Dunyvaig Castle

Dunyvaig Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Naomhaig, Anglicised Fort of the galleys, also known as Dunnyveg) is located on the south side of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland, on the shore of Lagavulin Bay, 4 kilometres (2+1⁄2 miles) from Port Ellen. The castle was once a naval base of the Lord of the Isles, chiefs of Clan Donald. It was held by the chiefs of the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg.

A castle was built by Somerled, King of the Isles, on top of a fort or dún on a rocky promontory jutting into Lagavulin Bay.

The castle was held by the Macdonalds, Lords of the Isles, Somerled's descendants, specifically, Angus Mor Macdonald and his sons, Alexander Og and Angus Og. They used Lagavulin Bay as an anchorage for their fleet of galleys.

Forfeited in 1493, the castle passed to the MacIans of Ardnamurchan. The MacIans were descended from John Macdonald, younger brother of Angus Og Macdonald, Lord of the Isles and friend of Robert the Bruce, and suffered when that clan was punished for the 1501-1506 insurrection of Black Donald; the castle was transferred to a branch of the Campbells. In 1545, however, the MacDonald holdings in Islay and Jura were restored to them.

Mary, Queen of Scots, planned a visit to Argyll in June 1563. Lady Agnes Campbell, the wife of James MacDonald of Dunyvaig, gave the queen a "marvellous fair" costume of "Hyeland apparell". In 1598, the castle was kept by John Stewart of Arskok who was given £3000 Scots yearly for the expenses.

Angus MacDonald, 8th of Dunnyveg, surrendered the castle by negotiation to the King's lieutenant, the 3rd Lord Ochiltree, and The Rt. Rev. Andrew Knox, Bishop of the Isles, who brought a royal naval force with 1,000 men on 2 August 1608. On 5 August, Angus MacDonald and others came aboard the Advantage to celebrate Gowrie day, the anniversary of the rescue of James VI of Scotland at Perth in 1600. A garrison loyal to the King was installed.

In 1614, the castle was taken by Ranald Og Macdonald; however, it was retaken by Angus Og MacDonald, who attempted to bargain the castle's surrender. Bishop Knox attempted to retake the castle in September 1614 and was defeated and compelled to retreat. Knox left his son Thomas and his nephew John Knox of Ranfurly as hostages for his good faith.

Text adapted from “Dunyvaig Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dunyvaig Castle ranks #3,847 of 7,044 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #136 of the 159 mapped in Scotland. See how Scotland compares in the castle statistics.

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