Eilean Donan: A 13th Century treasure.
One of the oldest and most beautiful castles in the entire world is the Eilean Donan. The name means Island of Donan. And it is located in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. I tis about 1 kilometre from the quaint village of Dornie. The island was named after an Irish Saint name Donan who arrived in Scotland around 580 A.D. By the late seventh century a small community was thriving on the island. This area was also known as the “Sea Kingdom” because it was near the sea where trade happened and where most of the feuding between clan chiefs and against Vikings happened to take place.
This castle, made out of stone from nearby hills, features a beautiful long stone bridge from the mainland to the small jewel green and rocky piece of land it occupied. It was built as a defensive structure to prevent the lands of the Kintail from being attacked by the Vikings who were repeatedly raiding the North of Scotland between 800 and 1266.
In the 14th century the castle was huge and boasted a huge curtain wall that surrounded the entire island. The main part of the castle with turrets stood at the highest point of the island. However by the end of the 14th century the castle was already significantly deteriorated.
The castle was often occupied after that including by Jacobites and Spanish soldiers. In 1719 the English government fought these uprisings by sending three armed frigates known as The Worcester, the Flamborough and The Enterprise and after a long batttle the English won. However heavy damage was done to the castle as the result of this battle. Captain Herdman of The Enterprise decided to send his men ashore and then blow up the 343 barrels of gunpowders that were stored there. For the next 200 years the castle stood in ruins and open to the elements until Colonel John Macrae-gilstrap bout it in 1911 and dedicated the next twenty years of his life to the loving restoration of the castle.
By July of 1932 the castle was lovingly restored and today is used as a tourist attraction and as a shooting set for movies. The rustic old castle is one of the most recognized in Scotland and is one of the most visited in Scotland. There is also now also a gift shop and restaurant on the premises.