Archaeology Notes

Event ID 826303

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/826303

NR39NE 5 3868 9723.

(NR 3867 9722) The remains of a 'fort' with inner and outer works about 15 and 30 paces square with round towers at the corners lies on an island in Loch an Sgoltaire. Its origins are not known, but it was re-fortified in 1615 and again used as a place of refuge in 1701. A summer-house was built on the site in the 19th century. The situation and the use of round towers with a wall of enclosure suggest a 13th century castle comparable with Lochindorb (NH93NE 1), but the actual enceinte in this case would appear to be very small.

A narrow causeway is said to lead from the island to the shore, but since the raising of the level of the loch in the 20th century, it is not identifiable.

S Grieve 1923; J de V Loder 1935

NR 3868 9723: The remains of a castle consisting of a sub-square keep and outer curtain wall. The keep walls are 8.0m x 10.0m long internally, up to 2.5m thick and 1.4m high. Round bastions occupy each corner and a stairway gives access to the wall head within the NE bastion. The gateway and much of the walling is of 19th century reconstruction. The curtain wall measures up to 2.0m wide and 1.0m high, and has three bastions. Its entrance on the N is occupied by a 19th century arch. A rectangular enclosure on the S side of the island is of recent date.

Although conforming to an early plan, much of the castle appears to have been rebuilt in the 19th century including the archway through the outer wall and the gateway into the keep.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (DWR) 16 April 1974