Invergarry Castle

After raids by the Clan Mackenzie in 1602 which included the burning of Strome Castle, the MacDonells of Glengarry fortified Creagan an Fhithich. The result was an imposing six storey L-plan tower house, although the exact form of the earlier castle is not known. According to clan tradition, the castle was built with stones passed hand to hand by a chain of clansmen from the mountain Ben Tee. During the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell's troops under General Monck burned the castle down in 1654. Repaired, it was held for King James VII of Scotland from 1688 until its surrender to the Government forces of William and Mary in 1692. It was then held by the Jacobites during the 1715 uprising,…

The present structure completed post- c.1670 was designed on an "L" plan, with a substantial 'scale and platt' stair leading to the first floor in the NW part of the "L". From MacGibbon and Ross, the main building rose to five stories and the tower to six stories in height. The main building measured 55 by 32 feet (17 × 10 metres). The hall, on the first floor, measured 44 by 20 feet (13 × 6 metres). The main entrance was in the north wall of the NW wing of the castle, opposite the staircase. Accommodation would have been in the floors above the great hall. The un-vaulted basement most likely contained the kitchens. In the wider picture of Scottish architecture, by this date Invergarry was…