[4] An additional section was later added in the re-entrant angle, making the castle square in plan, and accommodating a larger staircase and extra bedrooms. In the 17th century Mackenzie of Kintail took possession of Lewis, married a daughter of Macleod of Lewis, and added Macleod of Lewis's arms to that of his own. The rooms, some wood-panelled, are decorated with many Mackenzie portraits from past centuries, as well as antique furnishings and large-scale antique maps. The Siege of Brahan took place in November 1715. In the early eighteenth century, the Mackenzies' involvement in the Jacobite rebellions led in 1719 to the castle's destruction by government ships. Castle Leoch Location information Type Residential Established before 1690 Residents Colum MacKenzie Letitia MacKenzie Hamish MacKenzie Claire Fraser (formerly) Jamie Fraser (formerly) County Ross-shire Country Scotland Castle Leoch is the fictional seat of Clan MacKenzie, located in the northern Scottish Highlands. Clan history For centuries, the chiefs of the Clan Mackenzie ruled their lands from their formidable castle stronghold on the island of Eilean Donan. Mackenzie in Gaelic is Maccoinneach which means son of the fair bright one. See the UK Clan Mackenzie castles page. At this juncture, the Clan held lands which extended from the Black Isle to the Outer Hebrides, including the island of Lewis. In some parts the walls of the castle are 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) thick. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century. The castle is believed to have been built on the site of a very ancient Pictish fort from before the 12th century.
Brahan Castle was built by Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth in 1611. Castles of Clan Donald Finlaggan Castle Finlaggan Castle, a fortified medieval palace built on two islands in Loch Finlaggan, was the centre of power in Somerled’s sea kingdom. Eilean Donan (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Donnain) is a small tidal island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland; since the castle's restoration in the early 20th Century, a footbridge has connected the island to the mainland. A compact L-Plan tower house, built of red sandstone, forms the earliest part of the castle, and may be based on a 15th-century building. During the first half of the 19th century, the castle was rebuilt and extended as a large country house. The estate passed to Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth who carried out tree planting in the grounds. Castle Leod has been occupied by the family of the Mackenzie Clan chief for over 500 years.
A compact L-Plan tower house, built of red sandstone, forms the earliest part of the castle, and may be based on a 15th-century building. A picturesque castle that frequently appears in photographs, film and television dominates the island, which lies about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the village of Dornie. The rooms, some wood-panelled, are decorated with many Mackenzie portraits from past centuries, as well as antique furnishings and large-scale antique maps. The crest and motto within the crest badge are derived from that of the Macleods of Lewis. Baillie in 1838 and passed into the ownership of the family of Lord Burton of Dochfour. Other defensive measures include the iron grilles which remain on some lower windows, and numerous splayed gun loops and arrow-slit windows. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION.
The castle was held by Sir John Bysset 1230 and in 1278 by Sir Andrew de Besco. Redcastle was until relatively recently one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland. Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap's twentieth-century reconstruction of the ruins produced the present buildings.