The first medieval fortification on Eilean Tioram.
After the death of Somerled
(the 12th century leader, and progenitor of the MacDonalds
who united large areas of the Scottish west coast and
Islands) his lands were divided between his sons. Moidart
became part of the Garmoran lands and in the 14th century
was inherited by Christina MacRuari. A fortification
may already have existed when the islet (Insula sicca
or Dry island) was mentioned in a 14th century charter
by Christina, granting lands to Arthur Campbell for
the service of a twenty oared-galley. As suggested by
Athol Murray, it seems unlikely that specific mention
of a tiny islet would have been made unless it had a
significant role 3. At
this early date, the building probably consisted of
the pentagonal curtain wall with timber buildings within
the enclosure. The curtain wall with the arched barrel-vaulted
entrance is typical of others built along the west coast
in the 13th century 4.
It is constructed mainly of local Moine schist of various
sizes and shapes with smaller stones embedded in lime
mortar packed in between. Clear horizontal lines in
the stonework indicate seasonal breaks in the construction
and can be well seen on the northeast side (A). The
walls are round cornered and are built on natural rock
without foundations. In several places on the east side
(B), cavities between the base of the wall and the ground
are present. Some non-local stone such as slate is also
used both in the walls and to line water drainage holes.
The original curtain wall may have been different on
the southwest side (D) where a section of the wall is
curiously angled. This may represent repair after collapse.
A rectangular area of infill outlines the position of
a postern in the east section (C) of the curtain. Two
holes below the postern would have held timbers for
a platform and steps to the doorway. The postern could
have been present at an early date or could have been
added, but was certainly blocked by the late 17th century
when an oven was built against the interior of this
section of wall.
In spite of the charter to Arthur Campbell, Christina
later granted the Garmoran lands to her half brother
Ruari and this was confirmed by king Robert the Bruce.
There is a local tradition that Amy MacRuari, who was
Christina's niece and the first wife of John of Isla,
built Castle Tioram in the 14th century 5,
however, it is probable that Amy improved an existing
building. The tower house built against the east part
of the curtain wall could have been built in Amy's time
or by one of her descendents. Such tower houses were
often added to existing fortifications in the 14th and
15th centuries 6. The gables
of the tower house can be seen rising behind section
C of the curtain wall. The tower house originally consisted
of a cellar, a first floor hall and a second floor apartment
that was probably a bedchamber. The third floor would
possibly have housed servants. The ramparts were crenellated.
When improvements were carried out in the 17th century,
an extra floor was added to the tower and the infilled
original crenellation can be seen near the top of wall
C. A garderobe was built into the angle with the east
curtain wall and the latrine chute exits through this
wall (B). At the time the tower house was built, the
curtain wall was probably heightened. Evidence for this
can be seen in the presence of infilled crenelles and
two rows of drainage holes in sections A, B, and D of
the curtain wall.
John of Isla granted what became the Clanranald lands
and the castle of "Elantyrim" to Ranald who
was his son by Amy. This was confirmed by king Robert
II in 1373 7. Ranald became
the first chief of Clanranald.
The Clanranalds and their Castle.
The castle remained in the family's possession until
the early twentieth century despite turbulent times
and several declarations of forfeiture. Until the mid
16th century, the Clanranalds were intermittently involved
in the struggle between the Crown and the Lordship of
the Isles and later with the Jacobite uprisings.
A mixture of historic information and traditional stories
about some of the chiefs helps to bring the past of
castle Tioram to life.
In the 15th century the 4th chief,
Allan, wielded power on the west coast. Alan fought
in the battle of Harlaw in 1411 when the Highland forces
led by the Lord of the Isles defeated those of the Scottish
Crown. Charles MacDonald described him in his book "Moidart,
Among the Clanranalds" as having "consecrated
his life to plunder and rapine". He imprisoned
the Macintosh chief and others in the castle dungeon
8. He was eventually imprisoned
by James I and executed in 1509. His son, Raonuil Ban,
the 5th chief, met a similar fate at the hands of the
Crown and was hanged in 1513. The next chief, Dugald,
was murdered by some of his own clansmen and his position
usurped by his uncle Alexander.
John of Moidart, the 8th chief, was the natural son
of Alexander. He appears to have been the choice of
the clansmen despite the existence of legitimate heirs.
He gained a charter to the lands in 1532 9.
However, John proved to be no friend to the Crown and
supported the Lordship of the Isles. By 1540 he was
imprisoned by James V and the charter revoked. The lands
were then granted to one of the legitimate heirs who
had been brought up by his mother's kin, the Frasers.
This Ranald "Galda" (the stranger) appears
to have been rapidly rejected by the clansmen when his
inaugural feast was judged to be substandard 10.
