Indicated

National Monument No. 534. Ross Castle stands atop a limestone rock outcrop, on the E shoreline of Lough Leane. A rectangular four-storey tower with the remains, on its N side, of an associated bawn (KE066-074003-), and conjoined on its S side by the roofless ruin of a three-storey barracks (KE066-074004-). The tower underwent major structural alterations from the late 17th century through to recent conservation and restoration work by the State which culminated with its opening as a visitor attraction in 1993.The bawn wall (L 16.58m; H c. 5m; T 1.03m) survives to N with circular corner towers at either end. The remains of return of W bawn wall on S side of NW tower and the E bawn wall (L c. 20m) extending from NE tower is much rebuilt. A wall walk on top of the N bawn wall has a central pointed door ope. A two-storey building depicted here straddling the bawn in a number of 19th-century illustrations. The NE corner tower (int. diam. 2.7m) has a series of gun loops on the ground and first floor levels in wall from NW to SE. There is a fireplace in the SE wall and a lintelled door ope in the SW wall. Similar NW corner tower (int. diam. 2.3m) first floor gun loops in fireplace in the SW wall and in a niche in the NE wall. Wide rectangular window opes in both corner towers were probably inserted the 19th/early 20th century.

Ross Castle on Ross Island was built by the O’Donoghue family, Lords of the Isle of Raasay, in the 15th century. It is important as a well-preserved example of a medieval tower house and as a symbol of the power and influence of the O’Donoghue clan in the region.