Dunvegan Castle
{{short description|Scottish castle}}
{{About||the sailing ship|Dunvegan Castle (1819 ship)|the ocean liner|HMS Dunvegan Castle}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox ancient site
| name = Dunvegan Castle
| native_name = {{langx|gd|Caisteal Dhùin Bheagain}}
| native_name_lang =Gaelic
| alternate_name =
| image = 20210817 Dunvegan Castle-9268.jpg
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| 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
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| coordinates = {{coord|57.448|-6.590|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| map_dot_label =
| location = Scotland
| type = Castle
| part_of = Dunvegan
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| built = 13th–19th century{{Historic Environment Scotland|cat=PLA|num=10835 |num2=NG24NW 7 |desc=Skye, Dunvegan Castle |access-date=19 June 2025}}
| abandoned =
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| occupants = Clan MacLeod
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| condition = Occupied as a residence
| ownership = Hugh Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod
| management =
| public_access = Historic Houses Association
| other_designation = Category A listed building
| website = http://www.dunvegancastle.com/
| architectural_styles = Medieval architecture, and Victorian Architecture
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| notes =
}}
Dunvegan Castle (Caisteal Dhùn Bheagain) is located {{convert|1|mi}} to the north of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland. It is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod. 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, a sea loch.
History
The promontory was enclosed by a curtain wall in the 13th century, and a four-storey tower house was built in the late 14th century. This tower was similar in style to contemporary structures at Kisimul Castle and Caisteal Maol. 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 Ruairidh Mòr. 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 Category A listed building.{{Historic Environment Scotland |num=LB501 |desc=Dunvegan Castle, approach causeway and bridges |fewer-links=yes |access-date=4 April 2017}}
Site
Artifacts
Notable family heirlooms kept at Dunvegan Castle include:
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:20210817 Dunvegan Castle-9283.jpg|Dunvegan Castle entrance
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
Literature
The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle a novel by T.L. Huchu is set Dunvegan Castle and the Fairy Flag features in the plot. {{Cite web |title=The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle Book Review |url=https://becomingthemuse.net/2023/08/05/the-mystery-at-dunvegan-castle-t-l-huchu-book-review/ |access-date=5 August 2023 |website=Becoming The Muse}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Dunvegan Castle}}
- [http://www.dunvegancastle.com/ Dunvegan Castle's homepage]
- [http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/Chatelaine/DUNVEGAN.HTM Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, Clan Macleod Scotland]
- {{gbmapping|NG245490}}
{{Skye}}
{{Clan MacLeod}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Castles in the Isle of Skye
Category:Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes
Category:Category A listed buildings in Highland (council area)
Category:Listed castles in Scotland
Category:Gardens in Highland (council area)