Saddell
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|---|---|
 Saddell Abbey | |
  Saddell Location withinArgyll and Bute | |
| OS grid reference | NR785321 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area |
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| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAMPBELTOWN |
| Postcode district | PA28 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 55°31′53″N5°30′40″W / 55.53139°N 5.51111°W /55.53139; -5.51111 | |
Saddell (Scottish Gaelic:Saghadal,pronounced[ˈs̪a.ət̪əl̪ˠ]) is a smallScottish village situated on the east side of theKintyrePeninsula ofArgyll and Bute, overlooking theKilbrannan Sound and theIsle of Arran, 8 miles (13 km) fromCampbeltown on the B842 road toCarradale. The name Saddell is derived from theNorse for sandydale.
Saddell is home to the ruins of aCistercianAbbey. This was founded around 1160 bySomerled and completed by his son, whose descendants became theClan MacDonald and eventualLords of the Isles. Stone carving was a speciality at Saddell, and fine examples of carved medieval grave slabs are displayed under cover in the grounds of the abbey, now a cemetery. Relief carvings on the stones show warriors in their armour, clerics, ships, huntsmen with stags, large swords, andCeltic knotwork designs. Most were carved at Saddell Abbey, but some are more typical of theIona school of stone-carving.
Saddell Castle, atower house1⁄4 mile (400 m) to the southeast and nearer the shore, was built for theBishop of Argyll in the early 16th century. When theCampbells took it over in the late 17th century, stone from the abbey was used to add farm buildings to the castle. The family moved into a new house nearby around 1774, and the castle deteriorated over the years before being bought by theLandmark Trust. In 1976, the Landmark Trust contracted Mr Robert R Mauchline to restore the castle to its former glory. Soon after its completion, the castle appeared inPaul McCartney's "Mull of Kintyre" music video. Mr Mauchline's daughters Joanna and Hazel were also featured in the video.
The Trust now owns both Saddell Castle and the newer Saddell House, allowing pedestrian access to the beach below Saddell Bay.
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At the end of Saddell Bay is Pluck Wood and the remains of Kildonan Dun, a lateIron Age hillfort dating from 200BC and made from Stone.
In contrast to the mostly round Duns, it has a D-shaped ground plan, likeBarsalloch Fort andCastle Haven inGalloway. The Dun measures about 19 m × 13 m (62 ft × 43 ft) within the outer two, one-meter high and two-meter thick ring wall. The impressive entrance, with its well-recognizable door construction, is in the southwest. The double staircase on the rampart, located within the wall on the west side, and a round wall niche in the northeast are intact. In form and design, some novelties are shown, as occurred with Brochs in the same period.
The excavation of Dun Kildonan between 1936 and 1938 resulted in a precise chronology. Objects from the 1st and 2nd centuries demonstrate the time of construction of the dun, while objects from the 6th and 9th to 12th centuries or later times show that the central square also remained an important focus. The finds are located in theCampbeltown Museum.
