Lochranza Castle

Last updated

Lochranza Castle (May 2011) Lochranza Castle 1.jpg
Lochranza Castle (May 2011)
Lochranza Castle (February 2004) Lochranza castle.jpg
Lochranza Castle (February 2004)

Lochranza Castle is an L-plan fortified tower house situated on a promontory in Lochranza, on the northern part of the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Most of the current structure was built in the 16th century. [1]

Contents

History

The castle dates from the 13th century when it was owned by the MacSweens. In 1262, King Alexander III granted the castle and its lands to Walter Stewart, the Earl of Menteith. [2] It is believed that Robert the Bruce landed at Lochranza in 1306 on his return from Ireland to claim the Scottish throne. [2] By 1371, the castle was the property of Robert II. [2] It is thought that at this time it was used as a royal hunting lodge.

During the 1490s, James IV used the castle in his campaign against the Lord of the Isles and the Clan MacDonald. [2]

In 1600 Robert Montgomerie of Skelmorlie recovered the castle for the Marquess of Hamilton from Alastair Mc Alastair and his followers. [3]

In 1614 it was occupied by the king and in the 1650s it was used by Oliver Cromwell. [2]

By 1705, Lochranza Castle was the property of the Hamilton family, after it was purchased by the Duchess of Hamilton. [4] The Hamiltons had owned other estates on the Isle of Arran so eventually sold it to the Blackwood-Davidson family who used it as their principal seat. [1] During the 18th century, the castle fell into disuse and was abandoned. The castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland. [4]

Lochranza Castle (August 2011) Lochrana Castle August 2012.JPG
Lochranza Castle (August 2011)

For the album The Black Island in The Adventures of Tintin , Methuen Publishing, the English publisher, asked for more realism for the third edition of 1966. Bob de Moor, then Hergé's assistant, followed in Tintin's exact footsteps, drawing inspiration from different locations to produce a new set of background designs [5] . He goes to the Isle of Arran. According to Charles Dierick, a member of Studios Hergé, it erroneously follows that Lochranza Castle is said to serve as a model. But this one has a square tower and its silhouette is not appropriate, whereas on this same island Bob de Moor reproduces certain details of Brodick Castle [6] .

The castle appeared in "Dom Joly and the Black Island" on Channel 4 TV on 19 March 2010, in which it was portrayed as being Kisimul Castle on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, as it appeared directly after Joly was shown attempting to reach Kisimul Castle.

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Information about Lochranza - Isle of Arran". Castlekirk Arthouse. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lochranza Feature page on Undiscovered Scotland". Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  3. Register of the Privy Council. Vol. 6. Edinburgh. 1884. pp. 303, 480.
  4. 1 2 "Lochranza Castle" . Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  5. Thompson, Harry (1991). TINTIN: Herge & His Creation. Hodder and Stoughton. p. 98.
  6. Charles, Dierick (2008). "À la recherche de l'île noire, désespérément; Partie 1: L'île" [Searching for the black island, desperately; Part 1: The Island](PDF). Hergé (in French) (4): view 17. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

55°42′19″N5°17′25″W / 55.7053°N 5.2903°W / 55.7053; -5.2903

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brodick</span> Village in Scotland

Brodick is the main village on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It is halfway along the east coast of the island, in Brodick Bay below Goat Fell, the tallest mountain on Arran. The name is derived from the Norse "breda-vick" meaning "Broad Bay".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamlash</span> Town in Scotland

Lamlash is a village on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It lies three miles south of the island's main settlement and ferry port Brodick, in a sheltered bay on the island's east coast, facing the Holy Isle. Lamlash is the seat of Arran's local government offices, and is also the location of the island's police station, secondary school and hospital. In common with the rest of the island, the village's main industry is tourism and the public sector is also an important employer. Lamlash has an RNLI Lifeboat station with a B class Atlantic 75 lifeboat, covering the inshore waters around the coast of Arran, and in summer, there is a regular ferry service from Lamlash harbour to Holy Isle. The village has several buildings of historical interest, including Hamilton Terrace, which consists of two rows of single storey-and-attic cottages on the Lamlash seafront, arranged in pairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arran distillery</span>

Arran distillery is a whisky distillery in Lochranza, Scotland, Isle of Arran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lochranza</span> Village in Scotland

Lochranza is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The population, somewhat in decline, is around 200 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County of Bute</span> Historic county in Scotland

The County of Bute, also known as Buteshire, is a historic county and registration county of Scotland.

