Scheduled MonumentsScotlandEilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan
Medieval · Remains associated with castle donnan

Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan

Scotland
HES SM7575
Period
Medieval
Site type
Remains associated with castle donnan
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Eilean Donnan is a Medieval castle occupying a small tidal island at the confluence of three sea lochs in Wester Ross, Scotland. The castle dates primarily to the thirteenth century, with significant later modifications and reconstruction, particularly following extensive restoration in the early twentieth century. The structure comprises a curtain wall enclosing the rocky islet, with a keep and associated domestic buildings positioned to exploit the island's defensive natural attributes. The site has strategic importance as a former stronghold of the Clan Macrae and the Earls of Seaforth, commanding the entrance to Loch Duich and the surrounding maritime approaches.

Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7575. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan?

Eilean Donnan is a Medieval castle occupying a small tidal island at the confluence of three sea lochs in Wester Ross, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM7575.

What period does Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan date from?

Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a remains associated with castle donnan. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan?

Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM7575.

What other scheduled monuments are near Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caisteal Grugaig, broch 900m WSW of Totaig (1.6 km), Henge, 410m SW of Shiel House (8.7 km), Strome Castle (9.8 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan

Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan stands on Lewisian Complex, bedrock that formed in the Proterozoic. The rock here is gneiss.

The wider landscape

Around Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan

Battle of Glenshiel 1719Battle (1719) · ~10.5 miles