Duart Castle: Day 32 – Scotland 2017
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7 May 2017
We woke to another warm morning with the sun shining down on our cozy tent. Waking up warm is the absolute best! We only had one big-ticket item on our list for the day, so we drove down to the ferry and hopped over to the Isle of Mull to start our adventure.
The ferry ride was very pleasant, and as we sailed away, we had great views of Dunollie Castle, which we’d be exploring the next day. Blue skies and calm waters took us to the Isle of Mull, where we eagerly departed and then made a choice that I’m not sure we were happy with.
Duart Castle
Duart Castle has stood for over 700 years, keeping watch over the Sound of Mull. Historians believe that it was built in the 13th century by Clan MacDougal, but it came into Maclean hands during the 14th century as part of a dowry. The official website for the castle says that it is a 14th-century keep, so we’ll go with that date. The keep was built by Chief Lachlan Lubanach Maclean, and truly, the castle couldn’t be in a better spot. Perched on a craggy outcropping, the castle has commanding views of the surrounding waters. It was also well-built to withstand attack. The walls on the landward side are 29 feet high and 10 feet thick. The sea-facing side is not as enforced, but still boasts walls that range from 5 to 9 feet thick.
The castle stood strong when it was attacked in 1647 by Argyll government troops. The Royalist troops of Clan Maclean fought hard and succeeded in holding their castle and running off the enemy troops. However, in 1653, the Macleans fled from Cromwell’s advances and did the same again in 1678 when Archibald Campbell invaded the Isle of Mull. In 1691, Sir John Maclean surrendered the castle to Archibald Campbell, who promptly demolished it.
Duart Castle lay in ruin. Donald Maclean used some of the stones from the rubble to build a cottage for his family near the site of the once proud castle. Thinking of that fact makes me rather sad. To think, your family once held a grand castle, an incredible luxury. And here you are, building a modest cottage from the wreckage of it.
The castle remained a ruin until 1911. Sir Fitzroy Donald Maclean purchased the ruin and began the process of rebuilding and restoring. Restoration work seems to be a constant, and the castle was covered in scaffolding for our visit as well. While doing historical research on the castle, I learned that it has been under repair since 1990 and there isn’t really an end in sight. While I loved the castle, I don’t envy the upkeep!
To Walk Or Ride
That was the question that greeted us when we disembarked our ferry. There might have also been the option to rent a bicycle, but I’m not sure. I am 100% sure though, that we could either walk to the castle or ride in one of the castle’s vans that were available. The distance from the port to the castle is just over three miles. The sun was out, the distance wasn’t too bad, and we figured it would be a fun way to experience the island, so we chose to walk.
Very quickly, we realized why this might not have been the best choice. We were correct in that the weather was perfect for a walk. We were also correct in that we got to really take in the scenery. What we didn’t account for was that the road out is a single-track road and there is nowhere to really walk other than on the road. Usually, we’d just walk in the grass when a vehicle approached, but the ditch area along the road was more thick bramble than anything else. So we would step off and wait for the traffic to pass. Which happened far more often than we thought it would. The walk was fine, and we did enjoy taking in the landscape, but if we could do it over again, we’d take the van!
Our Time At The Castle
When we finally arrived at the castle, we couldn’t wait to take it all in. We bought our tickets and started to explore. As I stated above, the castle was draped in scaffolding. It’s always somewhat of a bummer to visit these amazing places and then not get to see them fully, but I always embrace the scaffolding. It means that work is being done to preserve the building for generations to come. I’d much rather see the scaffolding than a decaying treasure.
Since Duart Castle was the only place we were visiting on the Isle of Mull, we really took our time. The only thing we needed to make sure we didn’t miss was the ferry back. It was easy to spend hours there. Room after room is available to roam, and every spiral staircase plastered a new smile on my face. Not to mention the views. Every window that faced the sea caught our attention. It was worth a look every time.
After thoroughly enjoying every square inch of the inside of the castle, we went out to explore the grounds. It’s a beautiful setting, and honestly, we couldn’t have been luckier with the weather. On average, it rains 283 days out of the year on the Isle of Mull. How incredible then to have clear skies and nothing but sunshine!
The Tearoom
Endlessly exploring a castle works up an appetite, and luckily for us, there is a great little tearoom just outside the door. We popped in for a delightfully warming lunch and a cuppa tea. They offer soups, scones, cakes, pastries, and tea all day. From noon to three you can also get soup, sandwiches, rolls, and toasties. We had soup and sandwiches, tea, and of course, cake. Another fun fact is that some of the cakes are made using Lady Maclean’s original recipes!
Back To The Mainland
As our time at Duart Castle came to a close, we were faced again with the decision to walk back to the ferry or take one of the vans. With joy, we hopped in a van, took a terrifyingly fast drive down a very narrow road, and arrived safely back at the ferry. Back in Oban, we hit up a few shops, had another delicious dinner, and then made our way back to camp. I finished reading a book, we played a few card games, and then we turned in for the night, dreaming of the views from Duart Castle out over the Sound of Mull.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy
