skip to main content
Menu
  • Blog
    • Art & design
    • Castles
    • Cycling
    • Edinburgh
    • Edinburgh Festival
    • Food & drink
    • General
    • History
    • Music
    • Sport
    • Walking
    • Whisky
    • Wildlife
  • Castles
    • Glossary
    • Mottes
    • Stay in a castle
    • Castle blog posts
    • Alphabetical list of castles
    • Castles divided by county
    • Photos of castles
    • Castles we've visited
  • History
    • Castles
    • Ancient history
      • barrows
      • brochs
      • cairns
      • caves
      • chambered cairns
      • cists
      • crannogs
      • cursus monuments
      • forts
      • henges
      • rock art
      • sacred sites
      • souterrains
      • standing stones
      • stone circles
    • Pictish history
      • Pictish stones
      • Pictish sites
      • Pictish placenames
    • Clans
      • Surnames
      • Trace your ancestors
      • Tartan
    • Trace your ancestors
  • Culture
    • Music
      • Bands & musicians
      • Music links
    • Film
    • Television
    • Placenames
      • Pictish placenames
  • Eat
  • Drink
    • Scottish beer
    • Scottish gin
    • Scottish vodka
  • Stay
  • Travel guide
    • City guides
    • Car hire
    • Airports
  • Walking
    • Munros
    • West Highland Way
  • Photos
    • ancient sites
      • Dark Age sites
      • megalithic sites
      • other carved stones
      • Pictish sites
      • Roman sites
    • buildings
    • miscellaneous
    • places in Scotland
  • Offers
  • Home
  • history
  • castles

Dunvegan Castle

Dunvegan Castle is a large castle which has been occupied by the Chief of Clan MacLeod since the 13th century.

Towards the end of the 16th century an attempt was made to settle the Western Isles with people from Fife loyal to the Crown. The islands were considered to be a wild and untamed part of the Scottish kingdom at this time, an almost lawless fiefdom of the MacLeods of Lewis. In order to reassert the King’s control over the islands an Act of Parliament was passed in 1597 requiring chiefs to present their titles to the Lords of the Exchequer on Whitsunday in 1598 and to provide security for any rents owed to the Crown. When the chiefs of Lewis, Harris, Dunvegan and Glenelg failed to produce their titles their estates were declared forfeited.

By the early 17th century Dunvegan was owned by Sir James Elphinstone, 1st Lord Balmerino, however he fell from grace over letters sent to the Pope that he forged in the name of James VI. In 1608 the King granted many of Balmerino’s possessions, including Dunvegan, Balmerino, Restalrig, Over Barnton, Ballumbie and Lewis, to Alexander Drummond of Midhope.

stay in a castle
  • advertisement

Alternative names for Dunvegan Castle

Began's Dun; Caisteal Dhùn Bheagain

Clans associated with Dunvegan Castle

MacLeod of Lewis

Surnames associated with Dunvegan Castle

MacLeod

MacLeod of Lewis

Where is Dunvegan Castle?

Dunvegan Castle is in the parish of Duirnish and the county of Inverness-shire.

Grid reference:NG 24740 49106

Lat / long:57.44851000,-6.59008800

Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Dunvegan Castle

OS map 407
Skye – Dunvegan (Waternish & Macleod’s Tables)
OS Explorer map 407


Directions to Dunvegan Castle

Enter a starting point

  • advertisement

Weather at Dunvegan Castle

9°C
max 10°C / min 9°C
32km/h SSW
1023mb
95%
94%
08:24 16:55

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Portree at 17:01

References (books)

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland Volume 3
David MacGibbon
Edinburgh, 1889
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore
Wikipedia
Dunvegan Castle

Castles near Dunvegan Castle

Caisteal Uisdein

16.1km away

Duntulm Castle

30.0km away

Kilmaluag Castle (site of)

