Cairnburgh Castle is a ruined castle that is located on the islands ofCairn na Burgh Mòr andCairn na Burgh Beag,Argyll and Bute,Scotland. These islands are at the northern extremity of theTreshnish Isles at the mouth ofLoch Tuath,Mull north ofIona.[1] 1991'sThe Changing Scottish Landscape characterizes it as "one of the most isolated fortifications in Britain...[and] also one of the strangest."[2]
An unusual feature of the castle its that its defences straddle both islands. Cairn na Burgh Mòr contains a barrack block, chapel, courtyard and guard-house and its smaller companion isle has another guard-house and a well.[1]
The castle, which may have begun its existence as a Viking fortress called Kiarnaborg, has been held by a variety of individuals since its first recorded appearance in 1249.[1] It is mentioned in the 13th centuryHákonar saga Hákonarsonar as the property of an island king of the family ofSomerled, demanded of him byAlexander III of Scotland.[3] TheGazetteer for Scotland reports that the castle's owner at least from 1249 to 1269 wasClan MacDougall,[1] descendants of Somerled through his sonDubgall.[4] When the MacDougall clan supportedJohn de Balliol againstRobert de Brus in theWars of Scottish Independence, the Crown seized the castle. Temporarily occupied byClan MacDonald, it at some point became the property ofClan MacLean.[1]
In 1409,Hector Maclean, chief of Clan Maclean, received a charter from his uncleDonald of Islay, Lord of the Isles for certain lands. In the charter Hector was described as Lord of Duart Castle and constable of the castle of Cairnburg.[5]
While the property ofClan MacLean, the castle was the location of several conflicts,[1] but it was extremely well defended by the cliffs that surrounded it.[2][6] It was besieged in 1504 byJames IV when the MacLeans rebelled in favor ofDomhnall Dubh, chief ofClan Donald.
It was briefly taken in 1647 during theWar of the Three Kingdoms by GeneralDavid Leslie. In the next decade, it was torched byOliver Cromwell'sNew Model Army.[1] The fire likely caused the demise of a number of manuscripts that had been conveyed to the castle for safety from Iona after the 1561 Act calling for the destruction of "Monuments of Idolatry".[7] In 1679, it stood against theCampbells, but did not stand when attacked again in 1692.[1][6]
Twice during the Jacobite risings, in1715 and1745, the government used Cairnsburgh to house troops.[1] In 1759 it was the birthplace of authorIsabella Kelly.[8]
56°31′6″N6°22′52″W / 56.51833°N 6.38111°W /56.51833; -6.38111