This also conforms to the timeline for similarly configured castles nearby including Dunstaffnage, Kisimul (Barra) and Mingary. In actual fact archaeological evidence confirms the structure was raised much earlier with the curtain wall having been built around the early 1200s. Local tradition suggests it was Amy MacRuary, estranged wife of John, First Lord of the Isles (1336-86). Precisely who first built Tioram Castle is unknown. It was subsequently inherited by his son, Donald, whose descendants ultimately became the MacDonalds of Clanranald. His death in 1164 saw his lands divided between his sons with Tioram passing to Reginald. For all these reason the area had been occupied for centuries before the castle was built a hillfort had been established nearby at Shielfoot no later than the seventh century AD.īy the mid-twelfth century the site of the later castle, along with much of the western coast including the islands, were in Norse control under Somerled, Lord of Argyll. Furthermore, the shallow gradient of the foreshore made it ideal for beaching small ships. Tioram benefited from being located near the confluence of Loch Moidart and the River Shiel, which provided access far inshore, plus the site was also on the main line of trade from the Hebridean islands. Despite its apparent remoteness today, the site was once well connected as, in the pre-industrial era, the lochs and rivers of Scotland were the primary means of movement through otherwise impassable terrain. Castle Tioram stands on a promontory that juts out into Loch Moidart and is connected by a neck of land that submerges at high tide.
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