Lairg in Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)

Ardvreck Castle

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 30, 2018

1. Ardvreck Castle Marker

Inscription.

Ardvreck Castle. . Ardvreck Castle Seat of the MacLeods of Assynt. , An old song makes history alive again, as a rickle of stones perplex the dark theatre of the mind with a shouting crowd and, in the middle, MacLeod of Assynt and his greater prisoner – Montrose. Norman MacCaig . Built by Angus Mor III in the latter half of the 15th century, Ardvreck Castle began as a simple rectangular block, three or four storeys in height. Almost a century later, Donald Ban IX enhanced the castle's accommodation by adding the tower and, in the fashion of the time, the vaulted cellars and vault over the great hall on the first floor. , The stone wall that cuts off the promontory follows the line of an earlier rampart, augmenting the castle’s naturally defensive position. Even after Donald Ban’s improvements, Ardvreck was still small, requiring other buildings around it to house kitchens, servant's quarters, and stables. However, a place was found for Ardvreck's most famous, although unwilling, occupant, James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, imprisoned here in 1650 after his defeat at the Battle of Carbisdale. , Throughout its life, Ardvreck was the scene of much violence, with murders, executions, and sieges by both traditional enemies and quarrelsome branches of the MacLeod family. In 1672, a 14-day siege by the MacKenzies of Wester Ross marked the end of MacLeod ownership of Assynt. Nature carried out the final act of violence on the castle in 1795 when it was struck by lightning and largely destroyed. , Many ghosts are said to haunt Ardvreck. The weeping daughter of a MacLeod chief, who drowned in Loch Assynt after marrying the Devil in a pact to save her father's castle, has been seen on the beach, but the tall man in grey, often seen in the ruins, seems to be an altogether happier ghost. , Conjectural Reconstruction c.1600 The circular part of the tower contained the stair and, above this, the square caphouse provided two extra rooms, each with a fireplace. The upper floors were reached by stairs in the small turret set in the angle between the tower and the main block. , This is the only known contemporary illustration of the castle. The existence of a worn 1591 or 1597 datestone, recorded in 1794 but now lost, suggests that Pont has shown Ardvreck soon after the additions made by Donald Ban. Sketch of Ardvreck from Timothy Pont's Map of Assynt Reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland , “… how attractive are the stately ruins of Ardvrock, looking us straight in the face as we cross the narrow neck of the peninsula on which they stand! It was without doubt the scene of ‘Many a wassail wild and deed of blood; ‘ but now there is not a cat to mew nor a cock to crow, in the fortress of the Clan MacLeod.” Sir John Sinclair Scenes and Stories of the North of Scotland, 1890.

Ardvreck Castle
Seat of the MacLeods of Assynt

An old song makes history alive again,
as a rickle of stones perplex the dark theatre
of the mind with a shouting crowd and,
in the middle, MacLeod of Assynt
and his greater prisoner – Montrose.
Norman MacCaig
Built by Angus Mor III in the latter half of the 15th century, Ardvreck Castle began as a simple rectangular block, three or four storeys in height. Almost a century later, Donald Ban IX enhanced the castle's accommodation by adding the tower and, in the fashion of the time, the vaulted cellars and vault over the great hall on the first floor.

The stone wall that cuts off the promontory follows the line of an earlier rampart, augmenting the castle’s naturally defensive position. Even after Donald Ban’s improvements, Ardvreck was still small, requiring other buildings around it to house kitchens, servant's quarters, and stables. However, a place was found for Ardvreck's most famous, although unwilling, occupant, James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, imprisoned here in 1650 after his defeat at the Battle of Carbisdale.

Throughout its life, Ardvreck was the scene of much violence, with murders, executions, and sieges by both traditional enemies and quarrelsome branches of the MacLeod

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family. In 1672, a 14-day siege by the MacKenzies of Wester Ross marked the end of MacLeod ownership of Assynt. Nature carried out the final act of violence on the castle in 1795 when it was struck by lightning and largely destroyed.

Many ghosts are said to haunt Ardvreck. The weeping daughter of a MacLeod chief, who drowned in Loch Assynt after marrying the Devil in a pact to save her father's castle, has been seen on the beach, but the tall man in grey, often seen in the ruins, seems to be an altogether happier ghost.

Conjectural Reconstruction c.1600
The circular part of the tower contained the stair and, above this, the square caphouse provided two extra rooms, each with a fireplace. The upper floors were reached by stairs in the small turret set in the angle between the tower and the main block.

This is the only known contemporary illustration of the castle. The existence of a worn 1591 or 1597 datestone, recorded in 1794 but now lost, suggests that Pont has shown Ardvreck soon after the additions made by Donald Ban. Sketch of Ardvreck from Timothy Pont's Map of Assynt
Reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland

“… how attractive are the stately ruins of Ardvrock,
looking us straight in the face as we cross the narrow
neck of the peninsula on which

Ruins of Ardvreck Castle image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 30, 2018

2. Ruins of Ardvreck Castle

they stand! It was
without doubt the scene of ‘Many a wassail wild and
deed of blood; ‘ but now there is not a cat to mew nor a
cock to crow, in the fortress of the Clan MacLeod.”
Sir John Sinclair
Scenes and Stories of the North of Scotland, 1890

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1650.

Location. 58° 9.959′ N, 4° 59.335′ W. Marker is in Lairg, Scotland, in Highland. It is on Scotland Route A837 1.3 kilometers south of Route A894, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lairg, Scotland IV27 4HN, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Scotland’s Highlands.

Globally, it is in the Atlantic Ocean,

in the North Atlantic Region,

on the Atlantic Arc,

in Europe,

on the Celtic Fringe,

in Atlantic Europe,

on one of the British Isles,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 23 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Cultural Landscape (here, next to this marker); Calda House (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Glacier detectives (approx. 3.6 kilometers away); A geological sandwich (approx. 8.5 kilometers away); Kylesku Bridge (approx. 10.4 kilometers away); X Craft Memorial (approx. 10.4 kilometers away); Green and pleasant land (approx. 13.3 kilometers away); Deep freeze mountains (approx. 21.7 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lairg.

Also see . . . Ardvreck Castle on Wikipedia. (Submitted on December 29, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 30, 2018

3. Ruins of Ardvreck Castle

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 30, 2018

4. Ruins of Ardvreck Castle

Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 29, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 487 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 29, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.