History
Invergarry Castle overlooks Loch Oich in the Great Glen and was the seat of the Chiefs of the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, a powerful branch of the Clan Donald.
There were at least two castles where Invergarry Castle now sits on Creagan an Fhithich (The Raven's Rock) before the current castle. The current castle, a five-story L-plan Tower House, was built after raids by the Clan Mackenzie in 1602.
In 1654, Oliver Cromwell's troops under General Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, burned the castle during the English Civil War. The MacDonnells supported King Charles I. Alastair MacDonald of Glengarry, rebuilt it in 1688, and held it for King James VII of Scotland until it surrendered to the forces of William and Mary in 1692.
The Jacobites held the castle during the 1715 uprising, but it was taken for the government in 1716. During the 1745 uprising, the Jacobites held it again, and it was visited twice by Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie. His first visit was shortly after raising the Royal Standard at Glenfinnan. He is said to have rested at Invergarry Castle after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. In the aftermath of Culloden, the castle was sacked and partially burned by troops under the “Butcher” Duke of Cumberland as part of his suppression of the Highlands. The castle was never rebuilt and abandoned in favor of a new Invergarry House.
In 1960, Invergarry Castle, the Well of Heads, and the burial ground were transferred to the Invergarry Castle Preservation Trust. Around 2000, the remaining north staircase collapsed, leading to a 2007 consolidation program under the direction of Historic Scotland, including inserting stabilizing beams into the interior.
Castle Highlights
The grounds in front of Invergarry Castle can be visited free of charge. Still, the interior is off-limits to everyone because it is unstable and too dangerous to enter. Enough remains of the ruined castle walls to warrant a quick stop to view if you are traveling along the Great Glen.
The castle consists of a five-story L-plan Tower House block and a six-story round tower with a spiral staircase. The castle walls are still pierced with shotholes from the English Civil War.
As did the round stair tower, a stair tower at the re-entrant angle also reached the upper floors. There was a great hall on the first floor, which measured 44 by 20 feet.
The ruins of Invergarry Castle will take less than an hour to view from the outside. To see more castles, Inverlochy Castle is located south near Fort William, and Eilean Donan Castle is a bit further west near Kyle of Lochalsh.
