Kisimul Castle in Castlebay,Barra, Scotland, is the old stronghold of the MacNeils
Kisimul Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Caisteal Chiosmuil)[1] and also known as Kiessimul Castle,[2] is a small medieval castle located on a small island off Castlebay, Barra, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It gets its name from the Gaelic cìosamul meaning "castle island" The earliest documentary record of Kisimul Castle dates from the mid 16th century.[4] Writing in 1549, Dean Munro stated of Barra that "Within the southwest end of this isle, ther enters a salt water loche, verey narrow in the entrey, and round and braide within. Into the middis of the saide loche there is ane ile, upon ane strenthey craige, callit Kiselnin, perteining to M’Kneil of Barray."[5] However, Campbell (1936) points out that Monro has in part confused the nearby Bàgh Beag with Bàgh a' Chaisteil.[6] Kisimul sits on a rocky islet in the bay just off the coast of Barra. As it is completely surrounded by the sea, it can only be reached by boat and is all but impregnable. Kisimul has its own fresh water wells. Legend has it that this has been the stronghold of the MacNeils since the 11th century. Kisimul was abandoned in 1838 when the island was sold, and the castle's condition deteriorated. Some of its stone was used as ballast (Wikipedia)
Size: 3300px × 2550px
Location: Castlebay, Barra,Scotland
Photo credit: © Lars Ørstavik / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: ancestral, architecture, barra, befesta, borg, building, caisteal, castle, castlebay, charming, chief, chiosmuil, circumflowed, clan, conserved, forified, fortress, hebrides, holme, home, islet, kiessimul, kingdom, kismul, lars, loopholes, macneil, masonry, medieval, oerstavik, outer, piracy, restored, scotland, skyteskå, slott, slottsbukta, slottsvågen, stone, stronghold, tower, united, wall, walled, Ørstavik