32.3km away

Brochel Castle

33.7km away

Coroghon Castle

43.6km away

Borve Castle

47.2km away

Caisteal Bheagram

49.8km away

Dunscaith Castle

50.5km away

Castle Calvay

52.7km away
more castles....
  • advertisement

Ancient sites near Dunvegan Castle

Applecross (site of) stone circle

46.4km away

Clach Steineagaidh standing stone

50.2km away

Strath stone circle

61.3km away

Loch Seaforth stone circle

67.5km away

Beinn Chleiteir stone circle

70.4km away

Achmore stone circle

80.3km away

Airidh nam Bidearan stone circle

80.6km away

Ceann Hulavig stone circle

81.2km away

Druim Dubh stone circle

82.4km away
more ancient sites....
  • Ancestry advert

Pictish stones near Dunvegan Castle

Clach an Tiompain Class I symbol stone

123.9km away

Dingwall Churchyard Class I symbol stone

130.4km away

Dalnavie Class I symbol stone

142.3km away

Ardross Class I symbol stone

142.6km away

Ardjachie Class I symbol stone

154.3km away

Invereen Class I symbol stone

155.3km away

Nigg Class II cross slab

157.4km away

Dunadd Class I rock carving

165.5km away

Glenferness House Class II cross slab

168.5km away
more Pictish stones....

Pictish sites near Dunvegan Castle

Torvean silver chain

140.3km away

Burghead fort

187.3km away

Gaulcross hoard

229.2km away

Norrie's Law hoard

254.9km away

Parkhill silver chain

266.4km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

267.5km away

Borland silver chain

268.6km away

Dunnicaer fort

268.7km away

Nigg silver chain

271.7km away
more Pictish sites....
  • advertisement
  • advertisement

Accommodation near Dunvegan Castle

Ullinish Lodge Hotel
hotel, restaurantStruan
13.6km away
Skeabost Country House Hotel
hotelSkeabost
16.3km away
Skyewalker Hostel
hostelPortnalong
17.5km away
Uig SYHA Hostel
hostelUig
20.4km away
Portree Hotel
hotelPortree
24.0km away
The Royal Hotel, Portree
hotelPortree
24.1km away
Bosville Hotel
hotelPortree
24.2km away
Dunsgiath Apartments
self-catering apartmentPortree
24.3km away
Cuillin Hills Hotel
hotelPortree
24.5km away
The Glenview
hotelStaffin
30.0km away

Accommodation search

(leave blank to view all)
Accommodation type
bed and breakfasts
campsites
castles
holiday parks
hostels
hotels
self-catering apartments
self-catering cottages
self-catering lodges
spas
  • advertisement
more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Dunvegan Castle

Ullinish Lodge Hotel
hotel, restaurantStruan
13.6km away
Hotel Hebrides
hotel, bar, restaurantTarbert
51.5km away
Duisdale House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barSleat
57.2km away
The Old Inn
hotel, restaurant, barShieldaig
62.1km away
The Old Forge
pub, restaurantInverie
71.0km away
Arisaig Hotel
hotel, barArisaig
74.5km away
Old Library Lodge & Restaurant
hotel, restaurantArisaig
74.6km away
Cluanie Inn
hotel, restaurant, barGlenmoriston
92.4km away
Glenfinnan House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barGlenfinnan
93.9km away
Ullapool Hotel
hotel, restaurantUllapool
99.6km away
more food.... / more drink....

Related pages

Dirleton Castle in East Lothian
Dirleton Castle in East Lothian
Garden of Cosmic Speculation plus castles
Garden of Cosmic Speculation plus castles
Inveraray Castle and standing stone
Inveraray Castle and standing stone
A doocot, a castle and a beach in East Lothian
A doocot, a castle and a beach in East Lothian
A pair of castles on the River Tweed
A pair of castles on the River Tweed
Dunbar harbour and castle
Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 29th of February 2012 at 10:58 pm. Updated on the 9th of January 2021 at 6:23 pm.

Leave a comment

back to the top of the page

Connect with us

Like us on Facebook

Receive our newsletter

Follow us on Twitter

Tweets by Stravaig_Aboot

Quick links

Stay in a Scottish castle
Edinburgh Festival accommodation
Hotels in Scotland
Car hire in Scotland
Places to eat and drink in Scotland
Castles in Scotland
Trace your Scottish ancestors
Scottish clans
Standing stones in Scotland
The Picts
Pictish symbol stones
Pictish placenames
Scottish bands and musicians
Scottish films
Scottish TV shows
West Highland Way

About

Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
read more....

Cookies

To make this site work properly we use cookies to store information on your computer. Click here to read more.
© 2003 - 2023 Andy Sweet / Stravaiging around Scotland. Powered by WordPress. Hosted by Tsohost.