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Dunollie Castle:
Historical Building of Argyllshire, Scotland
Image Right - © Copyright Trevor Littlewood and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. Geograph
The name is Anglicised from the gaelic ‘Dun Ollaigh’, Dun being gaelic for a small fort or suchlike.
- Type of Building: Ruined castle
- Condition: Remains of a strong but ruinous tower and other buildings that are overgrown
- Location: located on a hill north of the town of Oban, on the west coast of Scotland in Argyll. The site enjoys views over towards the island of Kerrera and a view of the town, harbour, and outlying isles.
- Category:
- Date Listed:
- Historic Scotland Building ID:
- Canmore ID-
- Coordinates
- OS Grid Coordinates:
- When Built:
- Architect:
- Built for/by: The present castle was built by the MacDougalls of Lorn.
- Owned by: The castle is now in a dangerous condition but is still owned by the MacDougalls.
- Webpage: http://www.dunollie.org/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/DunollieOban
The castle is open to the public as part of the Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds.
History
There was a fortification on this high promontory in the Early Middle Ages, when Dunollie was the royal centre of the Cenél Loairn within the kingdom of Dál Riata.
The area around Dunollie subsequently became part of the semi-independent Kingdom of the Isles, ruled over by Somerled, Lord of the Isles in the 12th century.
The first five chiefs presided over the golden age of the Clan MacDougall, building eight castles around their large territories on the Argyll mainland and the islands.
The Brooch of Lorn, which is said to have been captured from Robert the Bruce by the MacDougalls was kept at Dunollie Castle.
Castles built or owned by the Clan MacDougall have included amongst many others:
- Dunollie Castle, historic seat of the MacDougalls near Oban, Argyll.
- Dunstaffnage Castle, historic seat of the MacDougalls - three and a half miles north-east of Oban, Argyll
- Gylen Castle, a MacDougall property on the south coast of Kerrera - a small tower house that was and still is a property of the MacDougalls.
- Cairnburgh Castle, on the Treshnish Isles, off the Isle of Mull, is a ruinous castle once held by the MacDougalls that passed to the Crown with the MacDougalls as keepers in 1309.
- Dunchonnel Castle, on the Garvellach Isles is a ruinous castle that was once held by the MacDougalls.
- Coeffin Castle, on the Isle of Lismore is a ruinous castle once held by the MacDougalls.
Time-line
- 686, 698, and in 701 - The Irish annals record that "Dun Ollaigh" was attacked or burned down three times
- 714 - Rebuilt by Selbach mac Ferchair (who died 730), the King of Dál Riata credited with destroying the site in 701.
10th Century
- Excavations in the 1970s suggest that this early fortification was abandoned some time in the 10th century
12th Century
- Dunollie became the seat of the Clan MacDougall when Somerled gifted it to his eldest son Dugall in the 12th century.
14th Century
- 1308 The powerful and battle-hard Clan MacDougall became a particular target for Bruce’s vengeance, loosing most of their lands in 1308.
17th Century
- 1644 - The castle was attacked by Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell
- 1647 - the castle was besieged by a Covenanter army under General David Leslie, in which in the castle was sacked and burnt.
18th Century
- 1715 - During the Jacobite rising the castle was attacked when the MacDougalls supported the Stewarts. Dunollie was defended by the wife of John (Iain) Macdougall, 22nd of Dunollie and of Lorn while his men were doing battle at Sheriffmuir, resulting in the estate being forfeited and the Clan Chief being forced into exile.
- 1745 - the lands were restored in 1745
- 1746 Alexander "Dubh" Macdougall, 23rd of Dunollie and of Lorn built a new house at Dunollie [Burke's P 107th Vol II p 2481] although there was an earlier house there dating from about 1600, and the old castle was abandoned.
References Found
People Associated with Dunollie Castle
…in chronological order
Sources, References and Further Reading
Related Publications
- Battle Castles - 500 years of Knights and Siege Warfare - Dan Snow 2012
- Best of British Castles - AA Publication 2004
- Castles of Wales and the Welsh Marches - The Pitkin Guide
- The English Castle - John Goodall 2011
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