Glengorm Castle

This baronial style castle was built in 1860 by James Forsyth, the notorious laird of Dervaig who forced hundreds of people out of their homes. It is said that the laird asked a local woman what she thought would be a good name for the castle. She suggested Glengorm and he agreed, obviously not knowing that this was the Gaelic for Blue Glen - a reference to the blue smoke that filled the air when so many of the houses were burned down. Legend has it that one of the evictees put a curse on James Forsyth saying he would die before the castle was finished. In 1863 just before completion of the castle he was killed in a riding accident and his son inherited the property.

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Owners of the Castle

1860 The Forsyth Family
1874 William Lang - died in 1887 leaving many debts and the property in a bad state of disrepair.
1887 James Cowan died 1897
1897 William Morgan
1909 Margaret Lithgow - famous shipping family
1949 Coal mining company - they bought the estate purely for the timber which was used to line the coal pits
1951 Richard Fawcitt
1962 John Carr of Carr's Biscuits fame
1969 The Nelson Family

The Castle is now run by Tom and Marjorie Nelson and family and is a thriving rural community, home to Hebridean sheep, Scottish Black Faced Ewes and Highland Cattle. It also offers 4-star bed and breakfast accommodation - as well as an original walled garden which acts as a nursery and producer of fresh food for the local hotels and restaurants.

Click here to go to the Glengorm Castle website

Grid Reference NM 43963 57210
Alt. 238 ft
N56.63632
W6.17715