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Keane Castle (site of) (possible)

At the south end of Loch Glass is a small island called Eilean na Faoileag, on which a castle may once have stood.

Eilean na Faoileag is a crannog, but it is said that the Munro lairds of Foulis built either a summer-house on the island at some point in history, or some kind of defensive building for protecting wildfowl.

On some 16th century maps there is a tower marked, which appears to be situated in the middle of Loch Glass. Abraham Ortelius’ map “Scotiae Tabula”, published in 1573, names this castle “Reane Castel”.

Scotiae Tabula

Abraham Ortelius, 1573

However by the time of Gerhard Mercator’s “Scotia Regnum” of 1595 it has become “Keane Castle”. The Gaelic word “ceann” means “head”, and is often used to refer to the head of a loch, and it may be that this is where the name of the castle derived from. A property to the east of the island, on the shores of the loch, is marked on later maps as “Keanloch”, “Kenloch” and “Kinloch”.

It appears as “Kean Castle” on John Speed’s map of “The Kingdome of Scotland”, published in 1610.

The Kingdome of Scotland

John Speed, 1610

The castle doesn’t appear in the Blaeu Atlas of 1654. However it is marked on Richard Blome’s “Mapp of the Kingdome of Scotland”, printed in 1673, and again on Vincenzo Coronelli’s 1696 map “Scotia”. But on maps from the 18th century onwards it doesn’t appear to be marked, suggesting that it had fallen out of use by this time.

So far I have only found a single non-map reference to a Keane Castle, so have added it as a “possible” castle pending further research.

stay in a castle
  • http://www.onegreatfamily.com

Where is Keane Castle?

Keane Castle is in the parish of Kiltearn and the county of Ross and Cromarty.

Grid reference: NH 5326 7039

Lat / long: 57.699346, -4.463753

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

OS Map for Keane Castle

Ben Wyvis & Strathpeffer (Dingwall)
OS Explorer map 437


Directions to Keane Castle

Enter a starting point

Weather at Keane Castle

14°C
max 17°C / min 13°C
8km/h NNE
1014mb
48%
20%
04:50 19:43

Few clouds
Weather observed at Evanton at 15:45

Alternative names for Keane Castle

Eilean na Faoileag; Kean Castle; Reane Castel; Reane Castle

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Keane Castle

Foulis Castle

8.4km away

Balconie Castle (site of)

9.5km away

Tulloch Castle

10.2km away

Contullich Castle (site of)

10.3km away

Dochmaluag House

10.5km away

Dingwall Castle

11.6km away

Cnoc A Chaisteil (site of)

11.8km away

Craig Castle

11.9km away

Teaninich Castle

11.9km away

Historic sites near Keane Castle

Pictish stones

  • Dingwall Churchyard Class I symbol stone (11.56 km)
  • Ardjachie Class I symbol stone (25.61 km)
  • Nigg Class II cross slab (27.15 km)
  • Craigton Class I symbol stone (44.13 km)
  • Rodney's Stone Class II cross slab (46.72 km)
  • Invereen Class I symbol stone (47.2 km)
  • Sueno's Stone Class III cross slab (52.31 km)
  • Inveravon 1 Class I symbol stone (72.36 km)
  • Arndilly Class I symbol stone (78.88 km)
  • Dandaleith Class I symbol stone (79.09 km)
more Pictish stones....

Ancient sites

  • Eilean na Faoileagcrannog (0 km)
  • Humberston (site of)stone circle (11.94 km)
  • Clootie Wellsacred site (19.85 km)
  • Carriblairstone circle, cist (22.94 km)
  • Balnuaran of Clavakerb cairn and rock art (34.18 km)
  • Balnuaran Of Clava, Centrering cairn and stone circle (34.25 km)
  • Balnuaran Of Clava, North-Eastchambered cairn, stone circle and rock art (34.25 km)
  • Balnuaran Of Clava, South-Westchambered cairn, stone circle and rock art (34.26 km)
  • Urquhart Castlefort (41.71 km)
  • Carn Liathbroch (45.82 km)
more ancient sites....
  • http://www.onegreatfamily.com

Accommodation near Keane Castle

Tulloch Castle Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barDingwall
10.2km away
Larchfield Chalet 2
self-catering cottageStrathpeffer
11.0km away
Larchfield Chalet 1
self-catering cottageStrathpeffer
11.0km away
Millnain Cottage
self-catering cottageFodderty
11.5km away
Lilac Cottage
self-catering cottageStrathpeffer
11.7km away
Ben Wyvis Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barStrathpeffer
13.0km away
Rowan Lodge
self-catering cottageStrathpeffer
14.0km away
Spruce Lodge
self-catering cottageStrathpeffer
14.0km away
Pine Lodge
self-catering cottageCulbokie
14.5km away
Eaglestone House
self-catering cottageDingwall
15.0km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Keane Castle

Tulloch Castle Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barDingwall
10.2km away
Ben Wyvis Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barStrathpeffer
13.0km away
Ord House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barMuir of Ord
20.0km away
Plough Inn
pubRosemarkie
23.9km away
Lovat Arms Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barBeauly
24.0km away
The Old North Inn
hotel, restaurant, barInverness
25.7km away
Bunchrew House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barInverness
26.0km away
Mansfield Castle Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barTain
26.8km away
Royal Hotel Tain
hotel, bar, restaurantTain
27.3km away
Railway Hotel
hotel, barTain
27.4km away
more food.... / more drink....

Related pages

Baby squirrels at Callendar House
Kilspindie Castle and Aberlady Bay nature reserve
Two castles and a country house in East Lothian
Two lesser-visited castles in Perthshire
Gullane beach, and castles on the way home
A pair of educational castles in Edinburgh
Published on the 9th of February 2013 at 2:00 pm. Updated on the 9th of February 2013 at 5:41 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

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