Borve Castle, Benbecula
Encyclopedia
Borve Castle, also known as Castle Wearie, and Caisteal Bhuirgh in Scottish Gaelic, is a ruined 14th century tower house
, located at the south-west of the island of Benbecula
, in the Western Isles of Scotland
. MacGibbon and Ross
attributed the building of the tower to Amie mac Ruari, wife of John of Islay
, and dated it to between 1344 and 1363. It was occupied by the Macdonalds of Benbecula until the early 17th century.
The ruined tower measures 18 metres (59.1 ft) by 11 metres (36.1 ft), and 9 metres (29.5 ft) high. The walls are up to 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) thick. The entrance, in the south wall, led into the second of three storeys. The ruins are protected as a Scheduled Monument.
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
, located at the south-west of the island of Benbecula
Benbecula
Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,249, with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It forms part of the area administered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar or the Western...
, in the Western Isles of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. MacGibbon and Ross
MacGibbon and Ross
David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross were Scottish architects. Their practice, MacGibbon and Ross was established in 1872 and continued until 1914...
attributed the building of the tower to Amie mac Ruari, wife of John of Islay
John of Islay, Lord of the Isles
John of Islay was the Lord of the Isles and chief of Clan Donald. In 1336, he styled himself Dominus Insularum, "Lord of the Isles"; because this is the first ever recorded instance of the title in use, modern historians count John as the first of the later medieval Lords of the Isles, although...
, and dated it to between 1344 and 1363. It was occupied by the Macdonalds of Benbecula until the early 17th century.
The ruined tower measures 18 metres (59.1 ft) by 11 metres (36.1 ft), and 9 metres (29.5 ft) high. The walls are up to 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) thick. The entrance, in the south wall, led into the second of three storeys. The ruins are protected as a Scheduled Monument.
See also
- Borve Castle, SutherlandBorve Castle, SutherlandBorve Castle in Sutherland, Scottish Highlands is now a ruin. Formerly called the House of Burro. It was built in Kirtomy Bay near the hamlet of Farr....
a castle of the same name which belonged to the Clan Mackay in Sutherland.