Scottish Castles

Local information

Castle Tioram, Scottish Highlands

Location: Acharacle, Moidart (map and directions)

Located on the tidal island of Eilean Tioram in Loch Moidart in Lochaber is Castle Tioram. This ruined castle and A-listed building sits 55 miles from Fort William and is the traditional seat of the Clan MacDonald of Clan Ranald.

Castle Tioram © Dave Wilkie

History of Castle Tioram

Though the original calculation of the defensive curtain wall dates back to the 13th century, the tower and the interior of the castle were built in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Castle Tioram was built by Gaelic Lords, and the name – pronounced ‘Cheer-um’ - means ‘dry castle’ in Gaelic, due to its position on dry land on the small island at the mouth of the loch.

Though originally under the ownership of the Clan MacDonald, Tioram was seized in 1692 when the Clan Chief Allan of Clanranald joined Jacobite forces in France. In 1715, during the Jacobite uprising, Allan recaptured Tioram and set it alight. Since this time Tioram has remained uninhabited, save for rumours of firearms storage in the 1745 Jacobite Uprising.

Castle Tioram © Stara Blazkova

Winston Churchill described Castle Tioram as one of the most beautiful places he knew, and in its ruined state, Tioram is regarded as the most significant symbol of the rise and fall of the Lordship of the Isles.

Map and directions

Other castles in Scottish Highlands