Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye

Dunsquaithe Castle Ruins on the Isle of Skye

While driving through the Highlands gives a feel of the beauty, openness and vastness of nature, not unlike our Rocky Mountain States, the Isle of Skye definitely has a different feel, more like civilization plowed under.

It’s not Planet of the Apes, and make no mistake, it is lovely, but Skye can’t escape its history, and even pre-history.

Pre-historic hunter-gatherers occupied the land from about 7000 BC. About 500 A.D., Gaels began arriving from Ireland, though collaborative records are scarce.

Cascades in Dunvegan's Walled Garden

Scandinavian Vikings arrived and basically took over.  The Gaelic language continued to be used by at least some of the population through the era of Norse control, which ran from Viking invasions in about 900 until Norway signed away its power with the Treaty of Perth in 1266, following an essentially non-decisive war.  Norway's new king simply decided to devote energies elsewhere.


It should be noted that during this time that Norway controlled Skye, Scotland still had kings, including a young King Duncan I who was killed by his kinsman MacBethad, giving William Shakespeare inspiration for a play loosely based on that history, “MacBeth.”  

King Alexander III, who signed the treaty Norway, was the grandson of King Alexander I MacUlliam, mentioned in regard to MacQuillans in Northern Ireland.



Dunvegan Castle

The clans became powerful in independent Scotland.  With a semi-feudal society, clan chiefs held sway over large sections of land where their family members lived, toiling the land, raising livestock, working as artisans and, when necessary, battling other clans. The clan chief accepted both authority and responsibility for his clan members. Disney’s Brave does a good job painting the general time period.

The most powerful clan on the Isle of Skye was Clan MacLeod, who trace their heritage back to Leod, younger son of Olaf the Black, the Norse King of Mann. Their ancestral home, Dunvegan Castle, has been occupied by the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for over 800 years, making it the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland. 

We enjoyed strolling through Dunvegan Castle’s Walled Gardens, a fairy land quite different from the surrounding moorlands outside its high walls. It’s definitely not well-manicured and controlled, like formal gardens we’ve come to expect at palaces in Europe or those at local museums, but like Scotland itself, it’s a bit more rough around the edges and slightly overgrown. It adds to that charming, otherworldly feel.




Jay and Amy on Seal Boat With Dunvegan Castle In Distance

There’s also a relaxing seal boat ride, which is only available to those who purchase admission to either the Castle or the Gardens, and again it is not that Disneyesque type of experience but rather rough around the edges and natural, with absolutely no narration of any kind, much less any Jungle Boat jokes.

Among illustrious past guests, Dunvegan Castle lists Sir Walter Scott, Queen Elizabeth II and Flora MacDonald. As you’ll recall, Flora MacDonald gained honor in Highlands lore by helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape, but her visit to Dunvegan should not be interpreted as some longstanding alliance with Clan MacLeod.

To the contrary, Clan Donald and its Clan MacDonald spinoffs challenged Clan MacLeod for Skye supremacy over the centuries, so it’s not surprising that Clan MacLeod provided 700 troops in support of the government against the Jacobite challenge. As we know in retrospect, that proved to be the right side of history, helping Clan MacLeod to maintain its wealth and power on Skye.


Seals in Natural Environment by Dunvegan Castle

While the 19th Century began with Clan MacLeod building its walled garden paradise, most of the Isle of Skye and the rest of the Highlands suffered hard times due to the Clearances and other factors. 

After exploring Dunvegan Castle’s grounds, we settled back into Driftwoods Bed & Breakfast.  We stayed there for two nights, so we would have plenty of time to explore the regions outside the garden walls where a different reality unfolded. 


As the only guests of the house, we had exclusive use of the second floor's two bedrooms, kitchenette and TV room, with only our hosts on the other floor. It was quite comfortable, and each morning, our hostess Rachel prepared toast and coffee to go along with an assortment of cereal and fruit, plus a few deli meats and cheeses.