Dumbarton Castle to reopen to visitors in 'early spring'

Dumbarton Castle will reopen to visitors in ‘early spring’ after being closed for almost a year.

The venue was closed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) last year, as they carried out work to analyse the extent of masonry deterioration.

Access restrictions were put in place last January as a safety precaution while HES, who manages the site, introduced new measures to manage the impact of climate change on buildings in its care, an issue which is affecting heritage owners globally.

One minor access restriction will remain in place at the Spur Battery which will exclude access to the Spanish and Bower Batteries.

Ground level restrictions also remain in areas around the base of the Rock, however, this is managed as part of routine rock risk and is not part of the High Level Masonry Programme.

Surveys of structures were carried out during the closure. (Lennox Herald)

The High Level Masonry Programme, which is the result of ongoing risk assessment and sample surveys, assesses the impact of climate change on sites as well as the scale of deterioration caused by a number of other factors, including the materials used in the building’s construction, its age and physical location.

Whilst this is not an issue unique to Scotland, HES is believed to be amongst the first heritage managers to approach it in this way, with the results shared with peer organisations.

Dumbarton Castle will be the latest site to reopen as part of the prioritised programme of inspections, following sites such as Doune Castle in Perthshire and Dundonald Castle in Kilmarnock.

Welcoming the long-awaited reopening of the Castle, Craig Mearns, director of operations at HES, said: “I am delighted to announce that we will soon be reopening Dumbarton Castle to visitors.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the views from the Rock once again. (DAILY RECORD)

“We are working as quickly as we can to reopen our historic sites, and we appreciate the public’s patience while we undertake these necessary inspections and subsequent repairs.

“Dumbarton Castle is one of Scotland’s most important strongholds and climate change is another part of its long and varied history.

“We look forward to welcoming visitors back to the iconic site as soon as we have carried out the final checks and implemented any additional safety measures.”

More details on when tickets will be on sale will be published on Historic Environment Scotland’s website and social media channels.