Eilean Donan

Loch Duich an Eilean Donan castle

Eilean Donan is a smaw island in Loch Duich in the wast hielands o Scotland. It is situatit aboot 1/2 a mile (1 km) frae the clachan Dornie.

The kenspeckle Eilean Donan castle, dates frae the 13t hunneryear. It wis biggit bi Alexander II, an wis wrackit bi Inglis frigates in 1719, a month afore the battle o Glen Shiel. The castle wis rebiggit bi Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap an is the nou ane o the maist weel-kent moniments in Scotland.

Eilean Donan is the hame o Clan MacRae.

The isle is cried aifter the Gaelic priest an saunt Donnàn o Eigg, that wis mairtyrt in 617. It wis seyed that Donnàn foondit ae kirk on the isle, tho there isna ony remains o iss ony mair. The Scots Gaelic name fur the isle gets pit ower as isle o Donnàn.

History

It is possible that ae aerly Christian monastic cell wis foondit in the saxt or seivint yeirhunner, and that it wis deedicatit ti Donnán of Eigg, an Irish saunt that wis mairtyrt on Eigg in Aprile 617. There isna ony remains o Christian biggins in the airt, tho bits o vitrified steen (steen that haes been pit throu geyly heich temperatures) hae been fand, indicatin that there wis ae Airn Age or aerly medieval fortification on the isle.