Three Decades of Research Reveal a Forgotten Medieval Castle on a Scottish Island
Archaeologists say Finlaggan was the seat of power for the Lordship of the Isles. Before that, a previously unknown castle stood at the site during the 12th and 13th centuries
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Archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown castle that may have been the seat of power for kings who once ruled parts of western Scotland.
Based on nearly 30 years of research, their findings are detailed in a new book, The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay. Finlaggan, the historic site of the castle, sits on Islay, an island off the western coast of Scotland. The book analyzes the major archaeological research that took place at Finlaggan between 1989 and 1998.
Led by archaeologist David Caldwell, the research suggests that Finlaggan served as a hub of power for the Lordship of the Isles, a “quasi-independent state of political and cultural importance in the 14th and 15th centuries,” per a statement from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. The Lords of the Isles ruled for many years “with royal pretensions, treating ... English and Scottish kings as if they were on a par with them.”
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At their peak, the Lords of the Isles controlled a territory spanning around 100 miles in all directions, according to Artnet’s Richard Whiddington. The Lordship of the Isles was abolished in 1493, and Scotland’s James IV eventually took over the territory.
“The Lordship of the Isles was heavily militarized,” Caldwell tells Artnet. “The real measure of its lords’ power lay in their ability to field an army of 6,000 or more professional warriors and ship them overseas to the Scottish mainland and Ireland.”
Quick facts: Other recent finds in Scotland
- This year, archaeologists discovered a carefully carved stone head at a 12th-century Viking site on Rousay, an island north of Scotland’s mainland.
- Another recent excavation revealed a rare Iron Age chariot tire in the Scottish Highlands.
No medieval documents refer to Finlaggan as a site of importance. But through the archaeological record, Caldwell’s team found evidence that it was the kingdom’s administrative, judicial and ceremonial center between 1300 and 1500 C.E.
During this period, a palatial complex stood on a small island in Loch Finlaggan. People used cobbled paths to reach central buildings, including a dining hall and a chapel, while a causeway led to a council house on a second island nearby.
Caldwell’s team also uncovered evidence of a previously unknown castle that occupied the two islands in Finlaggan during the 12th and 13th centuries, prior to the palatial complex’s construction. On one island, courtyards housed kitchens, a chapel with a burial ground, accommodations, workshops and a large dining hall. On the other, a large stone tower—which may have been more than 60 feet tall—provided accommodations and security for the kingdom’s ruler.
These kinds of large, rectangular stone towers were typically reserved for Anglo-French lords and kings in Britain and Ireland. As such, the castle at Finlaggan “can be interpreted as a political statement,” asserting the kingdom’s wealth and power, according to the researchers. Archaeologists think the castle was either dismantled intentionally due to structural concerns or damaged during an enemy attack.
The researchers hope their three decades of work at Finlaggan will provide an important foundation for future historians working to understand the site’s historical significance.
“I am privileged to have led a skilled and dedicated team of specialists and volunteers on such an important project on a key place of national significance,” Caldwell says in a statement. “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.”