What is recorded here
Dunstaffnage Castle is a partially ruined stone fortress built in the 1220s by Duncan MacDougall of Lorn on a sea-cliff above Loch Etive. It guarded a narrow waterway for the MacDougalls before passing to the Campbells, whose hereditary captain still owns the gatehouse. The name combines Gaelic dun, meaning fort, with Norse staffa nes, meaning headland of the staves, preserving both cultures in one place.
Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Dunstaffnage Castle as Findspot (period Unassigned), Harness Pendant (copper Alloy)(medieval), Mount (copper Alloy)(medieval), Seal Matrix (copper Alloy)(medieval). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 1km. 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 coastal fortress and as an example of early medieval military architecture in western Scotland.
The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.
Places near here
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