Caisteal Maol (Castle Moil) was an ancient seat of the Mackinnon clan. It was a fortress commanding the strait of Kyle Akin between Skye and the mainland, through which all ships had to pass or else attempt the stormy passage of The Minch. The present building dates back to the 15th century, but is traditionally reputed to be of much earlier origin.

According to that tradition, Alpín mac Echdach"s great-grandson Findanus, the 4th MacKinnon chief, brought Dunakin into the clan around the year 900 by marrying a Norse princess nicknamed "Saucy Mary". Findanus and his bride ran a heavy chain across the sound and levied a toll on all shipping vessels.

Whatever the veracity of the castle"s traditional history, there is good reason for supposing the existence of a connection of some kind with Norway. King Haakon IV is thought to have assembled his fleet of longships there before the Battle of Largs in 1263 (hence the name Kyleakin - Haakon"s kyle). Haakon"s defeat at Largs effectively ended Norse domination of the Scottish islands. Medieval and early modern documents also refer to the castle itself as Dunakin, which is again strongly suggestive of a Norse connection.

The present structure is of late 15th or early 16th century construction. This is supported by historical documents and carbon dating. In 1513, a meeting of chiefs was held here and they agreed to support Donald MacDonald as Lord of the Isles. The last occupant of the castle was Neill MacKinnon, nephew of the 26th chief of the clan (c. 1601).

The castle is a simple rectangular keep of three stories. The unexplored basement level is filled with rubble and other debris and is believed to have contained the kitchen. The visitor today enters on the main level where the public dining space would have been. Stairs would have led up to the private apartments above.

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Founded: 15th century
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in United Kingdom

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en.wikipedia.org

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User Reviews

Amanda Cardin (7 months ago)
Could not make it over due to high tide. No car park that we found, saw some old boats.
Jen L (7 months ago)
Great place to watch sunset. Great views, nice stop for half an hour
HanMat AusOex (9 months ago)
Make this your first stop as you enter Skye. If you can get there during low tide, make the climb to the top. It's a amazing experience and cool thought that you get to climb and stand in these old ruins. It was a little busy with other people but not too bad.
Christopher Hodds (10 months ago)
beautiful setting and a nice introduction to the Isle of Skye and views of the water between the mainland and isle. Only a short walk from the road, however you’ll need to cross around the edge of a bay which can be very slippery and getting to the castle can be a challenging scramble due to erosion
Sarah Takahashi (3 years ago)
Caisteal Maol (Kyleakin Castle) is a ruined castle that overlooks the strait of Kyle Akin between Skye and the mainland dating back to the 1400’s, though the site has a much longer history. The castle is also known as Dun Akyn, Dunakin Castle, Kyleakin Castle, and means “bare castle”. According to history, Clann Chief Findanus of Clann MacKinnon, who was the Great-Grandson of Pictish King Alpín mac Echdach of the MacAlpin dynasty, occupied this site in the 900’s, before the site was reused to build Caisteal Maol. Dunakin Castle was the home of Findanus and his Norse Princess known as “saucy Mary”. The last occupant of Caisteal Maol was Neill MacKinnon around 1601, of Clann MacKinnon. Whilst the castle tower has been left to ruin, it has become a well known landmark and truly adds to the gorgeous landscape no matter the time of day or weather. Even if you don’t go to the castle itself you can get a gorgeous landscape photo just across from the castle on the small path. If you are walking to the castle wear good footwear as the ground is very wet and boggy. The proper short path to the castle is accessible during low tide, but if the tide is in and you’re determined to visit then you need to walk around the boggy marshland which can be arduous, but worth it for the gorgeous view.
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