Innis Chonnel Castle stands on a small island about 50 metres from the southeastern shore of Loch Awe. Historical records of the castle are somewhat sparse, but it appears that it was built and rebuilt in stages starting in the 13th Century. It had fallen into ruins by the early 19th Century. I explored it in the summer of 2019, the day after I visited Fraoch Eilean Castle.
Although the castle was just offshore, it was about 14 kilometres down the loch from the place where I hired my boat. I managed to set out shortly before 9:00. The weather wasn't ideal, with intermittent rain throughout the day. The people at the boat hire place kindly lent me a plastic barrel to hold my camera bag, a pair of waterproof trousers to wear over my jeans, and a large umbrella. I had to use the umbrella and trousers at times on both the outbound and return journeys. The return journey was particularly wet and rather uncomfortable, holding the umbrella in one hand and the throttle of the outboard motor in the other. When it wasn't raining, the voyage was pleasant, apart from the noise and vibration of the engine. The length and mild discomfort of the voyage at least made it feel, if only slightly, like an adventure.
I reached the island around 10:30, and moored the boat on a stony beach on the eastern shore. Some rough stone steps led up to a stone doorway, which is apparently the remains of a gatehouse. Before proceeding to the castle I had a quick look around a small clearing to the north. I noticed that someone had killed some of the trees by ring-barking them.
Previous visitors had worn a path to the castle door, but I had the place to myself while I was there. I explored and photographed the castle until just before 15:00. The day was mostly overcast, with some sunny intervals. I had to hurry to make good use of the sunlight while it lasted. Just before I left, the entire castle was nicely illuminated, so I got in the boat and rushed over to the mainland to photograph it from a distance. Fortunately I just managed to get some good shots before the clouds covered the sun again.
The main doorway was on the northeast wall of the castle, which ran roughly northwest to southeast. Innis Chonnel Castle was far larger and more impressive than Fraoch Eilean, and despite being abandoned for more than two centuries, the stonework was still mostly intact. As expected, everything made of wood, including the main door, had long since rotted away. The doorway led to a courtyard, which was now heavily overgrown.
A square tower stood in the east corner of the courtyard, with a doorway leading to its ground floor. The tower had once contained at least three storeys, but with the wooden floors and roof gone, it was now just an empty shell open to the sky. The part of the courtyard next to the tower looked like it was also once enclosed, presumably by a wooden structure which had rotted away.
Several doors in the southwest wall of the courtyard led to stone chambers with arched roofs, and tiny windows in their far walls.
A short staircase in the western corner of the courtyard led through a doorway to an area above the cellars. This was once the kitchen and great hall, but with the roof gone it resembled another courtyard.
A door in the southeast wall of this area led to the interior of another tower, with stone ceilings which were still intact. A small alcove in one wall contained what I took to be an old-fashioned toilet, with a hole leading somewhere far below. I saw evidence that some visitors may still use it for its original purpose.
A door higher up the wall led to another level of the tower, but there was now no way to reach this without a ladder. I hadn't thought to bring one, so I was unable to explore it.
I noticed a steel plate on the floor near the tower. I lifted this to reveal a hole leading to a chamber below, which was apparently a dungeon. For some reason a lot of people had thrown rubbish down into it. Unfortunately I neglected to get any photographs of this, for which I apologise. There wasn't much to see in any case.
Heavy rain around midday made it impractical to shoot outdoors, so I used this time to photograph the interior spaces, and eat my lunch. A small alcove on the side of the great hall was a dry and tolerably comfortable place for my solitary meal.
A staircase in the courtyard led up to the battlements atop the castle walls, which afforded a good view of the loch and surrounding landscape. The walls still felt solid underfoot, and at no risk of imminent collapse. Some sections looked like they may have been reinforced with a little fresh cement relatively recently. As with most ruined buildings, the biggest potential danger was carelessness. The roofs which once covered much of the castle had long since disappeared, and the parapet was missing in places, so a single misstep could have been fatal.
All things considered, Innis Chonnel Castle was one of my favourite castles in Scotland. The solitude and complete lack of any tourist infrastructure greatly enhance its appeal. I would thoroughly recommend a visit, as long as you watch your step on the battlements.
