Coeffin Castle Ruins

Argyll and Bute, United Kingdom

Coeffin Castle was built on the site of a Viking fortress. The name Coeffin is thought to come from Caifen who was a Viking prince, and whose sister supposedly haunted the castle until her remains were taken back to be buried beside her lover in Norway.

Coeffin Castle was built in the 13th century, probably by the MacDougalls of Lorn. Lismore was an important site within their lordship, being the location of St. Moluag's Cathedral, seat of the Bishop of Argyll. The first written evidence of the castle occurs in 1469–70, when it was granted to Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy by Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll. It is unlikely to have been occupied in post-mediaeval times.

The ruins comprise an oblong hall-house and an irregularly shaped bailey. The great hall is an irregular rectangle, measuring 20.3 by 10.4 metres. The walls are from 2.1 to 2.4 metres thick. The bailey was mostly built at a later date than the hall. An external stair probably linked the entrance, in the north-east wall, to the bailey. A second door gave access to the sea to the south-west.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

canmore.org.uk

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Keltie Forbes (2 years ago)
Lovely ruins of a 12th castle with sheep and horses. Beautiful spot for a picnic.
Stephen (3 years ago)
Great views on a clear day, perhaps not the best place to live
Qasim M (3 years ago)
Really worthwhile walk to a castle ruin covered in beautiful greenery
Damien Mc Kay (4 years ago)
The views and scenery is just breathtaking
SGMP (4 years ago)
Castle Coeffin is a ruin on the island of Lismore, an island in Loch Linnhe, in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. Interesting castle, but that's quite a lot of sand buildup within the remaining walls for something on a grass plane.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.