#portnacroish

[celticculture]

[craneca]

By: Carrie E. Crane

[lizzielambwriter]

Where we’re staying for the next three nights. Fabulous and inspiring - #castlestalker #appin #portnacroish (at Castle Stalker) https://www.instagram.com/p/Byk-C9Uggu2jiajVSoLKDdut8Uc5H8K_SOJQsU0/?igshid=124w3935094wm

[travelbinge]

Golden finale by Pete Rowbottom

Portnacroish, Argyllshire, Scotland

[deafarcher]

the pride of portnacroish

Clint stood on the docks, waiting for his dad to return home from fishing.

He'd just returned home from his last year at the University of Edinburgh. The graduation ceremony wouldn't be for a few more days, but Clint couldn't wait that long to return home to Cameron and to Portnacroish.

As he waited, he glanced out over the loch to the keep on the island.

Not for the first time, his thoughts wandered to the mysterious Lady who lived there.

[babysackville]

Sunday 20th July 1828

8 10/60

2

Q

Cleaned teeth and a very little motion then some time talking to her and got into bed again for twenty minutes and finally up at nine –

Breakfast at 10 ¼ - we have really been made very comfortable here – our dinners nicely cooked and clean beds – our landlord, Angus Cameron, yesterday recognised Miss McLean remembered herself long since in Charlotte Square Edinburgh – delighted to see her – 20 years since he settled here, on Friday. 1 of his sons drove us yesterday – off at 11 ¼ to cross the ferry – the little white inn on the South side, the ferry kept too by an Angus Cameron, but born Angus Mc. Master and changed his name because he liked Cameron better -

In the cart and off from the South side the ferry at 11 25/60 – fine drive along Loch Leven – surrounding  mountains very fine - At 12 40/60 having for sometime lost sight of the loch ‘Duror Inn’ nice little white Inn – apparently plenty of good stabling – a gig standing out near the stabling at a little distance from the house – surely one might sleep there comfortably – nice neat white church and school house ? manse? and a row of 3 or 4 white blue slated cottages and scattered straw thatched (the thatch everywhere here abouts kept down with long sticks or sometimes straw cords) huts, and stream and nice green wooded glen – Glen Duror – 

At 12 50/60 crossed 1 arch stone bridge over the Duror water and (left) another of those upright stones (memorial stones?) as at Altyre near Forres and views of Loch Leven again – at 1 leave Glen Duror, come down upon Loch Linnhe and pursue our road close along the water’s edge – very fine drive – the Loch and down to its western edge the lofty rugged bare [precipitous] mountains of Ardgour, very fine – at 1 50/60 road still along the water’s edge, shaded (left) by the word of Appin house Robert Dowie Esquire M.P. (Scottish Tourist 381/415) who according to Miss McLean made his money in India – a low mean, vulgar man – at 2, green bare Shuna, divided from us by very narrow water observed the blocks of micaceous granite and at 2 5/60 gate to Appin – at a little distance farther on, the other entrance gate – goodish white, 3 story house – handsomish grounds – 

At 2 20/60 at the south end of Shuna and at 2 25/60 Trossachy head (north end) of Lismore (Scottish Tourist 381/415 and 275-6/415) and ruin of Stalker castle (381/415) square tower on little low rock just big enough for it and surrounded by the loch, tho’ near shore (must be very shallow water) and near to us – finely situated – loch and its mountains and Lismore and little inlets very fine – at 2 27/60 down on the little white Inn of Portnacroish (F.McColl) with its ferry and village – a few little white blue slated cottages ditto ditto church and manse – look back upon the loch fine – leave it behind and enter Invernahacil glen – rather wooded fertile enough – neat straw thatched cottages and a few scattered neat white houses – at 2 ¾ Aunette Lodge neat little rather gothicized place built about 20 years ago by Campbelle of Lochend who ruined himself and went with his wife and 12 children 4 or 5 years ago to new Holland – the property sold 2 or 3 times – little white church at a little distance from Aunette Lodge and a little farther forward (left) peat moss and peat stacks – 

At 2 50/60, road glen Haeil (hae pronounced) – at 3 turn rather round and come in sight of Loch Creran, and at 3 25/60 alight (to bait – no horse to be had on the other side) at Sheun ferry house D.Calquhoun – nice looking enough little 2 story white house outside – but nobody ever stops here and curious place within – on going upstairs queer poor beds in the 2 goodish front rooms – no furniture – straw on bedstocks in a little dark sort of closet not a chamber pot in the house – everybody obliged to go outside. From 3 ½ to 4 ½ wrote out the above of today – off from Shean ferry house (north) at 4 50/60 – 5 minutes getting all into the boat – over in 26 minutes – rained all the way till just  at the last and we sat under the cart for shelter – landed at 5 21/60  off again in the cart at 5 ½ very poor place on this side the ferry  merely 2 cottages under 1 roof 1 for drams, the both for tea tobacco and  snuff – Loch Curan pretty little loch, finely surrounded by magnificent  groups of mountains towards the head of the lock and Glencoe the look back up the loch towards this way and on [?] right the mountains have seen nothing finer – 

