Skipness Castle Ruins

Argyll and Bute, United Kingdom

Skipness Castle was built in the early 13th century by the Clan MacSween with later fortifications and other additions made to the castle through the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries. The castle was garrisoned with royal troops in 1494 during King James IV of Scotland's suppression of the Isles. Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll granted Skipness to his younger son Archibald Campbell in 1511.

During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in 1646, the castle was besieged by forces under the command of Alasdair Mac Colla. During the siege, Alasdair's brother, Gilleasbuig Mac Colla, was killed in August 1646. The castle was abandoned in the 17th century. The Green Lady of Skipness Castle is said to haunt the location.

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Skipness, Argyll and Bute, United Kingdom
See all sites in Argyll and Bute

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.knapdalepeople.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

linda scott (2 years ago)
Lovely place, free to wander round, stunning location. Even took my dogs, no problem
Angela Knight (3 years ago)
Nice for a stroll sea food stall nearby
Linda Hubert (3 years ago)
Great place , fantastic castle and smokehouse full of goodies, crafts and food not just fish;cafe excellent delicious dishes, good value, highly recommended
Scottish bike touring Scottish bike touring (3 years ago)
Visited this on one of my regular Island adventure tours. It's great for clambering around on.
Tim Griffin (3 years ago)
Fascinating castle ruin in a wonderful setting. It’s great to be able to just walk about the grounds and amongst the historic walls. A staircase leads inside and eventually up on to the rooftop for incredible views.
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Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends. One of them narrates the origin of the name of castle derived from that of jester Becko for whom the Duke Stibor had the castle built.

Another legend has it that the lord of the castle had his servant thrown down from the rock because he protected his child from the lords favourite dog. Before his death, the servant pronounced a curse saying that they would meet in a year and days time, and indeed precisely after that time the lord was bitten by a snake and fell down to the same abyss.

The well-conserved ruins of the castle, now the National Cultural Monument, are frequently visited by tourists, above all in July when the castle festival takes place. The former Ambro curia situated below the castle now shelters the exhibition of the local history.

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