Capture of Eilean Donan Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Capture of Eilean Donan Castle |
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| Part of the Jacobite rising of 1719 | |||||||
 Eilean Donan Castle |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 British Government |
 Jacobites Spain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Chester Boyle |
Unknown |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1 ship of the line 2 frigates |
50 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 12 killed and wounded | 7 killed and wounded 43 captured |
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The Capture of Eilean Donan Castle happened in 1719. It was a fight between British ships and Spanish soldiers at Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland. This event was part of a bigger conflict called the Jacobite Rising of 1719. It was also linked to the War of the Quadruple Alliance.
Three British navy ships attacked the castle. Spanish troops were defending it. After the ships fired their cannons at the castle, British government forces stormed it. The defenders gave up. The castle was later blown up with gunpowder.
Contents
Why the Castle Was Attacked
The attack on Eilean Donan Castle was part of the 1719 Jacobite Rising. This was when people called Jacobites tried to put James Stuart back on the throne of Great Britain. Spain supported this attempt.
The Jacobite leaders were British exiles. They included George Keith, the Marquess of Tullibardine, and the Earl of Seaforth.
On April 11, 1719, British Jacobites landed near Loch Alsh. They had 300 Spanish marines with them. They set up their base in Eilean Donan. This area belonged to Clan Mackenzie, and the Jacobites hoped to get more people to join them there.
About 500 Mackenzies joined the Earl of Seaforth. The Jacobites had more weapons and ammunition than they could use. So, they stored the extra supplies in Eilean Donan. A group of 40 to 50 Spanish marines stayed to guard the castle. The main Jacobite force, about 1,000 strong, marched towards Inverness.
In early May, the Royal Navy sent five ships to the area to check things out. Two ships patrolled near the Isle of Skye. Three others sailed around Loch Alsh, which is next to Loch Duich.
Early on Sunday, May 10, these three ships arrived near Eilean Donan. They were:
- The fifty-gun HMS Worcester
- The forty-four-gun HMS Enterprise
- The twenty-gun HMS Flamborough
They anchored off Eilean Donan, on the north side of Loch Duich.
The Attack on the Castle
First, the British ships sent a small boat ashore. They wanted to talk to the castle's defenders. But the Spanish soldiers in the castle fired at the boat. So, the boat was called back.
Then, all three British ships started firing their cannons at the castle. They kept shooting for more than an hour. After that, they moved their ships to a different spot and waited. The wind was blowing strongly.
The next morning, May 11, the British got information from a Spanish soldier who had left the castle. Captain Chester Boyle of the Worcester was in charge. He sent the Enterprise up the loch. Its mission was to capture a house where gunpowder was stored. But as the ship got close, the rebels on the shore set the house on fire.
Meanwhile, the other two ships kept firing at the castle. They were also getting ready for a landing party.
In the evening, the ships fired their cannons very heavily. Under this cover, small boats from the ships went ashore. They surrounded the castle from all sides. The British forces climbed the walls and captured the castle. There was not much resistance.
The government forces captured:
- An Irishman (a captain)
- A Spanish lieutenant
- A sergeant
- One Scottish rebel
- Thirty-nine Spanish soldiers
They also found 343 barrels of gunpowder and 52 barrels of musket shot.
What Happened Next
After taking the castle, the government troops burned down several barns. These barns held a lot of corn for the Jacobite camp.
The British naval force then spent the next two days destroying the castle. It took twenty-seven barrels of gunpowder to do it. The Spanish prisoners were put on board the Flamborough. They were taken to Leith and then to Edinburgh.
The Jacobite Rising ended on June 10. The remaining Spanish troops and Jacobites were defeated at the Battle of Glen Shiel.
Eilean Donan Castle remained in ruins for over 200 years. It was rebuilt and restored between 1919 and 1932 by John MacRae-Gilstrap.
Images for kids
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The ruins of the castle in the 19th century
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Plan of the castle at the time of the capture
See also
In Spanish: Toma del castillo de Eilean Donan para niños
