Cold, damp and dark: life in Inveraray Jail’s Old Prison was full of hardship. It was also very boring. There was no place to exercise and no work or education was provided. Time must have dragged for those poor souls who found themselves locked up in the early 1800s. Fast forward 50 years and things were very...

The first half of the 19th century – the period which saw the initial construction and further development of Inveraray Jail – was also a time of prison reform in Britain. The idea of simply removing criminals from society before releasing them, often hardened, embittered or otherwise adversely affected by...

The prisoners are a bit jittery. The word in the cells is that a hoard of Vikings is rampaging up Loch Fyne intent on raiding Inveraray. Rumour has it that they plan to loot, pillage and party like it’s 1093! It’s all part of the Loch Fyne Viking Festival which starts today (Wednesday 25th). This five-day...

The appeal of Inveraray Jail may lie in its special ability to connect us with the past, but that doesn’t mean the present isn’t a welcome visitor to our wonderful loch-side location now and again. And what could be more current than a visit from the Commonwealth Games? Granted, it might not have been Mo...

Inveraray Jail opened to the public exactly 25 years ago this month. And in that quarter century it has become one of Scotland’s leading tourist attractions, offering a unique insight into crime and punishment in 19th-century Scotland. But how did the prison, which ceased to operate in 1889, survive intact for so...

When we think of a prison today we think of a large institution operating as part of a national prison service, funded by central Government and staffed by a range of well-trained professionals. Things were very different in the 19th century. Can you imagine that for much of its existence Inveraray Jail would have been...

When it comes to crime and punishment some things never change. Most criminals who are sent to prison accept their punishment and serve their time with a view to getting released at the earliest opportunity. Then there are the troublemakers. As it is today, so it was in the 19th century, and the records at Inveraray...

Life in the Old Prison wasn’t easy and the poor souls who ended up here faced many hardships. The cells were cold, damp and dark. There was no attempt to separate men, women and children. They were all crowded into the cells together: murderers alongside drunken brawlers, hardened criminals alongside first...

One of the best things about visiting Inveraray Jail is the chance to meet the prisoners and talk to them about life in jail. You can ask them what they were convicted of, how long their sentence is, where they come from, how old they are and how life’s treating them behind bars. Of course these inmates are actors,...

The nation”s getting ready to celebrate Hogmanay. Here in Scotland, Hogmanay is a big event. Across the country, people see in the New Year in style. But there was no partying for the prisoners of Inveraray Jail. They would spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day alone in their cells working –...