Castle MacEwen ( gd, Caisteal Mhic Eoghainn) is a ruined fort in the

Cowal Cowal ( gd, Còmhghall) is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute, in the west of Scotland, that extends into the Firth of Clyde. The northern part of the peninsula is covered by the Argyll Forest Park managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. The Arroch ...

peninsula, on the east shore of

Loch Fyne Loch Fyne ( gd, Loch Fìne, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Soun ...

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...

, Scotland. It is near Kilfinan, around south of Otter Ferry.

History

The site was a medieval

dun A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In Ireland and Britain it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse. Etymology The term comes from Irish ''dún'' or Scottish Gaelic ''dùn'' (meaning "fort"), and is cognat ...

, which was superseded by a promontory fort, and later by a medieval homestead. The site is linked to the

Clan MacEwen Clan MacEwen or Clan MacEwan is a Scottish clan recorded in the fifteenth century as Clan Ewen of Otter. Historically, there have been several different MacEwen clans and septs, with some distinct, and some interrelated, origins for the modern ...

who are associated with the Loch Fyne area. The castle was held by Clan Ewen of Otter. In the year 1432 the chief Swene MacEwen of Otter surrendered his barony to

King James I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

who regranted it with a destination to Celestine Campbell in the event that Swene should die without an heir. Thus when Swene died in 1493, the lands passed to a branch of

Clan Campbell Clan Campbell ( gd, Na Caimbeulaich ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The ...

along with the castle. Campbell 1911: pp. 275–276. An excavation project led by the Cowal Archaeological Society in 1968-69 found that the earliest structure that stood on the site was a palisaded enclosure of medieval date. Results from the excavations also showed that a fort was built over this initial structure. Eventually, the fort was turned into a medieval homestead. The builders of the homestead used the ancient walls for bolstering defense, adding large rectangular stones to it. Passages leading to the sea, on the north and the south, were also discovered.

Posthole In archaeology a posthole or post-hole is a cut feature used to hold a surface timber or stone. They are usually much deeper than they are wide; however, truncation may not make this apparent. Although the remains of the timber may survive, most ...

s provided material that was dated to the 15th and 16th centuries, and

vitrified Vitrification (from Latin language, Latin ''vitreum'', "glass" via French language, French ''vitrifier'') is the full or partial transformation of a substance into a glass, that is to say, a non-Crystallinity, crystalline amorphous solid. Glasses ...

material was also discovered. Another discovery was made in 1969, when a round house built against the rampart at the gateway was discovered. The house had a cobbled floor, and it was conjectured that the building was possibly a store house. The other discovery was of a building resembling a boat. It was found just outside the main rampart. These new discoveries were, however, not accompanied by findings of any objects, which meant that the age of the buildings could not be ascertained. Other finds included a 12th-century crucifix, a 15th-century groat, and 13th and 18th century pottery shards. All finds were sent to the Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum.

References

* *

External links

{{oscoor gbx, NR 9158 7955 Archaeological sites in Argyll and Bute Castles in Argyll and Bute Ruined castles in Argyll and Bute Promontory forts in Scotland Cowal