Lochnell, Lady Margaret's Tower

This outlook-tower is prominently situated upon the summit of a rock ridge about 800 m SW of the house, from which position it commands a magnificent prospect of Loch Linnhe, Loch Etive and the island of Mull. The structure is executed in the castellated style and comprises a small square tower having angle-turrets which oversail on semicircular-headed arches to carry a corbelled and crenellated parapet (Fig. 223). Within there is a turnpike stair of stone, lit by lunettes situated beneath the oversailing arches, and rising to a square cap-house having a domed roof and corbelled parapet. The building, which is constructed of random rubble without dressings, measures about 4'9 m square at base and rises to a height of about 12 m. The entrance-doorway on the NW side is surmounted by a corbelled drip-course, above which there is a stone panel framed within classical half columns and an entablature, and inscribed: ERECTED / BY LADY CAMPBELL / ANNO 1754. Lady (Margaret) Campbell was the second wife of Sir Duncan Campbell, 7th of Lochnell (cf. p. 280). The tower was visited by Bishop Pococke during his tour of Scotland in 1760 (Pococke, Tours, 71).

RCAHMS 1975, visited June 1968.

Measured survey of Lady Margaret's Tower. The ground floor plan and NW elevation were redrawn in ink and published at a reduced scale (RCAHMS 1975, fig. 223).