Mingary Castle

Scotland > West of Scotland > Argyll > Mingary Castle

Located about 1 mile from the village of Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, Mingary Castle has a dramatic location overlooking Loch Sunart and the isle of Mull. The castle was built in the 13th cent but most of the remaining structure dates from the 16th and 18th centuries. The castle was the seat of the MacIeans. King James IV stayed at the castle when he tried to control the MacDonalds in the 15th cent. The Earl of Argyll took over of Mingary in 1612 but it was re-taken by the MacDonald's in 1644 for the Royalist cause. Two years later David Leslie captured the castle for the Covenanters and returned it to the Campbells. In 1696, Mingary was given to Alexander Campbell, who improved the castle, hiding most of the 13th cent. structures. Hanovarian troops were garrisoned here during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. In 1746 the Jacobite MacDonalds of Glencoe surrendered here to the Campbells. The castle was probably in use until the 1850's, then it slowly fell into the ruin we see today.