A menacing castle overlooks the strait between Kintyre and the Isle of Arran. Skipness Castle guarded the eastern border of the Lords of the Isles.
What a view! From Skipness Point, a small headland, it’s just five and a half kilometres to the coast of the Isle of Arran. The mountains of the island sometimes catch the clouds and are pierced by the sun’s rays. A fantastic play of light then caresses Arran’s exciting landscape.
The sentries at Skipness Castle would also have looked out over the Kilbrannan Sound — since this strait stretches far up into Loch Fyne and on to Inveraray. An important route for ships.
And it was also a border. Skipness Castle marked the eastern edge of the realm of the Lords of the Isles, led by the MacDonalds. These Gaelic rulers of the Highlands and Islands were in competition with the Scottish kingdom under the Stewarts.
As elsewhere along the coast, the Lords of the Isles maintained castles that secured the sea route. However, the island lords themselves rarely visited the fortress. There was a hall set aside especially for them, but it was usually the castle’s steward who made use of it instead.
On the other side of the strait, on Arran, stands Skipness Castle’s sister: Lochranza Castle was likewise built in the 13th century by the MacSweens. This allowed them to control the strait from both sides. Later, though, the two were divided, since Lochranza remained under the control of the Stewarts.
The Lords looked after the castle and had it extended. They replaced the former palisade wall with a stone curtain wall. And they had a chapel built that can still be seen from the castle today: Kilbrannan Chapel, the church of St Brendan.
The small, roofless church is surrounded by a graveyard, which also contains gravestones dating from the era of the Lords of the Isles. They lie protected inside small stone chests.
The graveyard is, in any case, one of the most beautiful in Scotland.
The Lords of the Isles held the castle until 1493. But then the increasingly powerful Scottish king put an end to the island kingdom. Kintyre and many other lands were handed over to the MacDonalds’ arch-enemies: the Campbells.
The end of the Lords was not the end of Skipness Castle. The Campbells extended the castle still further in the 16th century, raising the tower house by an extra storey.
But by the end of the 17th century, the age of castles had come to an end. Skipness, too, was no longer needed. And so the fortress was converted into a farm, with sheds built in the courtyard.
The Campbells of Skipness built themselves a house next door. But they too had little luck. In 1867, financial hardship forced them to sell the land. The new owner, Robert Chellas Graham, had Skipness House built next to the castle.
In 1898, the castle was cared for once more. The farm sheds were removed and the ruin was conserved. Today, Historic Scotland looks after Skipness Castle. Visitors can still enjoy the castle free of charge.
Know: Skipness Castle and the MacSweens
Skipness is considered the oldest surviving castle on Kintyre. No wonder, given that its foundations date back to the 12th century. At that time, the descendants of a certain Suibhne mac Duinnshléibhe held wide stretches of the surrounding area. Suibhne became Sween in English — MacSween was the clan, their seat Sween Castle to the west.
The Sweens, however, made a decisive mistake: during the Wars of Independence, they backed the opponents of Robert the Bruce. When Bruce ultimately triumphed, the MacSweens had to leave Scotland. They crossed over to Ireland, where their name lives on today as Sweeney.
Robert handed Skipness Castle over to his allies, the MacDonalds, who soon governed a great realm as Lords of the Isles and extended Skipness Castle.
Tip: Seafood and views at their finest
In front of Skipness House, with a view of the castle, a small hut has established itself: the Skipness Seafood Cabin. It serves salmon, langoustines, oysters and other seafood — all of the highest quality.
On the other side of the castle you’ll find Skipness Smokehouse, which smokes venison and even duck to the highest standard.
In any case, visitors should climb up onto the castle roof and enjoy the view towards Arran.
Getting there:
A visit to Skipness Castle is especially worthwhile if you’re heading to or coming from Arran.
With sat nav: enter “PA29 6XU” into your sat nav, which will take you to Skipness.
Without sat nav: from the ferry pier at Claonaig, simply follow the signs to the castle for two miles. After the church and a bridge, turn right through a gate — signposted for the Seafood Cabin. Follow the gravel track up to the house.
