Aros Castle

Aros Castle
	View from the water side
Creation time :	13./14. century
Castle type :	Hilltop castle
Conservation status:	ruin
Geographical location	56 ° 32 '0.3 " N , 5 ° 57' 59.1" W Coordinates: 56 ° 32 '0.3 " N , 5 ° 57' 59.1" W.

Aros Castle , also Dounarwyse Castle , is the ruin of a hilltop castle near Salen on the Isle of Mull in the Scottish administrative district of Argyll and Bute . The castle and its harbor used to be one of the most important places on Mull.

location

The facility was built in the 13th century on a rocky ledge directly on the Sound of Mull and had a small harbor at the mouth of the Aros River . On the lake side the stony plateau drops almost vertically, on the flatter land side a ditch and a wall were built that could be crossed with the help of a drawbridge .

history

The castle was initially a fortress of the MacDougall clan , who extended their territory to Mull when they ruled Lorne .

In the 14th century, the MacDonald clan came into possession of the castle as Lords of the Isles . At the time it is referred to in the sources as Dounarwyse Castle . After John MacDonald renounced his title, the castle changed hands in 1493 to the Clan MacLean , whose headquarters were already in the immediate vicinity at Duart Castle .

In 1608 the castle played a role as the base of Andrew Stewart , Lord Ochiltree , during a revolt of local leaders against James VI. fought.

In 1678 the Duke of Argyll conquered the entire island of Mull and with it Aros Castle. The castle and all lands subsequently fell to the Campbell clan , but were no longer of any major importance for them. In 1688 the castle was described as "ruined, old, futile and never of any strength", but it appears that in 1690 it was still garrisoned by Argyll's troops. The fortress and its port were no longer maintained as Tobermory had a bigger and better port. From the 18th century there are no more signs of any use of the castle.

architecture

The ruins include the remains of the hall house from the 13th century and the castle courtyard with traces of other buildings. Two buildings were built at the same time as the Hallenhaus. It seems that these buildings had two full floors and some also had an attic. Further remnants of five significantly smaller buildings cannot be clearly assigned to a specific time. To the east of the courtyard there is a small stone landing stage. The entire plateau was surrounded by a castle wall, of which there are still isolated remains today.

The castle today

The entire area of the castle is under protection as a Scheduled Monument . The former hall building is heavily overgrown, the other remains of the wall are barely recognizable.