Ardvreck Castle Facts for Kids

"Ardvreck" redirects here. For the boarding school in Perthshire, see Ardvreck School.

Quick facts for kids Ardvreck Castle
Sutherland in Scotland
Ardvreck Castle Show map of Highland Ardvreck Castle Show map of the United Kingdom Location within Highland
Coordinates	58°09′59″N 4°59′40″W / 58.166389°N 4.994444°W / 58.166389; -4.994444
Site information
Condition	Ruined
Site history
Built	1590 (1590)
Built by	Clan MacLeod
Materials	Stone
Fate	Destroyed in 1672 by Clan MacKenzie

Ardvreck Castle is an old ruined castle from the 1500s. It sits on a rocky point that sticks out into Loch Assynt in Sutherland, Scotland. You can find its remains by driving along the A837 road. This road follows the north shore of Loch Assynt. The castle is near the village of Inchnadamph.

A Look Back at Ardvreck Castle
What Ardvreck Castle Looked Like
Image gallery
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A Look Back at Ardvreck Castle

Who Built Ardvreck Castle?

The MacLeods of Assynt built Ardvreck Castle around the year 1590. They were a powerful family, or "clan," in the area.

Montrose and the Castle

Ardvreck Castle is famous for a big event in 1650. A leader named James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was brought here. He was a "Royalist," meaning he supported the King. He was fighting against the Covenanters, who were a group loyal to a different cause.

After a battle, Montrose was tired and trying to escape. The chief of the MacLeods of Assynt handed him over to the Covenanters. Some stories say the MacLeod chief was loyal to the Covenanters. Other stories suggest he helped Montrose at first, but then gave him up for a large reward.

The MacKenzie Attack

The Clan MacKenzie attacked Ardvreck Castle in 1672. They captured the castle and took control of the lands around Assynt.

In 1726, the MacKenzies built a newer, more modern house nearby. It was called Calda House. This house got its name from the Calda burn (a small stream) next to it. Sadly, a fire destroyed Calda House in 1737. Today, both Calda House and Ardvreck Castle are ruins. They are protected as important historical sites.

What Ardvreck Castle Looked Like

Ardvreck Castle was a simple, rectangular tower. It had a round tower for stairs at its southeast corner. The upper floors of the castle stuck out a bit, supported by stone brackets called "corbels." These parts formed square rooms. A small stair turret, also on corbels, led to these upper rooms.

The ground floor of the castle had three rooms, all with arched stone ceilings. The castle likely had four floors in total. The first floor also had an arched ceiling, while the other floors had wooden beams supporting them. The castle also had several openings for cannons or guns, known as "gunports."