Reidh-dhail
Reidh-dhail is an intriguing place. Lying to the west of Ormsaigbeg, miles from any human habitation, in summer it’s little more than a tangle of six-foot high bracken, but the plant’s presence is a sure sign...
Tagged: history
Ruins Tell a Story
One of the joys of Ardnamurchan is the hiking that can be enjoyed across its hills. There are very few fences, and most of these are easily crossed. Further, there is a ‘right to roam’...
Archaeological Excavations at Swordle
Every year for the last nine years, a group of archeologists from British universities, from Archaeology Scotland, and from the commercial sector – they call themselves the Ardnamurchan Transitions Team – spend a fortnight...
Mingary Castle under Scaffold
This picture of Mingary Castle, the seat of the MacIains for three centuries and finally abandoned in 1838, shows it today, with restoration work well under way. Many people didn’t believe the scaffolding would...
The Battle of Creag an Airgid
The hill called Creag an Airgid, Silver Hill, on the road between Kilchoan and Sanna, was the site of a battle in 1518 which saw the beginning of the end of the power...
Saving Mingary Castle
The castle which is so closely associated with Clan MacIain was described in 2013 by an eminent archaeologist as “The most intact thirteenth century castle in Scotland”. Yet Mingary’s present importance to Scottish archaeology and...
Ardnamurchan’s Last MacIains
It would be good to be able to trace the fate of those MacIains who may have stayed on Ardnamurchan after the Campbells finally took full possession of the peninsula, but this is difficult....
The Last Years of Clan MacIain
The History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland, from AD 1493 to AD 1625, by Donald Gregory, was published in 1881. Its pages contain a detailed history of the last years of...
How Did the Ordinary MacIains Live?
Such evidence as we have for the day-to-day life of the ordinary member of Clan MacIain comes from the archaeological remains that we find all over Ardnamurchan and from a few other sources, such...
