Mingary Castle (7)
Mingary is thought to have been built on the site of the fort of some long forgotten Norse chieftain. Ardnamurchan was certainly part of the kingdom ruled by the Norse kings of the Sudereys and Man and it was here that Somerled fought and won his first victory over the Norsemen, following which, Mingary like Tioram, formed part of the vast lands of Garmoran, given to Somerled's son Angus of Bute. As I explained under my Tioram photos, Angus' lands passed to his brother Ruairi, founder of the MacRuairi kindred, but as their more powerful neighbours expanded, Garmoran shrank, and by the mid-13th century, Ardnamurchan appears to have formed a part of the Lordship of Lorn and was therefore a MacDougall property. It is thought that it was the MacDougalls that built the oldest existing parts of the castle of enceinte, in the 13th century.
The MacDougalls, due to their close relationship with the Balliols, opposed Robert Bruce and suffered forfeiture in 1309 as a consequence. The lands of the many nobles that had opposed Bruce around Scotland, were given as reward to those that had risked everything by supporting him. The lands of Ardnamurchan and Sunnart were given to Angus Og MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, who later granted them to his younger brother John. The descendants of John MacDonald, known as the MacIains (John was known as Iain Sprangach) became the MacIains of Ardnamurchan - a sept of the MacDonalds. It is with the MacIains that Mingary is most closely associated.
Mingary Castle (7)
Mingary is thought to have been built on the site of the fort of some long forgotten Norse chieftain. Ardnamurchan was certainly part of the kingdom ruled by the Norse kings of the Sudereys and Man and it was here that Somerled fought and won his first victory over the Norsemen, following which, Mingary like Tioram, formed part of the vast lands of Garmoran, given to Somerled's son Angus of Bute. As I explained under my Tioram photos, Angus' lands passed to his brother Ruairi, founder of the MacRuairi kindred, but as their more powerful neighbours expanded, Garmoran shrank, and by the mid-13th century, Ardnamurchan appears to have formed a part of the Lordship of Lorn and was therefore a MacDougall property. It is thought that it was the MacDougalls that built the oldest existing parts of the castle of enceinte, in the 13th century.
The MacDougalls, due to their close relationship with the Balliols, opposed Robert Bruce and suffered forfeiture in 1309 as a consequence. The lands of the many nobles that had opposed Bruce around Scotland, were given as reward to those that had risked everything by supporting him. The lands of Ardnamurchan and Sunnart were given to Angus Og MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, who later granted them to his younger brother John. The descendants of John MacDonald, known as the MacIains (John was known as Iain Sprangach) became the MacIains of Ardnamurchan - a sept of the MacDonalds. It is with the MacIains that Mingary is most closely associated.