Castle Tioram

Castle Tioram sits on a large rocky outcrop called Eilean Tioram near the banks of Loch Moidart. The castle is also known as Dorlin Castle and can only be reached at certain times of day as the loch is tidal.

Castle Tioram means 'Dry Castle' which is ironic considering it's position in the loch.

It is one of the most stunning medieval castles I have visited and even on a gloomy day it still looks majestic sitting high on the crags in the loch.

When you look at the crags on which the castle sits, it is easy to see the why the position was selected for a defensive structure.

The 13th century castle was the seat of the Clan Ranald which is a branch of the Clan Donald, otherwise known as Clan Macdonald of Clanranald.

The founder of Clan Macdonald of Clanranald was Ranald, the 4th great grandson of Somerled. Somerled was a significant Norse-Gaelic lord who entered into a marital alliance to create the Kingdom of Argyll and the Isles and become its King.

It's strategic tidal location allowed the Clanranalds to control the land and surrounding waters. Although you can't see the sea from here, the castle controls access from the sea into Loch Shiel.

The causeway allows access to the island and castle at certain times of day from the east.

Although the castle was built in the 13th century, the site was inhabited well before then. There is evidence of occupation from the Iron Age (800BC-400AD). A bronze hanging bowl was found at the site, which dates from the 4th/5th century and can now be found at the West Highland Museum in Fort William.

The first records referring to Eilean Tioram mentions Christina of the Isles. Christina was the great granddaughter of Ranald and she was a leading member of Clan Ranald. Christina is known to have assisted King Robert I (Robert the Bruce) during the First War of Scottish Independence.

The castle is believed to have been erected by Christina's niece, Amy in the mid 1300s.

Apologies for the Anglicisation of the names, I really should have learnt Gaelic and Norse!

Even though the castle sits high on the crags of Eilean Tioram, it is possible to walk the whole way round the outside of the castle although it may mean a wee bit of scrambling.

As you walk around the structure, you can see the immense curtain wall which was originally built in the 13th century, with its irregular shape dictated by the shape of the space available above the crags.

Within the curtain wall was a courtyard which was surrounded by buildings that were added at different times between the 14th and 17th centuries.

The most prominent of the buildings is a 15th century tower house, which is in the west corner of the curtain wall. This was built at the same time that the curtain wall was heightened and strengthened.

Facing seaward, the tower house is topped with turrets on three of the four corners. The forth has a gabled stair tower projecting into the courtyard, topped with corbelled bartizans and castellations built for appearance. The tower wall walk would provide views out to sea.

Next to the western corner to the castle is a lovely little beach, where there is a little a cave in the crags. I'm unsure of the history, but it looks relatively modern, so maybe used for storage or fishing.

From here there is a steep climb up to the castle, or continue at a lower level beneath the crags if the tide is out.

In 1544, Mary of Guise (mother of Mary Queen of Scots) ordered a siege of Castle Tioram, around the time of the Rough Wooing. The Earls of Huntly and Argyll obliged but the occupation didn't last very long. Repairs in the 19th century discovered cannonballs from this siege still embedded in the southwestern and eastern walls.

In the 1650s, Oliver Cromwell occupied Castle Tioram for a brief period, when he attempted to bring the Catholic Highlanders under control.

By 1668, Donald the 13th chief of Clanranald, is recorded as making repairs to his old house of Castle Tyrholme (Tioram).

When in 1692, Allan the 14th chief of Clanranald, was forced into exile in France, William III ordered Castle Tioram seized and was garrisoned with royal troops. In 1697, when Allan was pardoned and returned to Scotland, rather than returning to Castle Tioram, he built a new fortress on South Uist.

However, in 1715 Allan retook the castle on his way to fight in the Jacobite rising. Fearing that he wouldn't return, he chose to burn down the castle to prevent it from being recaptured during his absence. The ruined castle was later returned to Allan's successors and retained by the Clanranald's until eventually sold in 1905.

The gate to the castle is on the northern wall, but there were two further postern gates that are now blocked up.

The interior is unstable and closed to visitors, however, you can still poke your arm through with a camera to get a couple of shots.

When we visited in 2011, the gate did not exist and we managed to get a few pics of the inside.

You can see where the hall was extended and a second tower was added along the south western wall. There are foundations of other buildings around the inside of the curtain wall which were probably service buildings.

The castle was eventually sold in 1905, to the owner of Loch Shiel estate, Lord Howard of Glossop. After his death, it was purchased by James Wiseman Macdonald of Los Angeles, under whose ownership the Ministry of Works carried out some consolidation works. In 1997, his grandchildren sold the castle to Anta Estates.

Proposals to restore the castle by Anta Estates, were announced in 1997 and received planning consent from Highland Council. This included the creation of a clan centre/museum, domestic apartments, and some public access.

The proposal was refused by Historic Environment Scotland, which was upheld after a local public inquiry. A Dangerous Building Order was issued in 1998, closing the castle to the public.

In 2000, there was a collapse of several square metres of the outer layer of the north west curtain wall. The owners made the necessary repairs.

In 2014, an inspection found that there had been no significant change in the stonework since 2000.

Historic Environment Scotland and the Caisteal Tioram Trust remain in favour of the conservation of the castle and it being reopened to the public.

Remember the Loch is tidal, so make sure you check the Loch Moidart Tide Timetable before you visit.

Castle Tioram is listed as a Scheduled Monument by Historic Environment Scotland.