Tour Scotland Photographs Ardvreck Castle Loch Assynt Sutherland

Tour Scotland photograph of Ardvreck Castle, Sutherland, Scotland. This Scottish castle is thought to have been constructed around 1590 by the Clan MacLeod family who owned Assynt and the surrounding area from the 13th century onwards. The most well known historical tale concerning the castle is that on April 30th 1650 James Graham, the Marquis of Montrose, was captured and held at the castle before being transported to Edinburgh for trial and execution. Ardvreck Castle was attacked and captured by the Clan MacKenzie in 1672, who took control of the Assynt lands. The castle is said to be haunted by two ghosts, one a tall man dressed in grey who is supposed to be related to the betrayal of Montrose and may even be Montrose himself. The second ghost is that of a young girl. The story tells that the MacLeods procured the help of Clootie (a Scottish name for the Devil, deriving from 'cloot', meaning one division of a cleft hoof) to build the castle and in return the daughter of one of the MacLeod chieftains was betrothed to him as payment. In despair of her situation, the girl threw herself from one of the towers and was killed.

Tour Scotland photograph of Ardvreck Castle, Sutherland, Scotland. Standing on a rocky promontory jutting out into Loch Assynt in Sutherland, north west Highland, Scotland, Ardvreck Castle is a ruined castle dating from the 16th century.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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