Archaeologists unearth forgotten 900-year-old ‘nameless’ castle on Scottish island

Archaeologists have discovered vestiges of a nearly 900-year-old “nameless” castle on a remote island that may have been home to kings.

On the Isle of Islay, Scotland, due north of Ireland, the former kingdom is believed to have been built across two small lake islands in Loch Finlaggan.

Archaeologists spent nearly 30 years analyzing Finlaggan, a historic medieval site, to learn more about the Lords of the Isles — a group of local chiefs, once considered royal contemporaries to nearby kings, who ruled from around 1300 to 1500 AD.

Despite “meager” records of their historical impact — hence its namelessness — the Lords of the Isles made an indelible mark on Scottish culture, according to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and their ancestors are thought to have been the first to establish a kingdom on Finlaggan during the 12th and 13th centuries.

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In their new book “The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay,” archaeologists wrote that Finlaggan was a center of power.

The Lords of the Isles were MacDonald clan chiefs, descendants of the kings who once ruled large parts of western Scotland. They behaved like kings and thought of themselves as Scottish and English royalty.

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Based on prevoius findings, historians have revealed that the lords enjoyed music, imported wine and board games.

These lords turned Finlaggan into a power base, controlling the Hebrides, Argyll and parts of the northwest Highlands.

The Lords of the Isles carried on raids in mainland Scotland, including Urquhart Castle, on the shores of Loch Ness, up to the 1500s.

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The remains of the castle that were uncovered date as far back as the 12th and 13th centuries, thought to belong to the powerful ancestors of the MacDonald clan.

It featured a rectangular stone tower, living quarters, courtyards, kitchens, a chapel with a burial ground and a great hall for feasting.

According to the archaeologists, Anglo-French kings in Britain and Ireland notoriously constructed rectangular towers, suggesting that Finlaggan’s was a sign of power and wealth — or a political statement.

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It’s possible the castle was destroyed due to its being structurally flawed or damaged in attacks. Later on, a palace was built on the same site for the Lords of the Isles.

“The processing of all the data that was gathered has been a major part of my life since the 1990s and I hope I have not only provided an account of interest but also a basis for others to carry out more research in the future,” author Dr. David Caldwell said.