The castle's first firm written mention comes in 1316, under the name Bystrický hrad — the castle of Bystrica — after the settlement below it, which itself appears in a church document of 1250. The mention is tied to Matúš Čák Trenčiansky, the magnate who ran this whole corner of the kingdom from Trenčín as though it were his own country. He died in 1321 and his power died with him. The castle went back to the king, who handed it to Alexander Köcski, one of Charles Robert's men; Köcski and his son held it from 1325 to 1354, and Pál Ugali after them.Prvá istá písomná zmienka o hrade je z roku 1316 a volá sa v nej Bystrický hrad — podľa sídla pod ním, ktoré sa samo objavuje v cirkevnej listine roku 1250. Zmienka sa viaže na Matúša Čáka Trenčianskeho, veľmoža, ktorý celý tento kút kráľovstva spravoval z Trenčína ako vlastnú krajinu. Zomrel roku 1321 a jeho moc zomrela s ním. Hrad sa vrátil kráľovi a ten ho dal Alexandrovi Köcskimu, jednému z mužov Karola Róberta; Köcski a jeho syn ho držali v rokoch 1325 – 1354 a po nich Pavol Ugali.
