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Dunstaffnage Castle

Castle (medieval), Kiln (period Unassigned), Midden (period Unassigned), Structure (18th Century), Trench (13th Century)
Dunstaffnage Castle
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What is recorded here

Dunstaffnage Castle is a ruined MacDougall fortress built in the 1220s on a narrow rock ledge above Loch Etive. Ewen MacDougall, who called himself King of the Isles, likely added its round towers and enlarged the hall before the Campbells took the castle around 1470. The name preserves a Norse hint, stafanes, a headland of staves, while the sea still enters the room through every window.
Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Dunstaffnage Castle as Castle (medieval), Kiln (period Unassigned), Midden (period Unassigned), Structure (18th Century), Trench (13th Century). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 1m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.
Dunstaffnage Castle was built in the 13th century by the MacDougall clan, Lords of Lorn, and later held by the Campbell family from the 15th century. It is important as a strategic stronghold in the history of the Scottish west coast and as one of the few surviving medieval castles in the region.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.

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Photo: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0