Strome Castle facts for kids
Strome Castle is an old, ruined castle found on the edge of Loch Carron in a place called Stromemore. It's about 3.5 miles southwest of the village of Lochcarron, right on the coast of the Scottish Highlands. Today, it's mostly a courtyard and the remains of a square tower, but it has a long and interesting history!
Contents
A Look Back: Who Owned Strome Castle?
Early Days: The Macdonald Earls
Strome Castle was first built a very long time ago by the Macdonald Earls of Ross. These were powerful leaders in Scotland.
Changing Hands: Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh
Later, around the year 1472, the castle became the property of the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh. A person named Alan MacDonald Dubh, who was the 12th Chief of the Clan Cameron, helped look after the castle for the MacDonalds of Lochalsh.
Royal Gift: The MacDonells of Glengarry
In 1539, King James V of Scotland decided to give the castle to another important family, the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry. For them, a man named Hector Munro, I of Erribol, from the Clan Munro, was in charge of the castle.
The Siege and Destruction of Strome Castle
A very important event happened in 1602. The castle was attacked by Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Mackenzie of Kintail, who was the chief of the Clan Mackenzie. His allies, the Clan Matheson, helped him. After the MacDonells who were defending the castle gave up, Strome Castle was sadly destroyed and blown up. Because of this, the MacDonells of Glengarry built a brand new castle further inland, which they called Invergarry Castle.
Strome Castle Today: A Gift to Scotland
Even though it was ruined, Strome Castle still holds a lot of history. In 1939, the castle ruins were given to the National Trust for Scotland. This organization helps protect important historical places and natural beauty spots across Scotland, so people can visit and learn about them.