<i>The Black Island</i> Comic album by Belgian cartoonist Hergé

The Black Island is the seventh volume of The Adventures of Tintin, the comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé. Commissioned by the conservative Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle for its children's supplement Le Petit Vingtième, it was serialised weekly from April to November 1937. The story tells of young Belgian reporter Tintin and his dog Snowy, who travel to England in pursuit of a gang of counterfeiters. Framed for theft and hunted by detectives Thomson and Thompson, Tintin follows the criminals to Scotland, discovering their lair on the Black Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kisimul Castle</span>

Kisimul Castle and also known as Kiessimul Castle, is a medieval castle located on a small island off Castlebay, Barra, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It gets its name from the Norse ciosamul, meaning "castle island".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brodick Castle</span> Castle in Brodick, Arran, Scotland

Brodick Castle is a castle situated outside the port of Brodick on the Isle of Arran, an island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It was previously a seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The castle is a Category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castlebay</span> Village on the island of Barra

Castlebay is the main village and a community council area on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The village is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean dominated by Kisimul Castle, as well as nearby islands such as Vatersay. Castlebay is also within the parish of Barra. The village is located on the A888, which serves as a circular road around Barra. In 1971 it had a population of 307.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgian comics</span>

Belgian comics are a distinct subgroup in the comics history, and played a major role in the development of European comics, alongside France with whom they share a long common history. While the comics in the two major language groups and regions of Belgium each have clearly distinct characteristics, they are constantly influencing one another, and meeting each other in Brussels and in the bilingual publication tradition of the major editors. As one of the few arts where Belgium has had an international and enduring impact in the 20th century, comics are known to be "an integral part of Belgian culture".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kildonan Castle</span>

Kildonan Castle stands in the small village of Kildonan on the southern coast of the Isle of Arran in Scotland. The castle's name is derived from the name of a former resident, Saint Donan, who is said to be buried on the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Hamilton</span> Lowland Scottish clan

The Clan Hamilton, or House of Hamilton, is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kildonan, Arran</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Kildonan is a village on the south coast of the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kilmory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston Tower, East Lothian</span> Ruined keep in East Lothian, Scotland

Preston Tower is a ruined L-plan keep in the ancient Scottish village of Prestonpans. It is situated within a few metres of two other historic houses, Hamilton House and Northfield House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vieux-château de l'Île d'Yeu</span>

The Vieux-château de l'île d'Yeu is a fortification on Île d'Yeu off the French Atlantic coast in the département of Vendée.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob de Moor</span> French comics artist

Bob de Moor is the pen name of Robert Frans Marie De Moor, a Belgian comics creator. Chiefly noted as an artist, he is considered an early master of the Ligne claire style. He wrote and drew several comics series on his own, but also collaborated with Hergé on several volumes of The Adventures of Tintin. He completed the unfinished story Professor Sató's Three Formulae, Volume 2: Mortimer vs. Mortimer of the Blake and Mortimer series, after the death of the author Edgar P. Jacobs.

The Studios Hergé were, between 1950 and 1986, a SARL company consisting of Belgian cartoonist Hergé and his collaborators, who assisted him with the creation of The Adventures of Tintin and derived products. Over the years, the studios had between 12 and 50 employees, including some prestigious artists like Jacques Martin, Bob de Moor and Roger Leloup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Arran</span> Island off the coast of Scotland

The Isle of Arran or simply Arran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at 432 square kilometres (167 sq mi). Historically part of Buteshire, it is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire. In the 2011 census it had a resident population of 4,629. Though culturally and physically similar to the Hebrides, it is separated from them by the Kintyre peninsula. Often referred to as "Scotland in Miniature", the island is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault and has been described as a "geologist's paradise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Arran (Scotland)</span>

Earl of Arran is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It is not to be confused with the title Earl of Arran in the Peerage of Ireland. The two titles refer to different places: the Isle of Arran in Scotland, and the Aran Islands in Ireland. The Scottish earldom is a subsidiary title of the Duke of Hamilton, whereas the Irish earldom is a separate title held by the Gore family.

Arran Gaelic was a dialect of Scottish Gaelic spoken on the Isle of Arran, and was one of the last of the Southern Dialects to go extinct.