Dunvegan Castle

Dunvegan Castle is the ancestral seat of the chiefs of the Macleod clan, and is built on a rocky promontory overlooking a coastal bay. It is separated from the main island by an impressive ditch in the rock, and the earliest part of the castle, a multangular courtyard with its sea-gate, can still clearly be seen to the rear. This castle was probably erected in the 13th century, and was strengthened with the erection of a tall square tower with a stair wing in the mid 14th century.

The chiefs added a second tower (the “fairy tower”) in the early 16th century, and the space between was filled by a substantial hall block in about 1623. A further wing was added towards the end of the 17th century, and in a fit of extravagance, the 19th century saw the whole building redesigned, which in my opinion removed a substantial amount of the architectural interest of the castle. The castle remains the private residence of the chiefs of the clan Macleod, and parts of it are open to the public for a fee.

Official Dunvegan Castle website

HES Canmore database entry