SCOTLAND is home to thousands of extraordinary castles dating back hundreds of years.
Castle Sween in Argyll is the oldest such fortification in Scotland, tracing its origins back to the 1100s when the region lay outside the boundaries of the Kingdom of Scotland.
The castle and adjacent sea loch get their names from Suibhne (Sven) "the Red", a chieftain of Irish descent and ancestor to the MacSweens.
See inside Castle Sween — the oldest castle in Scotland dating back to the 1100s
Its curtain walls, which are around two metres thick, surround a quadrangular courtyard which has been altered over the past 500 years.
Experts are certain about the castle's age because of the "broad buttresses" on these outside walls.
The fortification has had a long and dramatic history. In the 1200s, when the King of Scots and the King of Norway wrestled for control of Argyll and the Isles, the castle's original inhabitants were displaced.
The MacSweens were replaced as Lords of Knapdale in 1262 by the Stewarts, Earls of Menteith.
It wasn't until the 1300s, after the territory was transferred to Scotland, that John MacSween made an attempt to retake the castle.
Despite a valiant effort, he was unsuccessful with the castle passing to the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles, later that century.
Several families served as keepers until 1481, when King James III suspected treachery from the MacDonalds.
The King then entrusted the castle to the Campbells before it was later destroyed by Sir Alexander MacDonald in 1647.
Castle Sween is a popular attraction with many singing its praises on Tripadvisor. Users gave the site a 4/5 on the platform with one person writing that the area has "spectacular views."
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They added: "You can get a real idea of how people lived here hundreds of years ago. There is no vehicular access to the castle as you have to go through a caravan park to get to it, but it's a pleasant walk on a well-tarred road."
Another said: "Ruined castle with amazing views over to Jura. Adjacent to a lovely holiday park with a nice beach and what looked like a lovely restaurant."
A third added that they "absolutely loved" coming back here after holidaying near the castle as a child in the 1980s.
