Dundarave Castle
Encyclopedia
Dunderave Castle is an L-plan castle built in the 16th century as the Scottish seat of the MacNaughton clan. The castle lies on a small promontory on the northern shores of Loch Fyne
, around 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-east of Inveraray
, Argyll
. The castle is in use as a residence. The present castle was built after their previous castle was destroyed following a Plague infection. The old castle, and remnants of McNaughton crannóg
s, can still be seen on the lochan known as the Dubh Loch at the head of Glen Shira
.
The name Dunderave is of Gaelic origin. Since the MacNachtans were designated 'of Dunderave' from as early as 1473, the place-name appears to have moved with the clan from the Dubh Loch. It has been suggested that the name derives either from Dun-an-Rudha, meaning 'The Knoll on the Promontory', or else from Dun-da-Ramh, 'The Castle of Two Oars'. The latter is taken to imply that there was a ferry near the site of the castle.
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne is a sea loch on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound of Bute, making it the longest of the sea lochs...
, around 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-east of Inveraray
Inveraray
Inveraray is a royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is the traditional county town of Argyll and ancestral home to the Duke of Argyll.-Coat of arms:...
, Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
. The castle is in use as a residence. The present castle was built after their previous castle was destroyed following a Plague infection. The old castle, and remnants of McNaughton crannóg
Crannog
A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...
s, can still be seen on the lochan known as the Dubh Loch at the head of Glen Shira
Glen Shira
Glen Shira is a glen within Argyll at the northern end of Loch Fyne, just to the north of Inveraray. It is named after the River Shira, which runs through the centre down from a damn in the northern end, to the dubh loch at the base of the glen.The Glen is mostly taken up by a sheep farm, run by a...
.
The name Dunderave is of Gaelic origin. Since the MacNachtans were designated 'of Dunderave' from as early as 1473, the place-name appears to have moved with the clan from the Dubh Loch. It has been suggested that the name derives either from Dun-an-Rudha, meaning 'The Knoll on the Promontory', or else from Dun-da-Ramh, 'The Castle of Two Oars'. The latter is taken to imply that there was a ferry near the site of the castle.
See also
- Fraoch Eilean, Loch AweFraoch Eilean, Loch AweFraoch Eilean is a small island situated at the northern end of Loch Awe, a freshwater lake in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is notable for being the site of a medieval royal castle, now ruined, which was given into the keeping of Clan Macnaghten by Alexander III of Scotland in 1267.-Etymology:The...
- earlier MacNauchtan castle - Dundarave HouseDundarave HouseDundarave is a country house in the village of Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is currently the home to the Macnaghten family which is the chiefly family of Clan Macnaghten....
- the Irish seat of the MacNaughton clan
External links
- Overview of Dundarave Castle from the Gazetteer for Scotland
- Dundarave Castle in the 1900s