Invergarry Castle, Highland, United Kingdom

Invergarry Castle was the seat of the Chiefs of the MacDonells of Glengarry, a powerful branch of the Clan MacDonald. It was burned down in 1654 by General Monk, then rebuilt c.1660-1665. After the 1745 uprising Invergarry Castle was sacked and partially destroyed by troops under 'Butcher' Cumberland as part of the systematic suppression of the Highlands.

Edward Ellice (1781-1863) was a Director of the Hudson Bay company, which traded throughout the Americas. His son Edward Ellice (1810-1880) later became deputy governor of the company. Edward 'Bear' Ellice was also to become the Member of Parliament representing Coventry in the House of Commons, 1818 to 1826 and 1830-1863. He added the Glengarry portion of the estate, including Invergarry and lands, to his Glenquoich holding in 1860.

Invergarry House, later re-named Glengarry Castle Hotel, was built in 1866-1869 by celebrated architect David Bryce for Edward Ellice Jnr. David Bryce built over 100 Baronial Mansions and his other works include Fettes College, The Royal Infirmary and The Bank of Scotland all of which are in Edinburgh.

References:

Glengarry Castle Hotel

Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Douglas Cameron (2 years ago)
Lovely place to stay eat and drink

Donna Kershaw-mann (3 years ago)
An absolutely beautiful fairy tale castle a must to see .It's the nicest castle I have ever seen .

Anthony Miles (3 years ago)
Great ruin, it is fenced off, but there is a way to sneak inside at your own risk for the more adventurous.

Richard Payne (3 years ago)
Small ruin located off the main road and close to the hotel. Worth a look at for a few minutes if you are passing and have time though not woth a special trip unless you are a die-hard castle fan. No real parking to be spoken of except a small area in front of the structure that would only fit a few cars. It's fenced off for safety and there's a sheer drop at the back down to the water.

Texa Macindeor (3 years ago)
Tucked away along a long single track drive, we had a delightful break in our journey home with read and gf cake, oh and my husband claims THE most amazing scones! Lovely gardens to wander round with the original castle ruins to admire. Ideal if you have dogs with you that need a break from your journey too

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Honza Soukup

Historic Site of the week

Angelokastro

Angelokastro is a Byzantine castle on the island of Corfu. It is located at the top of the highest peak of the island"s shoreline in the northwest coast near Palaiokastritsa and built on particularly precipitous and rocky terrain. It stands 305 m on a steep cliff above the sea and surveys the City of Corfu and the mountains of mainland Greece to the southeast and a wide area of Corfu toward the northeast and northwest.

Angelokastro is one of the most important fortified complexes of Corfu. It was an acropolis which surveyed the region all the way to the southern Adriatic and presented a formidable strategic vantage point to the occupant of the castle.

Angelokastro formed a defensive triangle with the castles of Gardiki and Kassiopi, which covered Corfu"s defences to the south, northwest and northeast.

The castle never fell, despite frequent sieges and attempts at conquering it through the centuries, and played a decisive role in defending the island against pirate incursions and during three sieges of Corfu by the Ottomans, significantly contributing to their defeat.

During invasions it helped shelter the local peasant population. The villagers also fought against the invaders playing an active role in the defence of the castle.

The exact period of the building of the castle is not known, but it has often been attributed to the reigns of Michael I Komnenos and his son Michael II Komnenos. The first documentary evidence for the fortress dates to 1272, when Giordano di San Felice took possession of it for Charles of Anjou, who had seized Corfu from Manfred, King of Sicily in 1267.

From 1387 to the end of the 16th century, Angelokastro was the official capital of Corfu and the seat of the Provveditore Generale del Levante, governor of the Ionian islands and commander of the Venetian fleet, which was stationed in Corfu.

The governor of the castle (the castellan) was normally appointed by the City council of Corfu and was chosen amongst the noblemen of the island.

Angelokastro is considered one of the most imposing architectural remains in the Ionian Islands.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Invergarry Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

History of Guernsey & Jersey

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

Historic Site of the week

Angelokastro

Looks like you are a history fan!