Red Castle, Black Isle, Ross & Cromarty

Red Castle can be found by turning off the A9 onto the A832 to Muir of Ord. Just after Fettes Sawmill, you will see a left turn along a single-track road to Redcastle. There is a lovely parking spot on the corner overlooking the Beauly Firth by a park bench.

Entrance to the castle grounds is just behind you via a gate house cottage track into the woods.

The castle was originally an L-Plan tower house built on the end of a steep promontory on the site of Castle Edradour. The castle is fenced off for safety purposes.

~ History ~

1179 - David, Earl of Huntingdon, brother to King William the Lion, builds himself a fortress known as Edradour Castle.

1230 - Sir John Bysset is the owner of Redcastle.

1278 - Redcastle passes to Sir Andrew de Besco.

1455 - The Crown annexes the Black Isle.

1492 - The castle is now owned by Kenneth Mackenzie, 7th of Kintail and remains with Clan Mackenzie for the next 300 years.

1562 - Mary Queen of Scots visits the castle.

1570 - Redcastle is granted to the Mackenzie's of Kintail.

1641 - The current "elongated L-plan" incarnation of the castle is built by Rory Mackenzie as his own new strong house.

1649 ~ The castle is burnt to the ground after Rory MacKenzie joins the Royalist Marquis of Montrose war against the Covenanters.

1670 ~ Redcastle is sold by the Mackenzie's to Grant of Shewghie.

1824 ~ The castle is sold to Sir William after his death to Colonel Hugh Duncan Baillie of Dochfour.