Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Mingary Castle

Mingary Castle, an ancient fortalice in Ardnamurchan parish, Argyllshire, on the S shore of the Ardnamurchan peninsula, at the mouth of Loch Sunart, looking along the Sound of Mull, and confronting the north-western extremity of Mull island, 6 miles N by W of Tobermory and 20 WSW of Salen. Crowning a scarped rock, which rises 24 feet murally from the sea, it measures more than 200 feet in circumference; and has an irregular hexagonal outline, adapted to the configuration of the ground, being broadest on the landward side, where it is defended by a dry ditch. Its high, strong, battlemented, outer wall is seemingly of ancient construction, little fitted to resist artillery; but a three-story house and some offices are said to have been erected so late as the beginning of last century. Anciently the seat of the MacIans, a clan of Macdonalds, descended from an early Lord of the Isles, it twice was occupied by James IV.-first in 1493, when he issued a charter hence; next in 1495, when he received the submission of the chieftains of the Isles. It was, partly at least, demolished, in 1517, by the Knight of Lochalsh; sustained a siege, in 1588, by the Macleans, but was relieved by a Government force; and was captured, in 1644, by Colkitto, who made it the prison of a small body of Covenanters, including three ministers. Now, though strictly a ruin, it is still in a state of tolerable preservation.


(F.H. Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4); © 2004 Gazetteer for Scotland)

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "an ancient fortalice"   (ADL Feature Type: "fortifications")
Administrative units: Ardnamurchan ScoP       Argyll ScoCnty

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