Step Back in Time at Dunollie Castle: 17th-Century Living History Weekend Near Oban

Perched above Oban, Dunollie Castle and its museum host a weekend that reanimates 17th-century Scotland. Dunollie Through the Ages: A 17th-Century Living History Weekend brings Sir Arthur Erskine’s Regiment to the Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds for musket and cannon firings, pike and musket drills, living camps, and family crafts.

Arrive at the Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds between 10:00am and 4:00pm — the event is a drop-in day with last entry at 3:30pm — and step into a working living history encampment. The key features are the historic castle grounds: military tents and authentic-style camp layouts, weaponry displays with replica muskets, pikes and artillery demonstrations, and close-up handling opportunities for replica weapons under supervision. Families can explore children’s arts and crafts inspired by Scotland’s past while interpreters demonstrate daily life in the regiment’s camp.

What makes this weekend stand out is the scale and accessibility. Sir Arthur Erskine’s Regiment recreates 17th-century tactics and camp life at a public, wheelchair-accessible site, offering both high-energy demonstrations such as musket volleys and measured, interpretive encounters that explain the social and material culture of the period. Visitors hear the cadence of pike drill, watch cannon demonstrations, and move between active displays and quieter, museum exhibits that contextualize the era for older children and adults.

Practical notes matter: the program runs outdoors so dress for Scottish weather and for ground conditions, bring rain layers and sturdy footwear. The event runs for roughly six hours across the day; visitors can plan a couple of hours for demonstrations and an hour for hands-on activities. Advance booking is encouraged, and the event is free for season pass holders who book a space and present their pass at reception.

Local history fans will appreciate the emphasis on material culture — period clothing, weapon replicas, cooking methods and camp craft — while parents will find activities built for curious hands and short attention spans. The living history format invites questions: interpreters answer how drills were organized, how camp life sustained soldiers and how such regiments shaped 17th-century Scottish life.

For a weekend that turns stone walls and green lawns into an active classroom, Dunollie Through the Ages is a rare chance to experience the mechanics of early modern military life and family-friendly heritage interpretation in Oban. It’s living history that you can hear, touch and, for a moment, inhabit.

Bring a camera, but remain behind safety lines during demonstrations; check the schedule for musket and cannon firing times so you don't miss headline moments. School groups and multi-generational families report this event as an efficient, engaging way to introduce early modern Scottish history. Remember to book ahead on busy days and to confirm accessibility arrangements with staff before arrival.