At 5 10/60 lose sight of Loch Creran and see Lock Nell house (General Campbell) and the little loch Nell whence the name of the house and Estate – at 5 55/60 pass the neat entrance lodge – large, good looking house – beautiful place says Miss McLean certainly handsome looking well wooded – the view from the towers (summer house) on the torso of the high wooded ridge jutting out from the house and forming the west side of the little must be very fine – Miss McLean says, it is very fine – began to rain about 6 – at 6 10/60 little picturesque village and fine bold rocks just above us right – at 6 ¼ site of the old Bergonium (left) vide Scottish Tourist page 268 Dunstaffnage castle in view and soon after you the sound of mull and very fine lines of surrounding coast mountains – but alas! it now (6 ¼) rained heavily and without intermission till we alighted for shelter at Connel ferry house at 6 ¾ - luckily not wet beneath our coats and cloaks and sent these to be dried and ordered tea – 

General Campbell maternal uncle to Miss Sarah Riddle – divorced his first wife, widow of Sir George Ramsay, by mutual consent on account of bad temper – he continued to keep away from her for 7 years – she begged him to return – he refused and she divorced him for non adherence to conjugal duties declaring when it was over there was no man she would sooner than Duncan Campbell i.e. her late husband by Lochnell who then married a sister of the present Sire Peter Murray, Ochtertyre, near Crieff – no children by either wife – a 5th cousin must have the estate – the branch gone to the dogs by low marriages  &c – brought up a son and put him in the army – expelled – a great raff – died of drinking – Locknell took his son at 5 year old and brings him up not allowing him to see his mother grandfather still living, or any of his family – 

At 7 ½ had just written the last 25 lines – tea at  7 50/60- off again for Connel ferry (north) at 8 ¾ - 10 minutes in crossing Loch Etive tame in comparison with the magnificent mountain surrounded Loch Creran – seated in our cart again and off from the south side the ferry (merely a cottage for the ferry house) at 9 – soon lose sight of the loch Drearyish up and down hill road have shut out by rock and moor – very fine rocks (right) close to Oban where we alighted at the New Inn, Argyle Arms A. Menzies (pronounced mingis) – several showers this morning from Ballahulish to Shean ferry – heavy rain enough from there and from Loch Null to Connal ferry and rain but not much from Connel to Oban – just upon leaving Shean ferry house heard the rumbling of thunder 

Went to her bed double bedded room at twelve and a half, she was feckless and not quite well, talking quietly for a good while then she not objecting at heart had a kiss better to her than usual good to me – and went to my own bed after washing myself at two

Ballahulish ferry (north) to Shean ferry (north) 16                    

Shean ferry (north) to Connel ferry north)        5

Connel ferry (north) to Oban                            5

(Dairy reference: SH7MLE110036)

[sweatybrandon]

Castle Stalker #castlestalker #castle #loch #nature #flower #appin #portappin #portnacroish #lochlinnhe #bullthistle #thistle #scottishthistle #water #argyll #westcoast #westisbest #scottishwestcoast #dusk #evening #scotland #uk #Britain (at Castle Stalker View)

[technicolourstation]

Portnacroish, Scotland // Castle Stalker // (2018)

[mikelbolivarperez-blog]

En el Castillo Stalker, situado en la Roca d los Cormoranes, 1 pequeña isla dentro del Loch Laich en Portnacroish, concejo d Argyll y Bute. Esta bonita fortaleza construida alrededor d 1320 x el Clan MacDougall es otra postal literalmente d película, d hecho, ha participado como locación en películas d Monty Python o en Highlander. (en Castle Stalker) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2uxa0WjDin/?igshid=o3pu8a9sp2lj

[lizzielambwriter]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lizzie Lamb (@lizzielambwriter)

Sailing over to #castlestalker today. #scotland #portnacroish #history #authorsofinstagram #research #caravaning (at Port Appin, Highland, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/BytDkRbAnod5RnV99VqmQh2bpMIGVeNlATCgz80/?igshid=1mmuiyt9vib23

[commissioningengineers]

Water Treatment in Portnacroish #Water #Balancing #Systems # #Portnacroish https://t.co/iC5teh3eIO

Water Treatment in Portnacroish #Water #Balancing #Systems # #Portnacroish https://t.co/iC5teh3eIO

— Commission Engineers (@hvacengineersuk) September 20, 2019

[ukclaycourtpro]

Artificial Clay Court Maintenance in Portnacroish #Artificial #Clay #Court #Maintenance #Portnacroish https://t.co/hROfI22qwR

Artificial Clay Court Maintenance in Portnacroish #Artificial #Clay #Court #Maintenance #Portnacroish https://t.co/hROfI22qwR

— ClayCourt Pro (@claycourtprouk) June 23, 2019

[uacboo]

Graham Kirkham, an amateur photographer from Oban, shared this lovely photo on Instagram of Castle Stalker at sunset.

