Mingary Castle facts for kids
Mingary Castle, also called Mingarry Castle, is an old castle in Scotland. You can find it near the village of Kilchoan in Lochaber. The castle sits on a rocky ridge right by the sea. This spot was super important for watching the sea and controlling who came in and out of the Sound of Mull.
Mingary Castle has a unique shape, almost like a hexagon. Its walls are super thick, about nine feet! They are even thicker on the side facing the sea. Today, what's left of the castle is a Category A listed building. This means it's a very important historical site that needs to be protected.
Castle History
Mingary Castle is very old, built sometime in the 1200s or 1300s. We aren't totally sure who built it first. It might have been the MacDougalls or the MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan. Later, in the late 1400s, King James IV of Scotland used the castle. He used it to fight against the powerful Clan Donald.
Battles and Sieges
Castles like Mingary were often involved in battles. In 1515, the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh attacked the castle. They tried again two years later and finally took control of it.
In 1588, the chief of the MacLeans of Duart lived there. He had captured the chief of the MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan. That same year, a ship from the Spanish Armada called the San Juan de Sicilia landed on Mull. The MacLean chief used soldiers from this ship to help him. He was fighting against the MacDonalds of Clanranald and the MacIans of Ardnamurchan. One time, these soldiers even tried to take Mingary Castle for three days before giving up.
Other Owners
Over the years, many different groups owned Mingary Castle. These included the Clan Campbell and the Earls of Argyll in 1612. In 1644, a leader named Alasdair mac Colla captured the castle. He took it from the Covenanter soldiers who were guarding it.
Underwater Discoveries
In 2006, a TV show called Wreck Detectives looked for a shipwreck. They found it right below the castle in the Sound of Mull. They figured out the ship sank in 1644. Because it's so important, the area became a Historic Marine Protected Area in 2013. This helps protect the shipwreck and the history around it.
Saving the Castle
A recent check showed that the main wall facing the sea is in danger. It could fall down! Soon, work will begin to make the wall strong again. After that, experts will work to save and fix up the rest of the castle. Before any big changes, archaeologists will carefully explore the area. This will help them learn more about the castle's past.
All this important work is being done by the Mingary Castle Preservation and Restoration Trust. This group is a charity in Scotland. They will share updates on their progress. They will also share any cool new discoveries from the castle's untouched history.
