Isle of Skye, Duntulm Castle
The unused card is generous in highlighting Duntulm Castle, considering the overall view. It is believed that, in prehistoric times, a broch or dun known as Dun Dhaibhidh stood here but then the castle was built in the 14th and 15th centuries, when the area was subject to feuds between the rival MacLeod and Macdonald clans. In 1618 the Privy Council and Donald Gorm Og, the 9th chief, signed a charter requiring him to repair Duntulm. This was done, and a second tower was added. Around 1650, the castle’s importance peaked, when further improvements were made, and a rectangular structure or house was built within the wall. Around 1732 the castle was abandoned, when Sir Alexander MacDonald built a new residence, Monkstadt House, 5 miles to the south, robbing much of the castle’s stone as building material. (We wondered why there are so many ruins.) Grade: 1