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Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

, alternate_name = , image = Dunvegan Castle.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = The south-west face of the castle , map = , map_type = Scotland Isle of Skye , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Dunvegan Castle , map_size = , altitude_m = 15 , altitude_ref = , relief = , coordinates = , map_dot_label = , location =

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, type =

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

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Dunvegan Dunvegan ( gd, Dùn Bheagain) is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan is within the parish of Duirinish, and Duirinish Parish Church is at Dunvegan. In 2011 i ...

, length = , width = , area = , volume = , diameter = , circumference = , height = , depth = , builder = , material = , built = 13th–19th century , abandoned = , epochs = , cultures = , dependency_of = , occupants =

Clan MacLeod Clan MacLeod (; gd, Clann Mac Leòid ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is MacLeod of MacLeod, are known in Gaelic as ' ("see ...

, event = , discovered = , excavations = , condition = Occupied as a residence , ownership = Hugh Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod , management = , public_access =

Historic Houses Association Historic Houses (formerly, and still for legal purposes, known as the Historic Houses Association or HHA) is a not-for-profit organisation that represents more than 1,650 privately owned historic country houses, castles and gardens throughout th ...

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Category A listed building Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, categories in cognitive science, information science and generally *Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) *Category (Kant) * Categories (Peirce) * ...

, website = http://www.dunvegancastle.com/ , architectural_styles =

Medieval architecture Medieval architecture is architecture common in the Middle Ages, and includes religious, civil, and military buildings. Styles include pre-Romanesque, Romanesque, and Gothic. While most of the surviving medieval architecture is to be seen in c ...

, and

Victorian Architecture Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian we ...

, architectural_details = , notes = Dunvegan Castle is located to the north of

on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...

, off the west coast of

. It is the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the

. Probably a fortified site from the earliest times, the castle was first built in the 13th century and developed piecemeal over the centuries. In the 19th century the whole castle was remodelled in a mock-medieval style. The castle is built on an elevated rock overlooking an inlet on the eastern shore of

Loch Dunvegan Loch Dunvegan (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Dhùn Bheagain''), is a sea loch on the west coast of the island of Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Dunvegan, the village it was named after is located by its southern shore. The settlements of Ga ...

, a sea loch.

History

The promontory was enclosed by a curtain wall in the 13th century, and a four-storey

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...

was built in the late 14th century. This tower was similar in style to contemporary structures at

Kisimul Castle Kisimul Castle ( gd, Caisteal Chiosmuil) and also known as Kiessimul Castle, is a medieval castle located on a small island off Castlebay, Barra, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It gets its name from the Norse ''ciosamul'', meaning "castle i ...

and

Caisteal Maol Caisteal Maol (Gaelic: ''Caisteal'', 'Castle', ''Maol'', 'bare') is a ruined castle located near the harbour of the village of Kyleakin, Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is also known as Castle Moil, Castle Maol, Dun Akyn, Dunakin Castle Dun Haakon an ...

. Alasdair Crotach, the 8th chief, added the Fairy Tower as a separate building around 1500. During the 17th century, new ranges of buildings were put up between the old tower and the Fairy Tower, beginning in 1623 with the state apartment built by Ruaraidh Mor. The old tower was subsequently abandoned until the late 18th century, when the 23rd chief began the process of homogenising the appearance of the castle. This process continued under the 24th and 25th chiefs, with the addition of mock battlements and the new approach over a drawbridge from the east. The present appearance of the castle dates from around 1840 when this process of "baronialisation" was completed. The castle is a

Site

Dunvegan Castle occupies the summit of a rock some above sea level, which projects on to the eastern shore of a north-facing inlet or bay. On the eastern, landward side of the site is a partly natural ditch around deep.

Artifacts

Notable family heirlooms kept at Dunvegan Castle include: *

Dunvegan Cup The Dunvegan Cup is a wooden ceremonial cup, decorated with silver plates, which dates to 1493. It was created at the request of Caitríona, wife of John Maguire, lord of Fermanagh. Rigby 2003: p. 573–574. The cup is an heirloom of the Macleod ...

Fairy Flag The Fairy Flag (Scottish Gaelic: ''Am Bratach Sìth'') is an heirloom of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod. It is held in Dunvegan Castle along with other notable heirlooms, such as the Dunvegan Cup and Sir Rory Mor's Horn. The Fairy Flag is known ...

Sir Rory Mor's Horn Sir Rory Mor's Horn is a drinking horn, one of several heirlooms of the MacLeods of Dunvegan, chiefs of Clan MacLeod. Clan custom is that each successive chief is to drink a full measure of the horn in wine to prove his manhood. MacLeod, F.T. 1912 ...

Images

File:The Round Garden, Dunvegan Castle.jpg, Round Garden, Dunvegan Castle File:The Walled Garden, Dunvegan Castle.jpg, The Walled Garden, Dunvegan Castle Image:Dunvegan Castle3.jpg, Dunvegan Castle Image:Dunvegan castle1.jpg, Panorama of Dunvegan Castle Image:Dunvegan castle3.jpg, Dunvegan Castle port File:Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (1899) (14762008186).jpg, Artist's impression of the castle c. 1500

References

External links

Dunvegan Castle's homepageDunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, Clan Macleod Scotland
* {{authority control Castles in the Isle of Skye Clan Macleod Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes Category A listed buildings in Highland (council area) Listed castles in Scotland Gardens in Highland (council area) Historic house museums in Highland (council area) Country houses in Highland (council area)