Cairnburgh Castle is a ruined castle that is located on the islands of Cairn na Burgh Mòr

Cairn na Burgh Mòr

Cairn na Burgh Mòr is one of the Treshnish Isles in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.Cairn na Burgh Mòr is the larger of the two "Carnburgs" at the northeastern end of the Treshnish Isles in the Inner Hebrides - the other being "Cairn na Burgh Beag". The larger of a pair guards the entrance to Loch...

 and Cairn na Burgh Beag

Cairn na Burgh Beag

Cairn na Burgh Beag is one of the Treshnish Isles in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland.Cairn na Burgh Beag is the smaller of the two "Carnburgs" at the northeastern end of the Treshnish Isles in the Inner Hebrides - the other being Cairn na Burgh Mòr...

, Argyll and Bute

Argyll and Bute

Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. These islands are at the northern extremity of the Treshnish Isles

Treshnish Isles

The Treshnish Isles is an archipelago of small islands and skerries, lying west of Mull, in Scotland. They are part of the Inner Hebrides. From north to south, the larger islands include:* Cairn na Burgh Beag* Cairn na Burgh Mòr* Fladda...

 at the mouth of Loch Tuath

Loch Tuath

Loch Tuath is a sea loch in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland that separates the isle of Mull and the island of Ulva.-Notes:...

, Mull

Mull

-Places:*Isle of Mull, Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides*Sound of Mull, between the island and the rest of Scotland*Mull , Anglicisation of Gaelic Maol, hill or promontory**Mull of Galloway, Scotland**Mull of Kintyre, Scotland...

 north of Iona

Iona

Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...

. 1991's The Changing Scottish Landscape characterizes it as "one of the most isolated fortifications in Britain...[and] also one of the strangest."

Structure

An unusual feature of the castle its that its defences straddle both islands. Cairn na Burgh Mòr contains a barrack block, chapel, courtyard and guard-house and its smaller companion isle has another guard-house and a well.

13th century

The castle, which may have begun its existence as a Viking fortress called Kiarnaborg, has been held by a variety of individuals since its first recorded appearance in 1249. It is mentioned in the 13th century Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar

Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar

Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar is an Old Norse kings' saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway. The saga was written by the Icelandic historian and chieftain Sturla Þórðarson, in the 1260s...

as the property of an island king of the family of Somerled

Somerled

Somerled was a military and political leader of the Scottish Isles in the 12th century who was known in Gaelic as rí Innse Gall . His father was Gillebride...

, demanded of him by Alexander III of Scotland

Alexander III of Scotland

Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...

. The Gazetteer for Scotland

Gazetteer for Scotland

The Gazetteer for Scotland is a gazetteer covering the geography, history and people of Scotland. It was conceived in 1995 by Bruce Gittings of the University of Edinburgh and David Munro of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and contains 15,500 entries as of January 2008, making it one of...

reports that the castle's owner at least from 1249 to 1269 was Clan MacDougall

Clan MacDougall

Clan MacDougall is a Highland Scottish clan consisting of the descendants of Dubgall mac Somairle, son of Somerled, who ruled Lorne and the Isle of Mull in Argyll in the 13th century...

, descendants of Somerled through his son Dubgall

Dubgall mac Somairle

Dubgall mac Somairle was a 12th century Scottish nobleman...

. When the MacDougall clan supported John de Balliol

John de Balliol

John de Balliol was a leading figure of Scottish and Anglo-Norman life of his time. Balliol College, in Oxford, is named after him.-Life:...

 against Robert de Brus

Robert I of Scotland

Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...

 in the Wars of Scottish Independence

Wars of Scottish Independence

The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....

, the Crown seized the castle. Temporarily occupied by Clan MacDonald, it at some point became the property of Clan MacLean

Clan MacLean

Clan Maclean is a Highland Scottish clan. They are one of the oldest clans in the Highlands and owned large tracts of land in Argyll as well as the Inner Hebrides. Many early MacLeans became famous for their honour, strength and courage in battle. They were involved in many clan skirmishes with...

.

16th century

While the property of the MacLeans, the castle was the location of several conflicts, but it was extremely well defended by the cliffs that surrounded it. It was besieged in 1504 by James IV

James IV of Scotland

James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...

 when the MacLeans rebelled in favor of Domhnall Dubh

Domhnall Dubh

Domhnall Dubh was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Aonghas Óg, chief of Clan Donald , and claimant to the Lordship of the Isles, which had been held by his grandfather John of Islay, Earl of Ross ....

, chief of Clan Donald

Clan Donald

Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...

.

17th century

It was briefly taken in 1647 during the War of the Three Kingdoms by General David Leslie. In the next decade, it was torched by Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....

's New Model Army

New Model Army

The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...

. The fire likely caused the demise of a number of manuscripts that had been conveyed to the castle for safety from Iona after the 1561 Act calling for the destruction of "Monuments of Idolatry". In 1679, it stood against the Campbells

Clan Campbell

Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...

, but did not stand when attacked again in 1692.

18th century

Twice during the Jacobite Risings, in 1715 and 1745, the government used Cairnsburgh to house troops. In 1759 it was the birthplace of author Isabella Kelly

Isabella Kelly

Isabella Kelly, née Fordyce, also Isabella Hedgeland was a British novelist and poet. She married Robert Hawke Kelly , a captain in the Royal Navy...

.