Castle Tioram 3.69

Castle Tioram is a ruined castle that sits on the tidal island Eilean Tioram in Loch Moidart, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is located west of Acharacle, approximately 80km from Fort William. Though hidden from the sea, the castle controls access to Loch Shiel. It is also known to the locals as "Dorlin Castle". The castle is a scheduled monument.HistoryThe castle appears to have originally been a principal stronghold of Clann Ruaidhrí. The island the fortress sits upon is first recorded in a charter of Cairistíona Nic Ruaidhrí (fl. 1290 - 1318), daughter of Ailéan mac Ruaidhrí (died ×1296). According to early modern tradition, the castle was erected by Ailéan's granddaughter, Áine Nic Ruaidhrí (fl. 1318 - 50) in the 14th century. The castle served as the seat of the latter's Clan Donald descendants for the next 400 years.Castle Tioram is the traditional seat of Clan MacDonald of Clan Ranald, a branch of Clan Donald. Castle Tioram was seized by Government forces in around 1692 when Clan Chief Allan of Clanranald joined the Jacobite Court in France, despite having sworn allegiance to the British Crown. A small garrison was stationed in the castle until the Jacobite Uprising of 1715 when Allan recaptured and torched it, purportedly to keep it out of the hands of Hanoverian forces. It has been unoccupied since that time, although there are some accounts suggesting it was partially inhabited thereafter including for the storage of firearms from the De Tuillay in the 1745 Jacobite Uprising and Lady Grange's account of her kidnapping.