Ardvreck Castle Ruins, Highland, United Kingdom

Ardvreck Castle is thought to have been constructed around 1590 by the Clan MacLeod family who owned Assynt and the surrounding area from the 13th century onwards. Clan MacKenzie attacked and captured Ardvreck Castle in 1672, and then took control of the Assynt lands. In 1726 they constructed a more modern manor house nearby, Calda House, which takes its name from the Calda burn beside which it stands. A fire destroyed the house under mysterious circumstances one night in 1737 and both Calda House and Ardvreck Castle stand as ruins today.

Ardvreck Castle was a rectangular-shaped keep comprising three storeys. Under the castle the vaulted basement is pierced by gunloops and the round stair turret is corbelled out to support a square caphouse. Despite the small size of the ruined tower, Ardvreck was originally a large and imposing structure and it is thought that the castle included a walled garden and formal courtyard. The remains of the foundations can still be seen and cover a large area. Unfortunately, all that remains today is a tower and part of a defensive wall. When the waters of the loch rise very high, the peninsula on which the castle stands can be cut off from the mainland.

The castle is said to be haunted by two ghosts, one a tall man dressed in grey who is supposed to be related to the betrayal of Montrose and may even be Montrose himself. The second ghost is that of a young girl. The story tells that the MacLeods procured the help of Clootie (a Scottish name for the Devil, deriving from 'cloot', meaning one division of a cleft hoof) to build the castle and in return the daughter of one of the MacLeod chieftains was betrothed to him as payment. In despair of her situation, the girl threw herself from one of the towers and was killed.

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Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

User Reviews

David Jones (7 months ago)
A good place for a stop and explore the surrounding area. Stunning scenery! The dog liked it.

Sierra Brantley (8 months ago)
She's a beauty! The surroundings are picturesque and the walk is easy. You can climb in and around it. It would be an ideal picnic spot.

Joshua Wilkinson (8 months ago)
Such an amazing piece of history! Such a good places. Free parking also

shruti mehra (10 months ago)
So scenic and beautiful. We were lucky we had good weather. The grass is so lush. It’s a nice spot for a picnic. You don’t need tickets to go in. There is a parking bay on the main road.

Kjoffy (10 months ago)
Saw this castle a couple of times when riding on the road. Stopped the third time, and this is something you must do as well. Amazing to see from up close. It is free, maybe a bit of tourists around. But just amazing.

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Ardvreck Castle Ruins

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