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Tor Castle

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Coordinates: 56°51′39″N 5°03′54″W / 56.8609°N 5.0651°W / 56.8609; -5.0651
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Engraving of Tor Castle, as found in Invernessiana: Contributions toward A History of the Town and Parish of Inverness, from 1160 to 1599 by Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, published in 1875

Tor Castle is a ruined castle, about 3 miles (5 kilometres) north east of Fort William, Highland, Scotland, west of the River Lochy and east of the Caledonian Canal, near Torlundy.[1]

History

An Iron Age fort previously occupied the site. According to tradition, the fort once belonged to Banquo, the Thane of Lochaber, who features in Macbeth.[2] [2] The Ordnance Survey Name Books of Kilmallie in 1872 makes a interesting comment of the site: "The old Castle of Tor-Castle is by the natives of the place Tigh Bhanco i.e. ‘Banquo’s house’. There is a walk by the Lochyside to the North of Tor Castle known as Sràid Bhanco, i.e. ‘Banquo’s Walk’; and the small green field close by the Castle is called Dail a’ Chait i.e. ‘The field of the Cats’ where Banquo is said to have gone through a mode of ‘Divination’ by means of placing a Cat on an iron spit & torturing the Taing of the Cats’ – a powerful spirit, came forward, and on condition of getting his subject released revealed the future to the questioner. The site is erroneously styled ‘Togarma’ by Sir Walter Scott in a note to the Lady at the Lake. The correct designation is Tigh-ghairm nan Cat; i.e. ‘The House of Invocation of the Cats.” [3][4]

There has been a castle at the site since at least the eleventh century. Donald B. MacCulloch (1939) writes in his book, Romantic Lochaber that Torcastle was built on an early site in the 11th century by Gillicattan Mor, early chief of Clan Chattan.[5] By 1291 a splendid match was arranged for Angus Mackintosh, chief of the Clan Mackintosh, when he married Eva, the only daughter of Dougal Dal, 6th chief of the Clan Chattan, which brought Angus the lands of Glenloy and Loch Arkaig.[6] Angus and Eva lived on the lands of Clan Chattan at Tor Castle but they later withdrew to Rothiemurchus.[6] The reason for the withdrawal was apparently a dispute with Aonghus Óg of Islay, chief of Clan Donald, who was Angus's maternal uncle.[7]

MacCulloch (1939) then writes that the lands around Torcastle were given by John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, to his son, Alastair Carrach (1380-1440), progenitor of the Keppoch branch of the Macdonalds, who built an early keep. The Camerons, as his vassals at the time, did not object to Alastair residing there. Alastair was a fierce warrior with 200 archers under his command. During the Battle of Inverlochy, Alastair gathered his archers and launched a successful attack with Donald Balloch, Lord of Dunyvaig and the Glens, against the royal forces of King James I. [8][9]

This battle also changed the allegiances of Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan, who betrayed Clan Donald and fought with the royal forces under the Earl of Mar.[10] Alexander of Islay, the Lord of the Isles and nephew of Alastair Carrach, later took his revenge for the betrayal.

At some point, the castle was seized by the Clan Cameron, that built a massive tower house and courtyard.[2] The Camerons initially used the castle as a refuge from attacks by Clan MacDonald of Keppoch.[2] A feud therefore arose as Clan Cameron considered the lands and castle abandoned by Clan Mackintosh/Chattan.[11]

By 1528, the old Clan Chattan lands at Lochaber were legally ceded to the Camerons, in a land charter by King James V. [12] Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, 13th chief of Clan Cameron rebuilt the castle in 1530.[13]

By 1665, Scotland’s Privy Council ordered the chief’s of Cameron and Mackintosh to appear before them and finally resolve the dispute and make both of them bound by its decision. The Council ordered Cameron to pay Mackintosh 72,000 merks. Mackintosh did not appear satisfied with this outcome and was arrested and bound to keep the peace. As soon as he got home, he called on the Chattan Confederation to launch an expedition into Lochaber. See Stand-off at the Fords of Arkaig. After the stand off, the Cameron Chief crossed the river to meet with his former enemy at the House of Clunes and to sign a contract for the formal sale of Loch Arkaig and Glen Loy, with Cameron and six friends paying in three instalments over two years. The Camerons considered it something of a Pyrrhic victory, as the pursuit of their claim to Arkaig and Glen Loy over the years had cost them lands worth four times as much. Cameron had problems raising the money, and was offered a loan by the Earl of Atholl in an attempt to curb the power of Argyll, but Argyll offered a similar loan at lower interest. However, there were strings attached, Cameron had to pay £100 Scots in feu-duty and to acknowledge Argyll as superior of the lands. The Camerons were still paying rent to Argyll's factor in 1749. Tor Castle remained the seat of Clan Cameron until a new residence at Achnacarry was built after 1665. The structure appears abandoned after the 1745 Jacobite rebellion.[14]

Structure

The castle consists of a very ruinous tower house.[2][15]

Tor Castle is listed with National Record of the Historic Environment as 23706 and registered as a Scheduled Monument (SM5471)[16][17]

Referencing

  1. ^ Coventry, Martin (1997). The Castles of Scotland. Musselburgh: Goblinshead. p. 316. ISBN 1-899874-10-0.
  2. ^ a b c d e Coventry, Martin (2008). Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans. Musselburgh: Goblinshead. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-899874-36-1.
  3. ^ Ordnance Survey Name Books for the Parish of Kilmallie, Arch. Carm L.L.D. Killmallie Manse, 16th Aug 1872 [1]]. Ainmean-Aite na h Alba, Gaelic Place Names of Scotland
  4. ^ AOC Archaeology Group, Exploring the legend of Banquo near Lochaber 20 Dec 2016 [[2]]
  5. ^ MacCulloch, DB (1939 rev. 1948) Romantic Lochaber, The Moray Press, Edinburgh
  6. ^ a b Way, George of Plean; Squire, Romilly of Rubislaw (1994). Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. Glasgow: HarperCollins (for the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). pp. 230–231. ISBN 0-00-470547-5.
  7. ^ Way, George of Plean; Squire, Romilly of Rubislaw (1994). Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. Glasgow: HarperCollins (for the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). pp. 102–103. ISBN 0-00-470547-5.
  8. ^ Macmillan, S. 1971. Bygone Lochaber: Historical and Traditional. Glasgow: K & R Davidson Ltd.
  9. ^ Pollard, T. and O. Oltean. 2007. Fort William and Inverlochy Archaeological Project (Historic Conflict in the Highlands): Data Structure Report. Glasgow: GUARD.
  10. ^ Canmore National Record of the Historic Environment, Battle of Inverlochy (1431) [3]
  11. ^ Mackintosh-Shaw, Alexander (1880), Historical Memoirs of the House and Clan of Mackintosh and of the Clan Chattan, R. Clay, sons, and Taylor
  12. ^ MacCulloch, DB (1939 rev. 1948) Romantic Lochaber, The Moray Press, Edinburgh
  13. ^ "Tor Castle". CANMORE. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  14. ^ MacCulloch, DB (1939 rev. 1948) Romantic Lochaber, The Moray Press, Edinburgh
  15. ^ AOC Archaeology Group, Torcastle, near Fort William Lochaber Scheduled Monument Management and Measured Survey Report 8th November 2015 AOC Project Number: 70053
  16. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Tor Castle (23706)". Canmore. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Scheduled Monument: Tor Castle (SM5471)". highland.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.

56°51′39″N 5°03′54″W / 56.8609°N 5.0651°W / 56.8609; -5.0651

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