Mingary Castle in the peninsula of the Ardnamurchan has been called the most intact thirteenth century castle in Scotland, and after full restoration, the castle now offers a luxurious stay for select groups of up to ten people.
Medieval Histories writes:
Mingary Castle once dominated the entrance through the Sound of Mull to the interior of the Scottish Highlands. It was built in the 13th century by the MacDougals, but later became the seat of the chiefs of the MacIains, a sept of the MacDonalds, also known as the Lords of the Isles.
The castle was repeatedly laid under siege in the hostilities between the Lords of the Isles and the crown of Scotland. It was last fought over in the 1645 during the Civil War.
With thick curtain walls, the design of the seaboard castle is typical of other such castles along the West Coast. The walls fitted with lancet windows and original battlements measure more than 2.5 m and are 14 m high. To the north is a ditch 7.5 m wide and 3 m deep. Due to the form of the rock, on which it is built, the plan is an irregular hexagon. At the south end is a sea gate, now fitted with stairs, which lead down to the water.
Inside the walls are three ranges, of which the oldest is the northern. Parts of these ruined buildings preserve original medieval fabric, but later rebuilding dominates. The northern held the hall, while the western range probably held the kitchen and storage room.
The castle was abandoned in 1819, when the owners immigrated to Canada. In 1838, the interior was stripped for anything valuable and the buildings have for a long period been deemed unsafe. In the same manner as Castle Tioram it shared the fate of being forgotten and abandoned to its crumbling fate.
In May 2016 the drawbridge was finally lowered to receive the first guest in 150 years. Should anyone be tempted to brave the sleeze and the bleak weather in December, the castle offers to organize ‘ a fairy-tale Christmas’ for ten people for five nights: price £13.250!
Book your stay at Mingary Castle by following the links at http://www.mingarycastle.com
http://www.medievalhistories.com/mingary-castle/
