Scotland · Ruin
Aros Castle
Aros Castle (also Dounarwyse Castle) is a ruined 13th-century hall-house and bailey on the Isle of Mull overlooking the Sound of Mull. The site preserves the stone hall-house and low remains of the surrounding bailey and associated buildings, together with a small stone galley landing to the east.
Its prime
1400
Today
Ruin
As it stood in 1400
What Aros Castle looked like in its prime.
A low, roofless 13th-century rectangular hall-house sits atop a grassy mound, its tall grey stone walls pierced by irregular window and door openings and overgrown with vegetation. In front and around it are the low stony foundations of a bailey and several short-arched outbuildings, some reduced to single collapsed arches. The masonry is dark grey local stone; the site faces east toward the Sound of Mull with open moorland and distant rounded hills across the water.
Its story
The story of Aros Castle.
Aros Castle, Dounarwyse Castle in the late 14th-century records, is a ruined 13th-century hall-house and bailey near Salen on the Isle of Mull, overlooking the Sound of Mull. It was probably built by one of the MacDougall lords of Lorn, and beside the stone hall-house the low remains of the surrounding bailey and a small stone galley landing survive to the east.
The MacDougalls backed the losing side in the dispute between Edward I and Robert the Bruce, and their lands were declared forfeit. King Robert gave the castle to Angus Og of Islay, Lord of the Isles, and Clan Donald; through the late 14th and 15th centuries the Lords of the Isles used it as an occasional base, when documents record it as Dounarwyse Castle.
When the Lords of the Isles in turn tried to conquer Scotland and had their lands declared forfeit, Clan Maclean gained the castle at MacDonald expense. In 1608 Lord Ochiltree entertained the island chiefs at Aros before making them prisoners.
Step inside
4 places to explore in 1400.
The record describes 4 distinct spots at Aros Castle, including 1 interior: interior of the 13th-century hall-house. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
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Clans who held Aros Castle.
The families that held Aros Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.
Probably built by one of the MacDougall lords of Lorn in the 13th century; forfeited when the family backed the losing side against Robert the Bruce.
Given by Robert the Bruce to Angus Og of Islay and Clan Donald; an occasional base of the Lords of the Isles through the 15th century.
Gained by Clan Maclean at MacDonald expense after the Lords of the Isles forfeited their lands.
From the archive
Aros Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.
The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.
Fig. 74.—Aros Castle.
1889 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 3 (1889)
Public domain
