Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Strome Castle

Strome Castle

Scotland
HES SM8481
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Strome Castle is a ruined medieval fortress situated on a promontory in Loch Carron in Ross-shire, strategically positioned to control passage along the sea loch. The castle dates principally to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, though the site may have earlier defensive origins. The structure comprises a substantial stone keep with enclosing curtain walls, representing a typical Highland stronghold of its period. The castle served as a seat of the MacLeod clan until its capture and destruction by the MacKenzies in the seventeenth century, after which it was abandoned and subsequently fell into ruin.

Strome Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8481. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Strome Castle?

Strome Castle is a ruined medieval fortress situated on a promontory in Loch Carron in Ross-shire, strategically positioned to control passage along the sea loch. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM8481.

Who is responsible for protecting Strome Castle?

Strome 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 SM8481.

What other scheduled monuments are near Strome Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Sean-Chreag,fort 300m NNW of (5.9 km), Loch Achaidh na h-Inich, crannog at N end of (6.7 km), Lochcarron Old Parish Church, 160m SSW of Lochcarron Parish Church (7.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Strome Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Strome 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

Sean-Chreag,fort 300m NNW of
Iron Age · Fort5.9 km
Loch Achaidh na h-Inich, crannog at N end of
Iron Age–Medieval · Crannog at n end of6.7 km
Lochcarron Old Parish Church, 160m SSW of Lochcarron Parish Church
Medieval · 160m ssw of lochcarron parish church7.7 km
Rassal,copper mine 900m NE of
Copper mine7.9 km
Couldoran,settlement 1050m E of
Settlement8.6 km
Eilean Donnan, remains associated with Castle Donnan
Medieval · Remains associated with castle donnan9.8 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Strome Castle

Strome Castle stands on Lewisian Complex, bedrock that formed in the Proterozoic. The rock here is mafic gneiss.

The wider landscape

Around Strome Castle

Battle of Glenshiel 1719Battle (1719) · ~16 miles
All Scheduled Monuments