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Location
near Lochaline, Morvern, Highland, Scotland
Description
Ardtornish Castle is located on a promontory a mile south-east of the village of Lochaline, on the west coast of Scotland. The castle now in ruins was made of dressed basalt blocks. The south wall contains an arched window added during a minor restoration attempt early in the 20th century. The castle was a "hall house" and probably only two storeys high. It was fortified and defended by the rocky site. The ground floor containing the entrance at the east side has three narrow slit windows in the south wall. These are blocked but their white sandstone sills are still visible from the outside. There is a passage leading to a small latrine tower at the northwest corner.
History
The castle was one of the main seats of the Clan Donald from the early 14th to late 15th century. Ardtornish Castle was forfeited to the Crown in 1493.and eventually given to the Clan MacLean chief of Duart Castle, who already had large tracts of land in the area. The castle was probably abandoned around the end of the seventeenth century, by which time Ardtornish had been taken over by the Campbell Earls of Argyll. Some minor restoration work was done in the late 18th century and early 19th century.
Other Castles in the Area
Barcaldine Castle, Argyll and Bute
Castle Stalker, Argyll and Bute
Duart Castle, Argyll and Bute
Dunollie Castle, Argyll and Bute
Dunstaffnage Castle, Argyll and Bute
Glenborrodale Castle, Highland
Gylen Castle, Argyll and Bute
Kinlochaline Castle, Highland
Mingary Castle, Highland
Moy Castle, Argyll and Bute
Torosay Castle, Argyll and Bute
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