Dunstaffnage Castle

Dunstaffnage Castle
Near Dunbeg, Argyll and Bute, Scotland NM882344
Dunstaffnage Castle seen from the east, with the gatehouse in the centre
Dunstaffnage Castle
Coordinates	56°27′17″N 5°26′13″W / 56.454653°N 5.436936°W / 56.454653; -5.436936
Type	Castle of enceinte
Site information
Owner	Historic Scotland
Controlled by	Clan MacDougall 13th century to 1309 Scottish Crown 1309 to c.1470 Clan Campbell c.1470 to present
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Partially ruined
Site history
Built	c. 1220s
Built by	Duncan MacDougall of Lorn
In use	13th century to 19th century
Materials	Local stone, sandstone

Dunstaffnage Castle is a partially ruined castle in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It lies 3 miles (4.8 km) N.N.E. of Oban, situated on a platform of conglomerate rock on a promontory at the south-west of the entrance to Loch Etive, and is surrounded on three sides by the sea.

The castle dates back to the 13th century, making it one of Scotland's oldest stone castles, in a local group which includes Castle Sween and Castle Tioram. Guarding a strategic location, it was built by the MacDougall lords of Lorn, and has been held since the 15th century by the Clan Campbell. To this day there is a hereditary Captain of Dunstaffnage, although they no longer reside at the castle. Dunstaffnage is maintained by Historic Scotland, and is open to the public, although the 16th century gatehouse is retained as the private property of the Captain. The prefix dun in the name means "fort" in Gaelic, while the rest of the name derives from Norse stafr-nis, "headland of the staff".

Before the construction of the castle, Dunstaffnage may have been the location of a Dál Riatan stronghold, known as Dun Monaidh, as early as the 7th century. It was recorded, by John Monipennie in 1612, that the Stone of Destiny was kept here after being brought from Ireland, and before it was moved to Scone Palace in 843. However, Iona and Dunadd are considered more likely, given their known connections with Dál Riatan and Strathclyde kings.Hector Boece records that the stone was kept at "Evonium", which has traditionally been identified with Dunstaffnage, although in 2010 the writer A. J. Morton identified Evonium with Irvine in Ayrshire.