A labour of love is taking place in Tarbert, all year round, with plenty of work to do in 2024.
Its ancient castle has stood guard over the harbour and the surrounding waters for centuries and now it is the village’s turn to take care of the castle.
Tarbert Castle Trust helps maintain the castle and the heritage park alongside with its woodland, orchard and sculpture park.
The major piece of work for 2024 is going to be replacing the steps from the keep to the entrance of the orchard. They have reached an age when there is no other option but to renew.
The first flight at the western end of the castle was in a very poor state. It was removed and replaced on Saturday, January 6. The skilled work was carried out by committed community volunteers, to whom the trust is very grateful.
The fixings and handrails are now complete and the western steps are now open. Work will now begin on removing the eastern steps.
As the castle is an ancient monument it is a like-for-like replacement; otherwise a lot of consultations and paperwork would be involved. The trust has applied for help from the Community Fund for this work.
Another repair will be to the honey hexagon in the sculpture park.
People might not appreciate that some of the helpers who keep Tarbert Castle looking good are four-legged. A flock of Hebridean sheep keep the grass short; these living lawnmowers in turn have a rota of humans who help look after them. Once they have been sheared their fleeces go to the local spinning group to be carded and spun.
In winter when the grazing becomes poor the sheep are given a food supplement; donations help pay for this.
Keeping the vegetation under control is an on going task; with plenty of rhododendron and bracken bashing plus volunteers donning waders and heading into the water to show the pondweed who is boss.
Younger generations have their part to play and each year the Tarbert Academy S5 pupils have a group which goes along to the castle to help.
Students also have been at the castle for their work experience, getting hands-on and assisting with sheep care and the orchard.
Work is always ongoing to keep the floodlighting at the castle in good order. The trust members have already updated and switched the castle floodlighting system over to LED to consume less energy. The Christmas star at the castle is always a favourite.
Work parties are on the first Saturday of each month, from 10am and volunteers are always welcome. Just turn up on the day or contact secretary@tarbertcastle.info
Did you know…?
‘It is hard to believe this from the surviving remains, but the area enclosed by the wall could have held many timber buildings; building accounts for 1325-6 show that the work on the castle included not only the walls, but also the construction of a hall with clay and sand walls, timber uprights and a thatched roof.’
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland: Exploring Scotland’s Heritage – Argyll and the Western Isles, 1985
Many of the older buildings in Tarbert are built with stone from the castle. By the 1760s the castle has fallen into disrepair and a lot of the useable stone was taken for construction.
Accounts for work on Tarbert Castle, from the days of Robert the Bruce, are some of the oldest documents held in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland.