Dunivaig Castle, first mentioned in chronicles of the later 14th C, was a possession of the Lords of the Isles. It passed through several hands during its often troubled history, at various stages being in the keep of the McDonalds of Dunivaig, McLean of Ardnamurchan, Sir John Campbell of Cawdor and was under royal control for a period. It was besieged on a number of occasions in the 17th C and appears to have been abandoned by the end of that century. It now stands as a much depleted ruin. It occupies a high coastal promontory on the E side of Lagavulin Bay. On lower ground beneath the rise, there is an outer courtyard. This is irregularly polygonal in shape and measures some 37m by 23m in area. The courtyard contains the remains of at least four rectangular buildings. This are now overgrown but can still be traced on the ground. To the SW side, there are traces of a sea gate and a boat landing area. On the summit of the rise, there are traces of an enclosure wall and the now depleted remains of a elongated hall which originally stood to more than two main stories in height. Of this building, only the seaward wall now stands to any height; the remainder being reduced to footings. The entire structure is now in a poor condition, with crumbling walls and loose masonry. The buildings on the summit are closed off to the public due to its dangerous and unstable condition. A 'cupmarked' stone previously reported (NR44NW 4) some 100m to the NE of the castle, and thought comprise of baitholes and natural depressions, was not seen during this survey. RCAHMS (1984a) 268-75, No. 403.
Location
140603.00
645489.00
27700
55.6335449
-6.1229777
Submitted photographs
Image
Date
Caption
User
15/07/2014
Dunivaig Castle, wall at seagate
Janiec55
Submitted updates
Update id
Date
User
1725
15/07/2014
Janiec55
Tidal state
Mid
Site located?
Yes
Proximity to coast edge
Coast edge
Coastally eroding?
active sea erosion; has eroded in the past
Threats
visitor erosion; structural damage/decay
Visibility above ground
Highly visible (substantial remains)
Visibility in section
Limited visibility in section
Access
easily accessible - no restrictions; accessible on foot (footpath)
Local knowledge
is well known; is well visited; has local associations/history
Description
Dunivaig Castle, first mentioned in chronicles of the later 14th C, was a possession of the Lords of the Isles. It passed through several hands during its often troubled history, at various stages being in the keep of the McDonalds of Dunivaig, McLean of Ardnamurchan, Sir John Campbell of Cawdor and was under royal control for a period. It was besieged on a number of occasions in the 17th C and appears to have been abandoned by the end of that century. It now stands as a much depleted ruin. It occupies a high coastal promontory on the E side of Lagavulin Bay. On lower ground beneath the rise, there is an outer courtyard. This is irregularly polygonal in shape and measures some 37m by 23m in area. The courtyard contains the remains of at least four rectangular buildings. This are now overgrown but can still be traced on the ground. To the SW side, there are traces of a sea gate and a boat landing area. On the summit of the rise, there are traces of an enclosure wall and the now depleted remains of a elongated hall which originally stood to more than two main stories in height. Of this building, only the seaward wall now stands to any height; the remainder being reduced to footings. The entire structure is now in a poor condition, with crumbling walls and loose masonry. The buildings on the summit are closed off to the public due to its dangerous and unstable condition. A 'cupmarked' stone previously reported (NR44NW 4) some 100m to the NE of the castle, and thought comprise of baitholes and natural depressions, was not seen during this survey. RCAHMS (1984a) 268-75, No. 403.
