The name was possibly derived from the Scottish Gaelic: glom meaning a "chasm", and referring to the narrow gorges to either side of the site.

[2] In about 1460, the property was acquired by Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll (d.1493) during his marriage to Isabel Stewart, Lord Lorne's daughter.

[3] The first historical record of the castle dates from the following year, when Pope Paul II issued a bull against Walter Stewart, son of Lord Lorne, for attacking and damaging the "Place of Glom".

It included a state apartment of hall, outer chamber and bedchamber, with large south-facing windows overlooking the gardens, and a view across the Devon Valley.

[8] In January 1563 Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed at Castle Campbell for three days on the occasion of the marriage of Margaret, sister to the 5th Earl of Argyll, and James Stewart, Lord Doune.

[6] An inventory made in 1595, records the furniture, tapestries, carpets and other items in each room of the castle, including a total of 47 beds.

[17][18][19] In 1590, James VI of Scotland was displeased with the captain of the castle, Alexander Menteith, Chamberlain of Campbell, who had released a condemned prisoner Henry Mersair, found guilty of fire-raising, murder, slaughter, and other crimes.

[20] Agnes Douglas, Countess of Argyll imprisoned Thomas Alexander of Balruidy in the castle, and claimed he was a sheep rustler.

In 1645, Montrose's troops on their way to the Battle of Kilsyth, laid waste to the lands around Castle Campbell, including Dollar and Muckhart.

[25] His son James Orr had excavations carried out at the castle in the 1870s, turning up fragments of stained glass from the windows of the south range.

[17] In 1948, the then-owners of the Harviestoun estate gave Dollar Glen to the National Trust for Scotland, who arranged for the castle to be cared for by the Ministry of Works.