Inverlochy Castle Fort William Highlands

There was clearly a big settlement in pre-Christian times and Inverlochy was your website associated with the signing of a pact in 790 between your ambassadors of Charlemagne, the French King and Achaius, King of the Picts. The Vikings could have assaulted the initial pictish fortification.

It was believed to happen a typical haunt of merchants from Spain and France buying Salmon and Herring. Two major battles had been fought at Inverlochy.

The Battle of inverlochy 1431
In 1431 throughout the desperate fight involving the Lords associated with the Isles and the Royalists, Donald Balloch, 18 year old relative regarding the after that imprisoned Lord associated with the Isles led 600 clansmen up Loch Linnhe to strike the Royalists in the Castle. At the same time his uncle from Torcastle attacked from the North. 1000 males set dead in addition to fight was commemorated in a famous pipeline tune, the Pibroch of Donald Dubh.

The Battle of inverlochy 1645
In 1645 in Covenanting times, James Graham, Earl of Montrose, ended up being in the Royalist part in the Civil Wars. With only 1500 guy, and after an extended required march through winter months mountains of Lochaber, he attacked the Duke of Argyll’s men at the Castle at dawn. Argyll had retreated across the loch to Camasnagaul bay and observed, from a distance, the beat of his guys while the slaughter of 1500 of these. Those who fled had been pursued by Montrose’s males and where caught (and killed ) numerous cairns were raised – one notably 6 kilometers off near Lundavra on the West Highland Way.

These days the crumbling walls have been repaired by Scotland’s Ancient Monuments Commission – though “renovations” started about 1894 when Lord Abinger, after that owner for the Castle, had some battlements built atop of the wall surface facing the western Highland Railway – this to impress Queen Victoria as she sped past in a train to Banavie! (One hopes she was looking out to the right side of the track).

Discover a popular artwork of Inverlochy Castle by Horatia McCulloch - some of the local hoteliers have actually copies holding inside their properties and its own already been well-published in publications.

The second of February ended up being per day become a spectator at a secure length from here.The Battle of Inverlochy in 1645 began in the beginning light when a military of 3, 000 men led by Montrose, charged from the Covenanter Lowland occupants - discharging them through the palace and slaughtering them when you look at the river... must-have been an exciting time in Fort William - or even slightly cold !

Inverlochy Castle is possibly the oldest palace in Scotland in which it is believed that in 790 advertising King Achaius signed a pact with Charlemagne. Nonetheless that much early in the day construction ended up being destroyed by the Vikings once they took up sailing and developed raping and pillaging, but a long time before they got associated with salmon fish agriculture back home in Norway.

It really is interesting just how things move ahead... seafood farming in Loch Linnhe by Fort William is an important workplace in your community nowadays... question if you can find any Vikings employed by aquatic Harvest...

Our Ambassador of Lochaber background, Dr Chris Robinson, is focusing on our record section which we enjoy publishing next month..