Castles

Through the centuries there were many castles in the Highlands Associated with the Mackenzie Clan.

Castle Leod

Historical home of the Mackenzies of Cromartie and home to the present Earl of Cromartie is a magnificent example of a 15th Century Scottish castle in the picturesque Victorian village of Strathpeffer.

Eilean Donan Castle

The most frequently photographed of all the Highland castles, it appears in virtually all books on the Highlands and the clans. Eilean Donan was the Mackenzie Clan’s most important stronghold from the 13th Century until its final destruction by English warships in 1719 following the Battle of Glenshiel.

The MacRaes, related to the Kintail branch of the Mackenzie Clan and Constables of Eilean Donan from about 1520, were known as the Mackenzies’ “Shirts of Mail” or bodyguards of the larger clan.

In 1912 Lt Colonel John MacRae Gilstrap bought the ruins and restored the castle to almost original condition. Eilean Donan is now an important tourist attraction in the western Highlands.