Eilean Donan Castle is dramatically situated on a small isle at the meeting point of three sea lochs - Loch Long, Loch Duich and Loch Alsh. The original castle was built in 1220 for Alexander II as a defence against the Vikings. By the late 13th century it had become a stronghold of the Mackenzies of Kintail (later the Earls of Seaforth). In 1511, the MacRaes, as protectors of the MacKenzies, became the hereditary Constables of the Castle.
In 1719, the castle was garrisoned by Spanish troops fighting for the Jacobite cause on behalf of the 5th Earl of Seaforth when three British frigates sailed into the loch and pounded the castle to rubble with canon-fire. It remained a ruin for the next two centuries until 1912 when Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap decided to restore his ancestral home. The restoration took 20 years and included the construction of an arched bridge to give easier access to the castle. In 1983 The Conchra Charitable Trust was formed by the MacRae family to care for the Castle.
- Location:
- By the A87 on the north shore of Loch Duich near Dornie
- Address:
- Eilean Donan Castle, Dornie, by Kyle of Lochalsh IV40 8DX
- Access:
- Maintained by the Conchra Charitable Trust. Open to the public. Entrance fee
- Website:
- For further information visit www.eileandonancastle.com
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