Smerby Castle, also known as Island Muller Castle, is a ruined fortified house on a promontory known as Isla Muller, Kintyre, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, north of Campbeltown.[1] The site is protected as a scheduled monument.[2]

Smerby Castle (Island Muller Castle)
Kintyre, Scotland
Island Muller, Kintyre, Scotland
Smerby Castle (Island Muller Castle) is located in Argyll and Bute
Smerby Castle (Island Muller Castle)
Smerby Castle (Island Muller Castle)
Coordinates55°26′12″N 5°32′20″W / 55.4366°N 5.5388°W / 55.4366; -5.5388
TypeFortified house
Site information
ConditionRuin

History edit

16th century edit

Ranald MacDonald was granted Smerby Castle from his father James MacDonald, 6th of Dunnyveg.

Angus MacDonald, 8th of Dunnyveg was kept as a prisoner in chains at Smerby Castle in 1598 after James MacDonald was sent to seek his fathers submission to King James V of Scotland. Angus suffered burns after his Kintyre house Askomull was burnt down by his son James and was subsequently captured.[3] The MacDonalds of Smerby were known as "MacConnell" due to the Gaelic pronunciation of Macdonald as such. In a 1594 Bond by James "Macdonald" of Smerby, signed as M'Connall and a 1597 Bond by Sir James "MacDonald" of Knockrinsay also signed as M'Connall [3]

Notes edit

  1. ^ "Island Muller Castle". CANMORE. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  2. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Island Muller Castle (SM3222)". Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b Fraser-MackIntosh, Charles (1895). The last macdonalds of Isla. Glasgow.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

References edit

  • Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd.