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Tha mi a鈥� dol a chur ceist oirbh. D猫 an caisteal ann an Alba anns an robh r矛gh Sasannach uaireigin a鈥� fuireach, ach anns nach robh r矛gh Albannach riamh a鈥� fuireach? 鈥橲 e am fuasgladh Caisteal Loch nan Doirb no, ann am Beurla, Lochindorb Castle. Tha e shuas sa mhonadh eadar Inbhir Narann agus Baile nan Granndach.

Tha an caisteal air eilean anns an loch. Tha tr矛 cheud meatair anns a鈥� chaolas eadar an t-eilean agus t矛r-m貌r. Tha an caisteal follaiseach gu le貌r bho th矛r-m貌r. Tha ballachan cloiche 脿rda air. Agus tha e c貌rr is acaire ann am meud.

Tha Caisteal Loch nan Doirb c貌rr is seachd ceud bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois. Chaidh a thogail anns an d脿rna leth dhen treas linn deug. Agus carson a thuirt mi gun robh r矛gh Sasannach uaireigin a鈥� fuireach ann? Uill, tha e cl脿raichte gun do chuir Eideard I 霉ine seachad ann sa bhliadhna tr矛 cheud deug 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1303). Bidh tuilleadh agam air eachdraidh an 脿ite nas fhaide air adhart.

Ach bhuail ceist eile orm. An e eilean n脿darrach a tha ann no an deach a thogail mar chrannag? Rinn 脿rc-e貌laichean suirbhidh ann. Cho-dh霉in iad gur e eilean n脿darrach a tha ann, ach gun deach clachan a bharrachd a chur ris. Bha sin a鈥� dol an aghaidh beachd muinntir an 脿ite. Bha iadsan air d猫ilean m貌ra daraich a lorg ann. Bha crannagan air an togail de dh鈥檉hiodh an toiseach. An uair sin, bha iad air an l矛onadh le clachan.

Thog na Cuimeanaich 鈥� cinneadh cumhachdach ann an ceann a tuath na h-Alba 鈥� caisteal ann. Bha sin, math dh鈥檉haodte, eadar na bliadhnaichean d脿 cheud deug is seasgad (1260) agus d脿 cheud deug is ochdad (1280). Thog iad caistealan eile ann am B脿ideanach is Loch Abar mun aon 脿m. Am measg sin, tha Caisteal Inbhir L貌chaidh anns a鈥� Ghearasdan.

An-diugh, tha Loch nan Doirb rudeigin fad-脿s. 鈥橲 e 脿ite s脿mhach a tha ann. Tha d矛reach aon tuathanas ri taobh an locha, agus loids aig na h-uaislean. Ach, aig aon 脿m, bha an t-脿ite f矛or chudromach. Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn sin an-ath-sheachdain.

I鈥檓 going to ask you a question. What is the castle in Scotland in which an English king was at one time living, but in which a Scottish king was never living? The solution is Caisteal Loch nan Doirb or, in English, Lochindorb Castle. It鈥檚 up in the hills between Nairn and Grantown-on-Spey.

The castle is on an island in the loch. The distance of the island from the mainland is three hundred metres. The castle is obvious enough from the mainland. It has high stone walls. And it鈥檚 more than an acre in extent.

Lochindorb Castle is more than seven hundred years old. It was built in the second half of the thirteenth century. And why did I say that an English king was at one time living there? Well, it鈥檚 recorded that Edward I spent time there in the year 1303. I鈥檒l have more [for you] about the place鈥檚 history in the time to come.

But another question struck me. Is it a natural island or was it built as a crannog? Archaeologists surveyed it. They concluded that it is a natural island but that it was supplemented with stones. That went against the opinion of locals. They had found large oaken planks there. Crannogs were built with wood to begin with. Then they were filled with stones.

The Comyns 鈥� a powerful clan in the north of Scotland 鈥� built a castle there. That was, perhaps, between the years 1260 and 1280. They built other castles in Badenoch and Lochaber around the same time. Among them was Inverlochy Castle in Fort William.

Today, Lochindorb is a bit out of the way. It鈥檚 a quiet place. There is just one farm beside the loch, and a lodge occupied by the gentry. But, at one time, the place was really important. I鈥檒l tell you about that next week.聽