Redcastle (), historically known as Edirdovar and Ederdour, is a medieval castle in Killearnan on the Black Isle, northern

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. It is so named from the colour of the stone of which it is built. The castle is now in a state of ruinous disrepair, although it is protected as a

category B listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

. The structure has an L-shaped floor plan and is approximately three stories. It does not have a roof at this time.

History

Redcastle was until relatively recently one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland. A castle on this site was first constructed by

William the Lion William the Lion (), sometimes styled William I (; ) and also known by the nickname ; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Alba from 1165 to 1214. His almost 49 ...

in 1179 and was known as Edirdovar. The castle was held by Sir John Bysset 1230 and in 1278 by Sir Andrew de Besco. In 1455 the Black Isle was annexed to the Crown. By 1492 the castle and its lands were under the control of Kenneth Mackenzie, 7th of Kintail, and they remained in the possession of

Clan Mackenzie Clan Mackenzie ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with Kintail and Ross-shire. Its chiefs trace their lineage to the 12th century, though the earliest recorded chief is Alexander Mackenzie of Kintail, who died after 1471. The clan suppo ...

until 1790. The present building is dated 1641 but incorporates earlier work of

rubble Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture; undressed especially as a filling-in. Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as 'brash' (compare cornbrash)."Rubble" def. 2., "Brash n. 2. def. 1. ''Oxford English Dictionar ...

and

ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...

masonry which is typically associated with older structures. Additionally, the castle was remodelled in the 19th century by

William Burn William Burn (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect. He received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 81. He built in many styles and was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial Revival, often referred ...

. The estate was bought by Colonel H.D. Baillie in 1838 and passed into the ownership of the family of Lord Burton of Dochfour. The castle was requisitioned by the army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and was finally vacated and part stripped in the 1950s.Colin Macleod, ''Unearthing Redcastle’s Hidden History'' (Ross and Cromarty Heritage Societ
web-site
(accessed on 18 March 2010)

References

{{coord, 57.513463, -4.3657329, format=dms, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Ruined castles in Highland (council area) Clan Mackenzie Clan Bissett Category B listed buildings in Highland (council area) Listed castles in Scotland Black Isle