Kinlochaline Castle

Built in the 15th century for the chief of the clan MacInnes from Lias limestone containing fossils(a rare thing in Scotland), Kinlochaline castle(also known as Castael an Ime, the Butter Castle for the chieftaness, Dubh Chal(the Lady of the Black Veil, now buried at nearby Keil church) is said to have paid the workers in butter.) offered the protection of 10 foot thick walls to those seeking it’s shelter against attack. Access to the castle was via a ramp which could be withdrawn in the event of an attack making access to the castle that much more difficult. Over the entrance door is an engraving of a Salmon, an important symbol to the Celts, and above that, projecting from the second story was built a corbelled machicolation, a slit through which any number of nasty things could be shot, or poured, on those attempting a forced entry. A guard chamber, built into the wall of the entranceway, is the first room a visitor passes on his or her way to the main hall. Upon entering the main hall one is greeted by the sizable main fireplace over which a stone panel is set featuring the likeness of a woman thought possibly to be the chieftaness of the MacInnes Laird who built the castle. Also in this hall is a well, now filled with rocky debris, a newly discovered trapdoor and passageway long covered and forgotten by dust and time, a spiral staircase leading to the second floor, and a set of stairs leading to the basement and its vaulted ceiling.

The history of the castle is an interesting and sordid one. The MacInnes Laird and his sons enjoyed the favour of John, Lord of the Isles, but were subsequently killed at Ardtornish Castle in 1390 by the command of John’s son Donald, Lord of the Isles after which the MacInnes lands were given to the MacLeans of Duart. The MacInneses are said to have continued to be keepers of the castle after the land was granted to the MacLeans. The castle went on to be used and fought over by successive occupiers. ".The most notable event in the castle's history is the 07 July, 1644 attack by 400 of Alasdair MacColla's troops led by Manus O'Cahan. Kinlochaline was occupied by the Campbells and surrendered the next day. The castle was left well provisioned and garrisoned against the counter attack, which occurred sometime after the 29th of July. The Campbells returned to siege Kinlochaline and the nearby Mingarry castle, once the forces of MacColla headed north. The siege lasted until approximately the night of Oct 5th. The siege commander, Sir Donald Campbell, struck camp and withdrew, upon hearing of MacColl's return. ( Campbell was commander of the Mingarry siege. ) On or about the 16th of October, MacColla judged Kinlochaline to be too small to contain a sizable garrison, and too vulnerable to attack. He abandoned and burnt Kinlochaline, in order to deprive the Campbells of it. Kinlochaline was apparently restored, but suffered damage from Cromwell's troopers in the 1650s. The last attack on Kinlochaline was by the Earl of Argyll in 1679, during a feud. ¹ Another text recounts: "The castle was burned in 1644 when it was besieged by Coll Kitto of Colonsay during the wars of Montrose… Kinlochaline was abandoned about 1690." ² The 1890 "restoration" involved the removing of centuries of ivy growth and the addition of stairs for entry. A full restoration was conducted beginning in 1998 by the then, and current, owner, Hugh Raven under the supervision of Historic Scotland, the government body responsible for tracking historic structures and approving such renovations, and is now a habitable residence in which the owner and his family live today.

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¹ A History of Kinlochaline Castle, Michael Ruby, ©1997, linked and published with permission by The Kinlochaline Castle Project, http://www3.telus.ca/portal1/kinlochaline/castlelong.html