Saddell Castle

Saddell Castle is a 16th-century castle located near Saddell, Kintyre, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The original castle existed in Somerled’s time in the 12th century. The castle served as a bastion of the MacDonald family for several centuries and continues to be visited by MacDonald diaspora from around the world who return to Western Scotland and the Isles. The current castle, built by David Hamilton, Bishop of Argyll, between 1508 and 1512, was constructed from the stones of the ruined castle and Saddell Abbey. The castle then became one of several ancestral homes of the MacDonald family in Scotland. Saddell was captured and burnt in October 1558 by an English force led by Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex. The castle fell into disrepair when Saddell House was built c. 1774. The castle was bought and restored by the Landmark Trust, which now rents it out as a self-catering property. Members of the Clan Donald continue to make pilgrimages to Saddell Castle every year, in memory of its place in Scottish history.