures. Olaf came to an agreement with Constantine I of Scotland, and Artgal of Alt Clut. Strathclyde's independence may have come to an end with the death of Owen the Bald, when the dynasty of Kenneth mac Alpin began to rule the region."
"Dumbarton was the center of the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde from the 5th century until 1018. Impressively situated on a volcanic rock overlooking the Firth of Clyde, it was an important royal refuge. For a time, Chiefs of Clan Colquhoun were appointed governors and keepers of Dumbarton Castle. It was known as the "fortress of the Britons." The medieval castle was built by Alexander II of Scotland around 1220 as a bulwark against the threat from Norway, whose kings ruled the Hebrides and the islands in the Clyde. In 1305, during the Wars of Independence with England, William Wallace may have been held prisoner here for a short time, before being taken to London for execution. The Wallace Tower is thought to be named in his honor. The castle’s geographical position, distanced from the political heartland of the country, reduced its importance somewhat, but it also made it a good postern, or back gate, through which her rulers could come and go with comparative ease. It sheltered David II and his young wife, Joan of The Tower after the Scottish defeat at Halidon Hill in 1333."
"In 1424 King James I of Scotland commanded Sir John Colquhoun, the Laird of Luss, Loch Lomond, to seize possession of the formidable and well-fortified Dumbarton Castle from the Earl of Lennox, who had become too powerful for the King's comfort. Sir John replied to the King's command in French (the accepted universal language of the time) "Si Je Puis - I will if I can". He carefully laid his plans. The Highland chieftain gathered a group of his men and, under cover of darkness, hid them in the woods outside the castle's gates. When morning came he set loose near the entrance a large stag which he had previously captured, chased by hunting dogs. The starving garrison in the castle saw the hunt and, unsuspecting, opened the gates to join in. The Chief's clansmen then stole into the castle, successfully securing it and returning it to the King, without a drop of blood being spilled on either side. In gratitude, the king bestowed on the Chief of Colquhoun a coat of arms with a crest showing a stag's head and two deer-hounds as supporters bearing the motto "Si Je Puis"."
"Most of the existing structures were built in the 18th century, including the Governor's House, built for John Kennedy, 8th Earl of Cassilis, and fortifications which demonstrated the struggle by military engineers to adapt an intractable site to contemporary defensive needs. The splendid views from the twin summits of the White Tower Crag and the Beak remind us why this rocky outcrop was chosen as 'the fortress of the Britons' centuries ago. "
Hopefully you will be able to climb the over 557 steps to see the White Tower Crag and other features. From the top it is said on a clear day one can see Glasgow, about 12 miles to the southeast. As you look to the north hills you will be looking at the Lands of Colquhoun, otherwise known as the Kilpatrick Hills.
