1990s
The closure of both centres became inevitable in 1996 due to disaggregation of the region and lack of funding. A project team led by Peter Wilson (now Managing Director of both centres) took on the job of re-opening the centres.

1970s
Strathclyde Region took over the centre in the mid-seventies and gave schools throughout the Strathclyde region access to the facility. When the region was segmented, ownership reverted to Argyll & Bute Council who owned Castle Toward and its grounds.

1950s
In 1947 the Corporation of Glasgow bought Castle Toward, and its 226-acre grounds, from the Coats family, the Paisley thread makers. The building was used initially as a residential school for children recovering from illness or living in deprivation, then as residential education for all Glasgow Primary Schools, with a bias towards environmental and outdoor activities. Decades ahead of its time.

World War II
The Combined Training Centre consisting of units from Royal Engineers, Royal Artilllery, Royal Armoured Corps and other logistical units was set up at Castle Toward during World War II. The jetty at Castle Toward and an area of Toward Point meant the centre was ideal for instruction on loading army vehicles onto landing craft and on beach landing control. The forces knew the centre as ‘HMS Brontosaurus’...though don’t ask us why!

Did you know? When he was planning the D-Day landings at Normandy, Winston Churchill stayed in Castle Toward’s circular Room Number One. If you stay there you may notice the faint whiff of cigar smoke…

19th century
The Lamonts went to live at Ardlamont and the ruined Toward was sold in 1809 to Kirkman Findlay. In 1821 he built Castle Toward, ‘a fine Gothic mansion’, placing it just into the period between Regency and the Victorian period, though Castle Toward is commonly referred to as a Victorian building.

15th to 17th century
Toward Castle was home to the chiefs of Clan Lamont from the 15th century and in 1535 Sir John Lamont, 10th Chief, purchased more land at Toward from James V in 1535. Mary, Queen of Scots was entertained at the Castle in 1563.

The darkest moment in the castle’s tumultuous history came when King Charles II ordered Sir John Lamont, the 14th chief, to lay down his arms during a lengthy siege on the castle by a large force of Campbells. The Campbells craved revenge for the part the Lamonts had played in the Royalist campaign of terror in Argyll.

After a fortnight, with the Lamonts cut off by land and sea, the Campbells bombarded the castle for three days. Sir John signed a capitulation which guaranteed that he, his brothers, soldiers, wives and children would go free; the ink was scarcely dry when the Campbells seized and bound the garrison, ill-treated and killed 36 women and children, pillaged and burned the house and its plantations.

The men and boys were taken to Dunoon where 200 were slaughtered and the surviving women and children were carried away in boats to beg or starve. The chief's sister, Isobel, managed to hide her brother's copy of the surrender document with the signatures in the coils of her hair. The Marquis of Argyll was executed in 1661 - one of his charges was the massacre at Toward.