Duntulm Castle stands ruined on the north coast of Trotternish, 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 ...

in Scotland, near the hamlet of

Duntulm Duntulm ( gd, Dùn Thuilm) is a township on the most northerly point of the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye made up of Shulista (north Duntulm), south Duntulm and Ghlumaig. History Duntulm was originally a Pictish fortress, forming one ...

. During the 17th century it was the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Sleat. It is a scheduled monument.

History

It is believed that, in prehistoric times, a

broch A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found in Scotland. Brochs belong to the classification "complex Atlantic roundhouse" devised by Scottish archaeologists in the 1980s. Their origin is a matter of some controversy. Origin ...

or dun, known as ''Dun David'', or ''Dun Dhaibhidh'' stood here. However, no archaeological evidence has been found for this predecessor. The castle was built in the 14th and 15th centuries, when the area was subject to feuds between the rival MacLeod and

Macdonald Macdonald, MacDonald or McDonald may refer to: Organisations * McDonald's, a chain of fast food restaurants * McDonald & Co., a former investment firm * MacDonald Motorsports, a NASCAR team * Macdonald Realty, a Canadian real estate brokerage f ...

clans. The defences were improved in the 16th century, and by the early 17th century the MacDonalds had finally gained the upper hand in the area. In 1618 the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

and Sir Donald MacDonald of Sleat, "Donald Gorm Og", the 9th chief, signed a charter, requiring him to repair Duntulm. This was done, and a second tower was added. Around 1650, the castle's importance peaked, when further improvements were made, and a rectangular structure or house was built within the wall. Around 1732 the castle was abandoned, when Sir Alexander MacDonald built a new residence, Monkstadt House, to the south, robbing much of the castle's stone as building material.

The castle

The main structure of the castle is about , and stands on a basalt promontory above the sea. It is further defended by a ditch along the landward side. It comprises the vaults of a tower, which once stood to four-storeys, surrounded by an irregular curtain wall. The later house measures around . The only entrance was via a narrow cleft in the sea cliff. The ruins of the castle are now in a very poor condition, with major falls of masonry as recently as 1990.

Legend

According to one local legend, the castle was abandoned after the infant son of the chieftain who dwelt there at the time, in the charge of a nursemaid, fell from a window and was dashed on the rocks below. As a punishment, the nursemaid was set adrift on the

North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...

in a small boat.O. Swire, ''Skye. The island and its legends''. Third Edition Maclean Press 1999. .page 50-57.

References

{{reflist Castles in the Isle of Skye Clan Donald Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Highland