He became known as "Ranald of the hens". The
hens were those provided at the feast in place of the
expected ox. Following the death of JamesV in 1542,
John of Moidart was released and promptly regained his
position as head of Clanranald. An attempt by the Frasers
to reinstate Ranald Galda ended in the very bloody battle
fought between the clans at Loch Lochy 11
in 1544 . John gained a resounding victory and both
Ranald and Lord Lovat were killed. In the following
years the Earl of Huntly led two expeditions north,
to subdue recalcitrant clans, but although the lands
of Keppoch and Loch Eil were attacked, the wild land
of Moidart remained unmolested. John continued to be
troublesome to the Scottish Crown and in 1554, the Regent,
Marie de Guise, ordered an offensive to bring Moidart
under Crown control. The Earl of Huntly again marched
north but with his knowledge of Clanranald's warlike
reputation and his undertanding of the difficulties
of fighting in rough highland terrain, he probably had
little enthusiasm for the commission. On reaching Abertarff
(Fort Augustus) he very wisely decided not to venture
his lowland troops into John of Moidart's rough highland
home-territory. The Duke of Argyll approached from the
sea and bombarded castle Tioram from his ships and from
a battery set up on the shore. The news of the attack
reached John who was waiting for the Earl of Huntly's
forces to appear in northeast Moidart. He rapidly returned
and took the shore battery. Argyll then withdrew his
ships and John stayed securely in possession of his
lands and castle. He remained in dispute with the Scottish
crown throughout his long life and died at his castle
Tioram in 1584.
When repair work was carried out in the late 19th century,
pieces of cannon ball were found embedded in the curtain
wall 12. These and the
damaged areas of curtain wall were probably caused by
the attack of 1554. Patched and weakened areas of curtain
wall can be seen in those parts facing the sea (E) and
the shore (C).
John's grandson, Donald, the 11th chief
was imprisoned in 1609 and released having agreed to
obey the king and the laws and having accepted restrictions
to his lifestyle. He was granted a charter to the lands
by James VI in 1610 13.
He supported the crown at the time of the uprising in
1615. Accommodation at the castle was improved later
in the 17th century after further restrictions were
imposed following the rebellion. Powerful Highland families,
including Clanranald, were obliged to agree to a number
of measures such as restrictions on alcohol consumption
and the ownership of only one 16-18 oared birlinn. The
chiefs were ordered to specify one residence and a home
farm and to build or repair their homes 14.
Clanranald named Eilean Tioram as their home and interestingly,
Hobey on Uist was nominated as the home farm. The castle
was probably partly supplied by sea from Uist. Early
eighteenth century records show that Moidart rents were
largely paid in butter, cheese, wedders (sheep) and
hens but not in grain 15.
It may be that the inhabitants of Moidart could have
been partly dependent upon imported grain from an early
John, the 12th chief is reported to
have been involved in episodes of piracy in 1627 and
1636 25. In John's time
the Duke of Argyll became the feudal landlord of the
mainland lands of Clanranald. In 1644, John and his
son Donald joined Montrose in support of Charles I.
The castle was temporarily lost by the family in 1647
and the estates forfeited in 1649. However, both were
restored after John submitted to Argyll and the Clanranalds
resumed their occupation of castle Tioram under Campbell
domination. John was a member of the Roman Catholic
Church and it is likely that a priest would have been
resident at the castle by the latter half of the 17th
In spite of the troubled times, improvements
were carried out to the castle during this period and
letters show that building work was still being carried
out in the 1680s 16. An
extra floor was added to the old tower house and round
turrets added to the corners. A block of buildings that
included a hall was built against the south curtain
wall (D). A tower with apartments and decorative round
turrets was built at the north end of this block in
the angle of the southwest and northwest parts of the
curtain wall (D/E). Ivy covers much of the exterior
of this tower. The corner between the old tower house
and the new block became a kitchen (corner C/D). An
aperture from the kitchen can be seen in the southwest
section of curtain wall D just at the point at which
the wall has been altered or repaired. In the gully
below is a mound of rich soil that is probably the kitchen
Donald, the 13th chief, gained a reputation
for courage during the Montrose campaign but later became
notorious for his cruel, savage, unreasoning autocratic
behaviour. Local stories concerning his exploits abound
and many were written down by Charles MacDonald in the
19th century. He relates that as an elderly man Donald
enjoyed sitting on the ramparts of the castle taking
shots with his favourite gun "the cuckoo"
at anything that moved. 17
One of the tales has become a well-known local tradition
and illustrates the power and jurisdiction held by the
chief over his clansmen. When a quantity of silver was
stolen, Donald suspected three castle servants, two
men and one woman. Although unable to prove the case,
Donald had the two men executed by hanging on the gallows
hill (Tom-a-chrodhaidh) south of the castle. The woman
was tied to one of the rocks in the estuary by her hair
and allowed to drown in the rising tide 18.
