Castle Island in Castle Bay
Located just off the Isle of Barra, Kisimul Castle, or to give it it’s Gaelic name, Caisteal Chiosmuil - translates as ‘Castle Island’. And that’s exactly what it is. A towering fortress upon the tides of Castlebay and the only remaining medieval castle in the Outer Hebrides. Built in the 1400s by Clan MacNeil, Barra’s lairds at the time, Kisimul Castle is an ancient ancestral home and a tremendous day out on any trip to the Western Isles.
Castle starts with sea
It’s a 5 minute ferry ride to reach Kisimul Castle. As gulls fly overhead, the granite edifice looms large from the sea. You’ll marvel at how isolated yet invincible the Clan Macneil must have felt, safely ensconced on their island fortress.
After the sale of Barra in 1838, Kisimul Castle was abandoned, left to rack and ruin. Some of its stone was pinched for fishing boat ballast, and even more ended up as paving slabs in Glasgow. During the 1900s though, the entire site was painstakingly restored. Now you can walk freely around the original 3 storey tower house where the clan chief lived, taking in the stunning 360° sea views at the top. Then you can explore the resting hall, chapel, transits (heir’s) house and Gorman (the watchman’s) house that make up the rest of this fascinating fort and a bone fide Barra institution. You’ll love it.
Waived rent
In the 1930s Robert MacNeill repurchased his clan’s homeland and Kisimul Castle with it. Fast forward to the year 2000, his descendant Ian decided to lease Kisimul Castle to Historic Scotland for 1000 years. The cost? £1 and 1 bottle of whisky per annum. We think that's worth raising a glass to. Slàinte!
