The
most photographed castle in the world?
Certainly
Eilean Donan is onf of Scotland's most romantic and recognisable,
but it is not entirely what it seems. Although the island of Eilean
Donan has been a fortified site for at least eight hundred years,
the present building dates largely from the early 20th century.
Today's
castle, which rose from the ruins of it's predecessor, was rebuilt
between 1912 and 1932 by Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap.
Eilean
Donan is quite unique, the product of an incredible feat of determination
and devotion to restore the Castle for the MacRae family.
It is hard to believe that the present castle has yet to celebrate
its 100 birthday, but easy to be absorbed by the atmosphere of
a place which has stood witness to so much history.
The
name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, is most probably called
after the 6th Century Irish saint, Bishop Donan, who came to Scotland
in AD580. There are several churches dedicated to Donan in the
area and it is likely that he, or later Early Christians who followed
his teachings, formed a small cell or community on the island
during the late 5th or 6th Century.
There
are, of course, other stories which survive about the island.
Perhaps
the most attractive tells that it was named from the Gaelic term,
Cu_Donn meaning otter (brown dog). It describes the King of the
Otters, who was recognised by his fine coat of pure silver and
white, and tells of the time when he died and his 'glittering
robes of silver' was buried on the island beneath the foundations
of the castle.
Although
surrounded by salt water, the island, Eilean Donan, has a fresh
water spring and has been inhabited since at least the iron age,
although a castle was probably not built until the 13th Century
as a defensive measure against the Vikings. These apparently fearsome
people had raided, settled in and for a time controlled much of
the north of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266.
By
the mid 13th Century there was certainly a fully fortified castle
on Eilean Donan which required a large garrison of men to defend
it from both land and sea.
Traditionally
it is believed that in the early part of the 14th Century Robert
the Bruce, who had lost favour with many of the clan chiefs as
well as being fiercely hunted by the English, was given refuge
in Eilean Donan Castle by John MacKenzie, 2nd of Kintail.
After 1362 the Clan MacKenzie came to Kintail from the Beauly
Firth where they had given protection to the Clan Fraser. Here
they became 'bodyguards' to the MacKenzie chiefs, so beginning
a long association between the clans.
Despite
disputes, the MacKenzies held Eilean Donan until the 16th Century.
In
1504 Alexander Gordon, Earl of Huntly, attempted to take the Castle
on behalf of James IV, but his garrison was quickly defeated.
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