Execution of men by hanging and women by drowning was
used in more ancient times. The story may be untrue
or may apply to a previous era, however, the rock is
still known as the Rock of James's Daughter. A hoard
of silver Elizabethan coins was discovered in the late
nineteenth century when a path was being constructed
around the Loch Moidart shore 19.
The path is known as "the silver walk". Although
linked with the story, these coins would have been one
hundred years old at the time of Donald's loss.
Throughout the years of its occupation,
castle Tioram was obviously a centre of power for the
Clanranalds as well as a dwelling. Under the Clan system,
the chief provided land and security for the people
and held responsibility in exchange for loyalty and
military service. His importance was measured by the
number of men he could muster and the number of galleys
he could maintain. The clan expected their chief to
be strong, fearless in battle and generous. Feasting
was important as was hunting and music. Records of a
Moidart rental for 1721 20
show that fowlers falconers and pipers were still not
expected to pay rent. Boat wrights were also important
Until the 19th century, the castle could only be approached
overland by narrow, rough hill tracks passable only
on foot or by sturdy highland ponies. The castle itself
would have been a hive of activity but would have been
surrounded by rotting midden material including excrement.
The apartments within would have been dark since all
windows, save those sited in the 17th century south
block tower, face north or northwest into a small courtyard
surrounded by high walls.
The end of an era.
Tioram ceased to be
the family residence in 1685 when Allan, the 14th chief
elected to live elsewhere. He was brought up on Benbecula
and Uist. Because of his support for the Jacobite cause,
castle Tioram was garrisoned by Government troops from
1692 and fell
into disrepair. Just before the outbreak of hostilities
in 1715, the Governor of Fort William wrote that "
not only the windows bot even the roof and flours are
ruined" 21.In September
1715 the Castle and its garrison of 14 men was taken
by Allan. According to tradition, Allan then ordered
his own castle to be burnt before he left for Sherriffmuir
where he was mortally wounded 22.
The extent of damage to the castle remains unclear and
it may occasionally have housed troops during the next
30 years. There is also a tradition that Lady Grange
was held there for a brief period. The castle does not
appear to have been of importance at the time of the
1745 rising and was described as an abandoned ruin by
The Ruined Castle.
Following the 1745 uprising in which the young Clanranald
was involved, the Clanranalds began to act as landed
English gentry. Due to extremely expensive lifestyles
and increasing debt, the estates were sold in the early
19th century. Although the island and Castle Tioram
remained in the ownership of the family until the early
twentieth century, the successive owners of the adjacent
Lochshiel estate carried out conservation work in the
19th century. Dressed stone was robbed from the ruin
and consolidation work was needed on the curtain wall
and on the domestic buildings. When Mr. Hope Scott,
who purchased the Lochshiel Estate in 1855, cleared
the castle courtyard of burnt timbers, a quantity of
17th century Spanish coins and silver dollars were found
beneath the debris. These were given to the Clanranald
family 24. The island and
the castle were sold to Lord Howard of Glossop in 1905.
On his death in 1924 it passed to Miss Tredcroft who
then sold it to Sir Alexander Maguire. James Wiseman
MacDonald bought the island and castle Tioram in 1926
and instigated conservation work carried out by the
ministry of Works in the late 1920s.
Anta Estates acquired the property in 1997 and Castle
Tioram remains a historic ruin and is a scheduled ancient
Views of the Outer Walls
Northeast Curtain Wall.
The castle entrance is placed centrally in this face.
Banks of black soil fan out to the northwest and to
the east of this platform and the soil of the platform
itself is dark and rich in humus. This soil is uncharacteristic
of the local thin poor soils or peat and probably represents
midden deposits. The curtain wall shows clear horizontal
lines in the stonework representing seasonal labour
breaks. The arched entrance is blocked by a wooden barrier
Centrally placed above the archway is a rectangular
area that has been filled in with small stones. There
are two other rectangular areas of infill above and
to either side of the doorway arch. These may mark the
position of removed carved stonework.
Click for larger image
Two horizontal rows of drainage
holes, some lined with pieces of slate that protrude
from the wall surface are sited in the upper part
of the wall. The lower row is continued around
the corner to the west at the same level. Between
the two rows of drainage holes a few filled in
crenelles can be seen. These indicate that the
wall has been heightened. The crenelles at the
top of the wall have also been filled in and a
box chute (machicolation) for defence of the entrance
has been added.
