Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle stands on the small tidal island of Eilean Doan (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Donnain). It is located at the confluence of three sea lochs (Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh) in the western Highlands of Scotland and about a mile from the village of Dornie (Scottish Gaelic: An Dòrnaidh). The 13th century castle was a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies, the Clan MacRae. A large curtain walled castle existed on this site in the thirteenth century. A tower house was built in the fourteenth century and an enclosure in the fifteenth century. The castle was demolished following the failure of the Jacobite rising of 1715. The restoration of the castle was carried out between 1919 and 1932. The castle is open to the public.

Eilean Donan (Eilean Donnain) is a Gaelic and means "island of Donnán". Donnán of Eigg, was a Celtic saint martyred in 617 AD. Donnán is said to have established a church on the island. During the reign of Alexander II of Scotland who ruled from 1214–1249, much of the island was enclosed by a large curtain-wall castle. This was at a time when the area was at the boundary of the Norse-Celtic Lordship of the Isles. The castle was later a stronghold of the Mackenzies of Kintail, also protected by their close allies the clans Macrae and Maclennan.

The Mackenzies' involvement in the Jacobite rebellions led in 1719 to the castle's destruction by government ships. The Jacobite risings were a series of uprisings, occurring between 1688 and 1746. The name Jacobitism comes from Jacobus, the Latin form of James. The Jacobite rising had the aim of restoring the Stuart kings to the thrones of Scotland and England. They continued until the last Jacobite rebellion led by Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), was defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap's reconstruction of the ruins between 1919 and 1932 resulted in the present buildings. The restoration included the construction of an arched bridge to give easier access to the island.

Link: Eilean Donan Castle website.