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Issue 8 - Inverlochy Castle

History & Heritage

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Scotland Magazine Issue 8

Scotland Magazine Issue 8
May 2003

 

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Inverlochy Castle

IN THE FIRST OF A SERIES CELEBRATING SCOTLAND'S CASTLES, DOMINIC ROSKROW LOOKS AT THE SETTING OF A FAMOUS SCOTTISH BATTLE

Inverlochy Castle (Issue 8)
Nestled in the woods and fields in the shadow of the imposing Ben Nevis, Inverlochy Castle has been witness to hundreds of years of Scotland’s history. Inver is Gaelic for ‘at the mouth of’, and Lochy is the name of the river that runs into Loch Linnhe close by.

The old castle ruins on the estate date from the 13th century, but Inverlochy is best known as the site of a battle between the Marquis of Montrose and the Marquis of Argyll in 1645 (see pages 72 and 73). Montrose had marched his army in appalling winter conditions to confront Argyll’s men who were quartered in the castle. Outnumbered two to one, Montrose still outwitted the enemy and destroyed them.

Inverlochy Castle continued to function as an administrative headquarters until about 1746, the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s failed Jacobite uprising. In the Victorian era, the estate provided a variety of sporting diversions and the castle was used by the wealthy as a leisure base. For this purpose, a modern building and hunting lodges were built to reflect the owner’s wealth. However, since the mid-20th century, the estate has been broken up for a variety of uses, and the main buildings now serve as one of Scotland’s finest country hotels. Not surprisingly, the estate retains all of its charm and natural beauty.