B. East curtain wall.
The stonework is mostly obscured
by liberal pointing with cement. Near the south
end of this face approximately 3m from the ground
is a latrine chute opening. Above this is a narrow
opening in the wall that could be a drainage hole
or a tiny window. A crack has opened to the north
of both openings. There is a row of slate lined
drainage holes below the crenellated parapet.
Behind the south part of this section and meeting
it at the rounded south corner, the remains of
the top of the tower house is visible. The south
end of the parapet has been made higher where
it meets the tower house and a row of three small
openings is present in this higher part of the
Click for larger image
C. Southeast Curtain Wall
Click for larger image
The lower courses of stonework
have been liberally cement pointed and a large
area of lime mortar adheres to the north part
but horizontal lines of seasonal work breaks are
visible. There is a rectangular area of infill
towards the south corner that outlines the position
of a former postern. The postern was probably
blocked before the creation of a kitchen within.
Below and about 2m from the ground are two holes.
One still contains the remnants of a wooden beam.
These holes presumably held wooden
supports for a platform and steps to the doorway. Above
and including the upper part of the blocked entrance
is a large circular area infilled with smaller stones.
This may be an area damaged by the bombardment in 1554.
Just above the level of the doorway and to the north,
a vertical join can be seen in the masonry. This appears
to be too low to be an infilled crenelle. The north
part of this section of curtain has been incorporated
into the tower house. Two rounded turrets of 17th century
style are sited at the corners of the tower.
D. Southwest Curtain Wall
This is perched atop a precipitous
rock above a gully. Approximately 5m from the
rounded east corner the wall becomes sharply angled
superiorly and rounded and thickened inferiorly.
Between the two sections where exterior layers
of the wall appear to have crumbled or been removed,
is a long narrow opening that communicates with
the kitchen within. Below the opening in the wall
a large heap of rich soil has accumulated in the
gully. This is the kitchen midden. West of this
area the wall turns to meet the rest of the curtain
wall in an irregular join.
Click for larger image
There is copious cement pointing obscuring
the masonry in this section but it seems likely that
the wall has been altered or that there has been a serious
collapse that has been repaired. The western part of
the wall has two rows of drain holes showing that the
wall was heightened. The 17th century style western
tower of the south accommodation block with turrets,
and dressed masonry at the corners can be seen above
the west part of this face.
E. Northwest Curtain Wall
Click for larger image
This is built on steep rock above
two pebble beaches. The whole of the southern
end is covered with ivy to the level of the parapet
at the northern end, but it can be seen that the
southern accommodation block forms part of the
curtain on this face. It is impossible to see
how the original curtain wall has been altered
in this area. A small opening is present at the
base of the south part of the wall that may be
Two windows can be seen high in the
accommodation building. There are two breaches in the
northern section of this face and a recent area of repair
is apparent below the larger. These probably represent
damage inflicted at the time of the bombardment in 1554.
The lower area of collapse may be in the area of a garderobe
(latrine) chute as there seems to be an accumulation
of soil on a rocky ledge some distance below. Filled
crenelles can be seen at the top of the wall and there
is a row of water drainage holes at the same level as
the lower row in the northeast facing section of wall.
These indicate that the wall was heightened.
1. RCAHMS NMRS No.NM67SE1
2. Kirby, J. Gascoine, M. Personal communication.
3. Murray, A. 1998 Castle Tioram, The Historical Background.
4. Simpson, W.D. 1954. Castle Tioram, Moidart, Inverness-shire,
Castle, Ardnamurchan, Argyllshire. Trans Glasgow Archaeol
Soc, New, 13. 70-90.
5. MacDonald, C. Moidart among the Clanranalds. I997
Birlinn. Ch 3. P20.
6. Dodgshon R. 2002. The Age of the Clans. Birlinn p18.
7. Acts of Lord of Isles, 10-11. RMS 1.No 520.
8. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 3.p 28
9. Aikman, C. Castle Tioram in Moidart. 1988. The Oban
10. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 4.p 38
11. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 4.p 40.
12. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 3.p 23.
13. RMS 7. No 344.
14. Murray, A. Castle Tioram-The Historical Background.
15. Clanranald papers GD201/1/260. Scottish Records
16. Clanranald papers GD201/4/12. Scottish Records Office.
17. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 5.p 71.
18. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 5.p 69.
19. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 5.p 70.
20. Clanranald papers GD201/1/260. Scottish Records
21. GD220/5/568/5 Scottish Records Office.
22. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 6.p 92.
23. Scottish Records Office. MW1/458.
24. MacDonald, C. Moidart Among the Clanranalds. 1997
Birlinn. Ch 3.p 25.
25. Aikman,C. Castle Tioram in Moidart. 1988. The Oban