Some background
Duart Castle is the seat of Clan MacLean and is built on a headland overlooking the Sound of Mull. It guarded one of the most important marine seaways in Scotland and has been fortified since early times. It was one of a series of castles built to defend the Sound of Mull.
It is a superb setting, protected by steep almost vertical cliffs and virtually inaccessible apart from the access road to the south. It is best seen from the sea.
The original castle dates from the C13th which had a solid stone curtain wall surrounding a courtyard with wooden buildings. The castle was protected by a ditch and the entrance gateway had a portcullis. It also also served as a place of as place of refuge for local population in case of attack or bad weather.
In 1390 the castle passed to Lachlan Lubanach Maclean as part of the dowry on his marriage to Mary MacDonald, daughter of the Lord of the Isles. He added a massive stone keep on the western side of the courtyard. This had a vaulted ground floor with an integral well, the only source of water if the castle was besieged. Above was the main hall.
In the C16th, new and more comfortable residential buildings were added to the inside of the eastern curtain wall and the north eastern range was rebuilt along with a new gateway on the south wall.
In about 1520, Lachlan Cattanach, the 11th Chief, married Catherine, the sister of the Chieftain of Clan Campbell. This was a powerful family. Not only were they the Earls of Argyll, they were also Lieutenants of the Western Isles, responsible for maintaining order in the islands for the king.
Catherine failed to produce an heir, and according to the story, Lachlan was wanting to dispose of her. He had her stranded on what is now known as Lady's Rock, within sight of the castle, hoping the incoming tide would cover it and drown her.
Catherine had disappeared by the following morning and Lachlan sadly reported her death to her brother, the Earl of Argyll. Lachlan subsequently accepted an invitation to a banquet from the Earl of Argyll at Inveraray, only to find Catherine sitting next to her brother at the high table. She had been rescued by a passing fisherman, who had heard her cries. Nothing was said, and Lachlan was allowed to leave unharmed. He was found murdered in Edinburgh a few years later, apparently stabbed in revenge by another of Catherine's brothers Sir John Campbell of Cawdor.
The Macleans remained loyal to the Stuart monarchs and supported the Jacobite cause. They began to face increasing debts, particularly to the Campbells.
After the Catholic James II of England and VII of Scotland was removed from the throne in favour of the Protestant William and Mary, the Macleans remained loyal to the Stuart monarchs and supported the Jacobite cause. They began to face increasing debts, particularly to the Campbells. In 1690s, the Macleans had to surrender the castle to the Duke of Argyll to pay off the family debts.
The castle was no longer used as a residence but acted as a garrison for Government troops until 1751 when there was no further threat of Jacobite invasion or rebellion. On leaving they deliberately destroyed the castle to prevent its further use.
The castle remined as a ruin until 1911, when it were was bought by Sir Fitzroy MacLean, 26th chief who began restoring and rebuilding the castle using Sir John James Burnet as theprinciple architect. The rowan tree in the courtyard was planted on his 100th Birthday in 1935 to ward off ‘evil spirits’ He died the following year.
The castle remains one of the few surviving privately owned Clan castles in Scotland. The keep is now open to the public. The rest of the buildings is still lived in by the family and not open.
The brazier in the courtyard is in memory of Elizabeth, mother of the current Chief, who died in 2012 at the age of 98. The intention is to raise it to the roof of the north eastern range to replace and earlier brazier.
As well as the castle, there is a shop and tearoom, as well as walks around the headland with wild flower grassland and yellow iris in the wetter areas.
The Millennium woodland was planted with trees native to Mull.
Website
Plan of the castle
cont....
Duart Castle is the seat of Clan MacLean and is built on a headland overlooking the Sound of Mull. It guarded one of the most important marine seaways in Scotland and has been fortified since early times. It was one of a series of castles built to defend the Sound of Mull.
It is a superb setting, protected by steep almost vertical cliffs and virtually inaccessible apart from the access road to the south. It is best seen from the sea.
The original castle dates from the C13th which had a solid stone curtain wall surrounding a courtyard with wooden buildings. The castle was protected by a ditch and the entrance gateway had a portcullis. It also also served as a place of as place of refuge for local population in case of attack or bad weather.
In 1390 the castle passed to Lachlan Lubanach Maclean as part of the dowry on his marriage to Mary MacDonald, daughter of the Lord of the Isles. He added a massive stone keep on the western side of the courtyard. This had a vaulted ground floor with an integral well, the only source of water if the castle was besieged. Above was the main hall.
In the C16th, new and more comfortable residential buildings were added to the inside of the eastern curtain wall and the north eastern range was rebuilt along with a new gateway on the south wall.
In about 1520, Lachlan Cattanach, the 11th Chief, married Catherine, the sister of the Chieftain of Clan Campbell. This was a powerful family. Not only were they the Earls of Argyll, they were also Lieutenants of the Western Isles, responsible for maintaining order in the islands for the king.
Catherine failed to produce an heir, and according to the story, Lachlan was wanting to dispose of her. He had her stranded on what is now known as Lady's Rock, within sight of the castle, hoping the incoming tide would cover it and drown her.
Catherine had disappeared by the following morning and Lachlan sadly reported her death to her brother, the Earl of Argyll. Lachlan subsequently accepted an invitation to a banquet from the Earl of Argyll at Inveraray, only to find Catherine sitting next to her brother at the high table. She had been rescued by a passing fisherman, who had heard her cries. Nothing was said, and Lachlan was allowed to leave unharmed. He was found murdered in Edinburgh a few years later, apparently stabbed in revenge by another of Catherine's brothers Sir John Campbell of Cawdor.
The Macleans remained loyal to the Stuart monarchs and supported the Jacobite cause. They began to face increasing debts, particularly to the Campbells.
After the Catholic James II of England and VII of Scotland was removed from the throne in favour of the Protestant William and Mary, the Macleans remained loyal to the Stuart monarchs and supported the Jacobite cause. They began to face increasing debts, particularly to the Campbells. In 1690s, the Macleans had to surrender the castle to the Duke of Argyll to pay off the family debts.
The castle was no longer used as a residence but acted as a garrison for Government troops until 1751 when there was no further threat of Jacobite invasion or rebellion. On leaving they deliberately destroyed the castle to prevent its further use.
The castle remined as a ruin until 1911, when it were was bought by Sir Fitzroy MacLean, 26th chief who began restoring and rebuilding the castle using Sir John James Burnet as theprinciple architect. The rowan tree in the courtyard was planted on his 100th Birthday in 1935 to ward off ‘evil spirits’ He died the following year.
The castle remains one of the few surviving privately owned Clan castles in Scotland. The keep is now open to the public. The rest of the buildings is still lived in by the family and not open.
The brazier in the courtyard is in memory of Elizabeth, mother of the current Chief, who died in 2012 at the age of 98. The intention is to raise it to the roof of the north eastern range to replace and earlier brazier.
As well as the castle, there is a shop and tearoom, as well as walks around the headland with wild flower grassland and yellow iris in the wetter areas.
The Millennium woodland was planted with trees native to Mull.
Website
Plan of the castle
cont....
