Aros Castle On Visit Near Salen On The Isle Of Mull Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video, with Scottish music, of Aros Castle on ancestry visit near Salen on the Isle Of Mull. Aros Castle, also known as Dounarwyse Castle, is a ruined 13th century castle that overlooks the Sound of Mull. The castle was initially a stronghold of the Clan MacDougall. When they backed the losing side in the dispute between John Balliol and Robert de Bruys, their lands were declared forfeit and the castle was transferred to Clan Donald. When, some centuries later, the latter tried to conquer Scotland, they too had their lands declared forfeit, and this time Clan Maclean gained the Castle at MacDonald expense. The castle was probably built by one of the MacDougall lords of Lorn in the 13th century. Documentary evidence from the late 14th century records it as Dounarwyse Castle in the possession of the Lords of the Isles. Lord Ochiltree entertained the Island Chiefs here in 1608 before making them prisoners. It was described as ruinous, old, useless and never of any strength in 1688 but seems to have been garrisoned by Argyll's troops in 1690. The surname McDougal was first found in Galloway, Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh, an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown and Kirkcudbright, where they were descended from Dugall eldest son of Somerled, first Lord of the Isles, and his son Duncan who received the lands of Lorn.The Clan was a bitter foe of Robert the Bruce, who made a narrow escape during one battle with the MacDougals only by discarding his cloak. The brooch of this cloak, now known as the Brooch of Lorn, is a treasured possession of the Chief of the Clan. The Clan faced heavy retaliation and was stripped of their lands once Robert the Bruce secured the Scottish throne. The lands were restored to the Clan upon the death of the king, but passed to the Stewarts in 1388 when the last member of the senior branch of MacDougals died without issue. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. James McDougal arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship Sir Charles Forbes in 1839; Christina McDougal, aged 20, a seamstress, arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship Frenchman; Mr. McDougal, a Scottish settler travelled from Greenock by Glasgow aboard the ship Philip Laing arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 15th April 1848; Archibald McDougal settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, in 1813; Mary McDougal arrived in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1835; Allan McDougal, aged 29, arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America, in 1864. The surname has many spellings including; MacDougall, MacDowall, MacDowell, MacDugald, MacDill, McDougal and many more. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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