MHG316 - Tower House, Glensanda Castle
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- TOWER HOUSE (Medieval - 1058 AD to 1559 AD)
Protected Status
Full Description
Castle (NR) OS 1:10,000 map, (1974)
Castle, Glensanda: This castle occupies summit of a prominent rock outcrop at mouth of Glen Sanda. It comprises an oblong tower-house of two main storeys measuring about 12.9m from NE to SW by 8.8m transversely over walls some 2.2m in thickness. The building is roofless, but the walls still rise to parapet level; some of the masonry has been consolidated in modern times. The steps by which the entrance-doorway is approached today are modern, and in the original arrangement access was probably obtained by means of a timber forestair leading to a wooden platform at threshold level.
Immediately S of the tower-house there are the remains of an outbuilding (A on plan, q.v.), now reduced to its lowest courses and the walls are ruinous and turf-grown; it appears to have measured about 12.2m by 6.4m over all. Close to the W corner of the tower-house there are the remains of what may have been another outbuilding (B), and beside it a small reed-grown hollow (C), which may have been a well.
Here and there around the perimeter of the rock summit there are traces of walls evidently designed to obstruct access at vulnerable points.
The tower-house has no closely datable features, but the general character of the building suggests that it was erected some time during 15th century. Little is known of its history; it is variously named Caisteal na Gruagaich ('Maiden's Castle'), Castle Na'gair, Castle-en- Coer, Castle Mearnaig and Castle of Glensanda. It is said to have been built by Ewen MacLean, 5th of Kingairloch, who was born about 1450. RCAHMS 1980, visited 1971.
The roofless shell of a tower house known locally as 'Glensanda Castle'. Visited by OS (AA) 5 June 1970.
The castle was listed at Category B in 1980.
The Castle was scheduled in 1985.
The building was reviewed by Historic Scotland in 2014 as part of the Dual Designation Project. The site was not visited and it was recommended that the building be de-listed but remain a scheduled monument. <1>
The building was de-listed in 2015.
Sources/Archives (2)
- --- SHG2660 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1980. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: an inventory of the monuments volume 3: Mull, Tiree, Coll and Northern Argyll (excluding the early medieval and later monuments of Iona). . 202-5, No. 342; plans, illusts.
- <1> SHG27501 Text/Designation Notification/List of Buildings: Jackson, L.. 2015. Dual Designations Project - Highland Castles: Glensanda Castle. Historic Environment Scotland. 24/11/2015. Digital.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NM 8238 4686 (40m by 40m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NM84NW |
| Civil Parish | MORVERN |
| Geographical Area | LOCHABER |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM4358 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/23081 (View HES Canmore entry for this site)
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