Saddell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saddell
|
|
|---|---|
 Saddell Abbey |
|
 Saddell
|
|
| OS grid reference | NR785321 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area |
|
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAMPBELTOWN |
| Postcode district | PA28 |
| Police | Strathclyde |
| Fire | Strathclyde |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
|
| Scottish Parliament | |
Saddell (Scottish Gaelic: Saghadal) is a small village in Scotland. It is located on the east side of the Kintyre Peninsula in Argyll and Bute. From Saddell, you can see the Kilbrannan Sound and the Isle of Arran. It's about 8 miles from Campbeltown. The name Saddell comes from an old Norse word meaning "sandy valley."
Contents
Saddell Abbey: A Historic Ruin
Saddell is home to the ruins of a Cistercian Abbey. This abbey was started around 1160 by a powerful leader named Somerled. His son finished building it. Somerled's family later became the Clan MacDonald and the important Lords of the Isles.
Amazing Stone Carvings
People at Saddell were very good at carving stone. You can see many beautiful old grave slabs in the abbey grounds, which are now a cemetery. These carvings show warriors in their armor, religious leaders, ships, and hunters with deer. They also feature large swords and cool Celtic knotwork designs. Most of these stones were carved right at Saddell Abbey. However, some look more like the carvings from the famous Iona school of stone-carving.
Saddell Castle: A Tower House
Saddell Castle is a tower house located a short distance from the abbey, closer to the sea. It was built in the early 1500s for the Bishop of Argyll. Later, in the late 1600s, the Clan Campbell took over the castle. They used stones from the old abbey to add farm buildings to the castle.
Castle's Journey Through Time
Around 1774, the Campbell family moved into a new house nearby. The castle then started to fall apart over many years. In 1976, the Landmark Trust bought the castle. They hired Mr. Robert R. Mauchline to restore it and make it look new again. After it was finished, Saddell Castle even appeared in Paul McCartney's music video for his song "Mull of Kintyre"! Mr. Mauchline's daughters, Joanna and Hazel, were also in the video.
Today, the Landmark Trust owns both Saddell Castle and the newer Saddell House. They allow people to walk down to the beach at Saddell Bay.
Kildonan Dun: An Ancient Fort
At the end of Saddell Bay, in Pluck Wood, you can find the remains of Kildonan Dun. This was an ancient hillfort from the late Iron Age, built around 200 BC or even earlier. It was made from stone.
Unique Design of the Dun
Most Duns (ancient forts) are round. But Kildonan Dun has a special D-shape, similar to other forts like Barsalloch Fort and Castle Haven in Galloway. The fort measures about 19 by 13 meters inside its outer wall. This wall is about one meter high and two meters thick.
The entrance to the fort is very impressive and easy to see on the southwest side. Inside the wall on the west side, there's a double staircase that is still in good condition. There's also a round wall niche in the northeast. Kildonan Dun shows some new ideas in its design, much like the Brochs (another type of ancient structure) from the same time.
What We Learned from Digging
Archaeologists dug at Dun Kildonan between 1936 and 1938. This helped them figure out its exact timeline. Objects found from the 1st and 2nd centuries show when the fort was built. Other items from the 6th, 9th, and 12th centuries, or even later, prove that the area remained important for a long time. The things found during the dig are now kept at the Campbeltown Museum.
-
Kildonan Dun
-
Interior of Kildonan Dun
