Castle MacEwen

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Memorial stone in the grounds of Castle MacEwen

Castle MacEwen ( Scottish Gaelic : Caisteal Mhic Eoghainn ) is the ruin of a fort on the Cowal Peninsula on the east bank of Loch Fyne in the Scottish administrative unit Argyll and Bute . The weir system is located near the Kilfinan settlement , about 5 km south of Otter Ferry . On the site was a medieval dun , which was built over with a Promontory Fort and later with a medieval structure. The site is affiliated with the MacEwen Clan , who have connections in the Loch Fyne area.

history

The fort belonged to the Ewen of Otter clan . In 1432, the clan chief Swene MacEwen of Otter had to hand over his barony to King James I , who passed it on to Celestine Campbell in the event that Swene MacEwen died without a successor. In 1493, the MacEwens' lands, along with the castle, fell to a branch line of the Campbell clan .

Excavations

Excavations under the leadership of the Cowal Archaeological Society revealed in 1968–1969 that the earliest structure on this site was an enclosure with palisades from the Middle Ages. The excavations also showed that the fort was built over this original structure. The fort was later converted into a medieval home. The builders of this homestead used the old walls as the base for their defenses by adding square cut stones. Corridors leading down to the sea were also discovered on the south and north sides of the complex. Post holes revealed material dated to the 15th or 16th centuries, and glazed materials were also discovered.

In 1969 the remains of a round house were discovered that had been built in the area of ​​a passage against the curtain wall . The house had a paved floor and it was speculated that it might be a warehouse. Another discovery was a building whose shape resembled that of a boat. It was found just outside the curtain wall. However, no further objects were found in the newly discovered buildings, which meant that the age of these buildings could not be assessed. Other finds were a crucifix from the 12th century, a groat from the 15th century and pottery shards from the 13th and 18th centuries. All artifacts were brought to the Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c McEwan's Castle . In: Canmore . Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  2. ↑ Niall D. Campbell: MacEwens and MacSweens . In: The Celtic Review, Volume 7 . William Hodge & Co .. pp. 275-276. October 1911. Retrieved April 24, 2017.

swell

Coordinates: 55 ° 57 ′ 48.9 ″  N , 5 ° 20 ′ 27 ″  W.