Castle Sween (or Caistéal Suibhne) is thought to be one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland. Located on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, in Knapdale, Castle Sween was built sometime in the late twelfth century. The castle’s towers were later additions to wooden structures which have since vanished.
The castle probably takes its name from Suibhne, a twelfth-century figure who may have constructed the fortress. In 1310, Edward II granted John MacSween and his brothers the ancestral lands of Knapdale, provided that they oust John Menteith.
In 1647, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, Castle Sween was attacked and burnt by Alasdair MacColla and his Irish Confederate followers.