Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Inverlochy Castle

Inverlochy Castle

Scotland
HES SM90172
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Inverlochy Castle is a medieval fortress located near Fort William in Inverness-shire, Scotland, built in the thirteenth century as a stronghold of the Comyn family. The castle comprises a distinctive quadrilateral enclosure with four corner towers, constructed of rubble stone, representing a characteristic design of the period. Its strategic position commanding the mouth of the River Lochy made it an important stronghold in the Scottish Highlands, and it subsequently came under the control of successive regional powers. The castle saw significant military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence and later conflicts, cementing its role as a key defensive structure in the region until its eventual abandonment.

Inverlochy Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90172. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Inverlochy Castle?

Inverlochy Castle is a medieval fortress located near Fort William in Inverness-shire, Scotland, built in the thirteenth century as a stronghold of the Comyn family. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90172.

Who is responsible for protecting Inverlochy Castle?

Inverlochy Castle 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 SM90172.

What other scheduled monuments are near Inverlochy Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caledonian Canal,Neptune's Staircase,canal locks,Banavie (1.7 km), Caledonian Canal,Corpach to Banavie (1.8 km), Fort William, fort (2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Inverlochy Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Inverlochy Castle'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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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Caledonian Canal,Neptune's Staircase,canal locks,Banavie
Neptune's staircase,canal locks,banavie1.7 km
Caledonian Canal,Corpach to Banavie
Corpach to banavie1.8 km
Fort William, fort
Iron Age · Fort2 km
Caledonian Canal,Corpach Locks and Basin
Corpach locks and basin2.7 km
Tor Castle
3.3 km
Caledonian Canal,Banavie to Moy Bridge
Banavie to moy bridge4.7 km
An Dun, fort, Dun Deardail
Iron Age · Fort, dun deardail5.3 km
Caledonian Canal,Moy Swing Bridge
Moy swing bridge8.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Inverlochy Castle

Inverlochy Castle stands on Grampian Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite and semipelite.

The wider landscape

Around Inverlochy Castle

Battle of Inverlochy IiBattle · ~0.1 milesBattle of Inverlochy (1645)Battle (1645) · ~0.2 milesBattle of Inverlochy (1431)Battle (1431) · ~0.4 milesBattle of Inverlochy IBattle · ~0.5 miles
All Scheduled Monuments