A Trip to Duart Castle

On the Ferry

The day we visited Isle of Mull and Duart Castle was cloudy and windy. Based on the forecast, we knew the weather would only get worse, so this was our last chance to visit the island. Sure enough, the next day no ferries were running out to the islands at all because of insane winds. We parked in Oban and bought a ticket which included the ferry, bus, and castle tours all in one.

beautiful views from the ferry

I was also very sick by this time. I'd caught a cold soon after arriving in Scotland, but I was determined to not let it stop me. The ferry ride was nice with great views. You can stay outside or go inside where it's warm and have a snack or coffee. The ferry also has a gift shop, restaurant, lounge, and several other things. I sent my husband out to take pictures. :) He took these first three.

You can tell by this picture how cold it was. Everyone was dressed like winter even though it was September.

Lismore Lighthouse in the Sound of Mull

Click on the above photo to enlarge it and get a good view of the Sound of Mull. I did have to bundle up and venture outside to take some pics myself. I took several of Duart Castle as we passed by. Little did I know at the time that we would explore Duart from the ramparts to the grassy area near the shore.

Duart Castle

Duart Castle stands prominently on a cliff that overlooks the Sound of Mull. This has been the base of the Clan Maclean for over 600 years.

Approaching Duart Castle from the parking area.

Once we disembarked at Craignure on Isle of Mull we found the bus for the Duart Castle tour waiting for us. Part of the way, the road was one lane. It took ten to fifteen minutes to get to the castle.

The Courtyard.

We entered the courtyard and I thought the interior and buildings were beautiful. This castle was restored in the early 1900s, but these buildings look incredibly authentic for hundreds of years ago. The rowan tree here (above) was planted on Sir Fitzroy Maclean's 100^th birthday. It's believed to ward off evil.

The Courtyard, opposite direction.

 The castle was restored between 1911 and 1914 by Colonel Sir Fitzroy Maclean, Bt., KCB, Twenty-sixth Chief of Clan Maclean. Before that, the castle lay in ruins.

Click photo to enlarge sign.

Information from other signs posted here:

"About 1150 Duart was just a courtyard. No grass then, only mud and rocks and simple wooden shacks for shelter. You would have had no shoes or socks, even in winter; long hair, no brushes or combs and your clothes would be a simple strip of woolen cloth to keep you warm."

"The Keep, which is another name for a Tower House, is where everyone lived. This one was built by Lachlan Lubanach, the 5^th Chief, in 1360. The main entrance was up a short flight of stairs from the courtyard."

Next, we went by the kitchen and dungeon. Sorry, no photos were allowed of the interior. The ground floor of the castle was originally one vaulted room with two small windows.

View out one of the windows.

Experts believe a castle existed on this site long before the first walls of Duart were constructed in the mid-1200s because it is such a strategic position on a high cliff on the end of a peninsula which juts into the Sound of Mull. Duart comes from the Gaelic Dubh Ard, meaning 'Black Point'. This location allowed the Macleans to control the Sound of Mull, which runs between Mull and the mainland of Scotland, and also the entrances to Loch Linne and Loch Etive and also part of the Firth of Lorn. This site would've been of vital importance during Viking and Norse invasions. Later, the Lord of the Isles ruled this area and the Macleans were supporters. There were eight castles on each side of the Sound of Mull which could communicate with one another via a beacon.

Click the above photo to enlarge

Maclean means 'Son of Gillean.' Gillean of the Battle-Axe (Gilleathain na Tuaidh) was a warrior who lived in the 1200s. He is known to have been alive in 1263. One of his ancestors was Lorn, the brother of Fergus Mor MacErc, founder of the Dalriadic kingdom which centered in Argyll. Gilleathain fought at the Battle of Largs and his son Gillenmore is mentioned in the Ragman Roll of 1296. The Macleans supported Bruce at Bannockburn. After that, they settled on Isle of Mull and came into conflict with the MacKinnons who already lived here.

Macleans were recorded in the papal dispensation of 1367 which allowed their chief, Lachlan Lubanach (the crafty or cunning) Maclean to marry the daughter of the Lord of the Isles, Mary Macdonald. It is said this was a love match, but her father wouldn't allow her to marry Maclean until he had kidnapped her. Another account says Lachlan kidnapped the Lord of the Isles in order to marry his daughter. The Mackinnon Chief was killed during this incident, and since Macdonald was Lord of the Isles, he gave the Mackinnon land to Maclean as part of his daughter's dowry. It is said he approved of Lachlan as a husband for his daughter because of his daring during the kidnapping. This is how the Macleans ended up owning most of Mull.

Click the above photo to enlarge and see the great view from the wall walk or battlements.

Lachlan Lubanach Maclean is believed to have built the keep at Duart. The first mention of Duart was 1390. But the great curtain walls already existed from the previous century. On the more vulnerable landward side, the walls are 29 feet high and almost 10 feet thick. A ditch was cut through the rock beyond the wall for further defense. The walls facing the sea were not as thick, 5 – 8 feet.

The wall walk

Lachlan Lubanach's son was Red Hector of the Battles. He was a famous Maclean warrior who fought at the Battle of Harlaw on July 24, 1411. I mentioned him in my post on Drum Castle. Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum and Red Hector MacLean engaged in a one on one personal battle to the death. Yes, both men died. I wonder what they had against each other? Afterward, their families exchanged swords when their chiefs met.

The roof.

Hope you enjoyed the photos and info. I'll continue the tour of Duart next time.

Thanks!!

Vonda

www.vondasinclair.com

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