Castle Stalker – in the Gaelic, Stalcaire, meaning Hunter or Falconer – is believed originally to have been the site of a Fortalice (a small fortified building) belonging to the MacDougalls when they were Lords of Lorn, and built around 1320. The MacDougalls lost their title after their defeat by King Bruce at Brander Pass in 1308 but regained it for a period after 1328. In about 1388 the Lordship of Lorn passed to the Stewarts, the lands including Castle Stalker.

It is believed that Castle Stalker, much in its present form, was built by the then Lord of Lorn, Sir John Stewart, who had an illegitimate son in 1446, and it is reasonable to suppose that he built and occupied the Castle about that time. In 1463 Sir John Stewart was keen to legitimise his son by getting married to his Mother, a MacLaren, at Dunstaffnage when he was murdered outside the church by Alan MacCoul, a renegade MacDougall, although he survived long enough to complete the marriage and legitimise his son, Dugald, who became the First Chief of Appin. The Stewarts had their revenge on MacCoul at the Battle of Stalc in 1468 opposite the Castle when the Stewarts and MacLaren together defeated the MacDougalls, and Alan MacCoul was killed by Dugald himself. The site of this Battle is marked by a memorial stone in the Churchyard in Portnacroish.

In 1497 the Stewarts and MacLarens carried out a combined raid against MacDonald of Keppoch as a reprisal for cattle reiving, but Dugald Stewart was killed and succeeded as Chief of Appin by his son Duncan. King James IV of Scotland, born in 1473, was a cousin of the Stewarts of Appin and when he came of age made frequent hunting journeys to the Highlands. It is understood that he stayed quite often at Castle Stalker, using it as a base for hunting and hawking for which he had a passion. It is thought that further improvements were made to the Castle at this time including the possible addition of what is now the top floor and roof, and that the Coat of Arms over the front door may be the Royal Arms of that time.

Duncan Stewart was murdered by the McLeans at Duart Castle in 1512 and succeeded by his younger brother Alan Stewart as the third Chief. In 1513 the Stewarts of Appin supported King James IV at the Battle of Flodden. The Stewart Chief and is five sons were all present at the Battle but all managed to survive what was otherwise a massive defeat in which the King was killed.

In 1520 Sir Alexander Stewart of Invernahyle was fishing off the small island next to Castle Stalker when he was surprised and murdered by a party of Campbells. Tradition has it that the nurse of his baby son, Donald Stewart, hid the baby in the Castle and when the Campbells left the nurse returned, found the baby still alive and took refuge in Morven.

Young Donald became renowned for his strength and was known as “Donald of the Hammers” – in the Gaelic “Donald nan Ord” – as he could wield a blacksmith’s hammer in each hand with ease. In 1544 he raised the Stewarts of Appin and went to Dunstaffnage where they killed nine Campbells in revenge for the murder of his Father. Donald nan Ord also led the Stewarts at the Battle of Pinkie on the 10th September 1547. He died in 1607 and is buried on Lismore where his faithful henchman, a Carmichael, also lies buried.

In around 1620 the Castle passed into the hands of the Campbells of Airds as a result of a drunken wager by the 7th Stewart Chief, Duncan, in exchange for an eight-oared wherry.

The Stewarts of Appin, under Stewart if Ardsheal, regained the Castle in 1689 when they came out with King James VII (otherwise James II) against King William but after defeat at the battle of Dunkeld the Castle was again forfeited to the Campbells. The Stewarts under Ardsheal refused to hand it over when it was then besieged by the Campbells for several months until Ardsheal was granted an honourable surrender in 1690.

At the time of the 1745 Rising Castle Stalker was held by the Campbells with a Garrison of about 59 Government troops. Although the Stewarts of Appin were solidly behind Prince Charles, and raised a regiment of 300, the Castle was too strong for them to take and their 2lb cannon-balls merely bounced off the walls. The Castle formed an important link during the rising with ships calling frequently with men and supplies as they sailed between Inverary in the South and Fort William in the North. After the Battle of Culloden in 1746 the Castle was used by the Government forces as a local centre where the Clansmen had to surrender their arms. Six prisoners are recorded as being held in the Prisoners’ Hole for about a fortnight before being taken to Edinburgh for trial.

The last Campbell was born in the Castle in 1775 and Campbells continued to reside in it until about 1800 when they built a new house on the mainland at Airds, which still exists today, and the Castle remained merely as a storehouse. In about 1840 the roof either fell in or was perhaps removed to avoid roof-tax and the Castle was abandoned.

In 1908 the Castle was regained from the Campbells by Charles Stewart of Achara who purchased it and carried out some basic preservation work to stem its decay.

In 1947 his successor, Duncan Stewart, who was Governor of Sarawak, was murdered by a Dyak and the Castle devolved on his widow. In 1965 Lt. Col. D. R. Stewart Allward negotiated terms for the purchase of the Castle and spent the next ten years rebuilding and restoring it as it is today. It is now fully habitable. Contractors and builders in the normal sense were not employed in the restoration which was carried out by Lt. Col. Stewart Allward personally with the help of his wife, family and many friends who were willing to spend holidays and long weekends helping with the task.

Lt. Col. Stewart Allward died suddenly whilst out walking on the 5th February 1991. His wife Marion, always of great support to him, died on the 7th July 2005. They are survived by their four children, Sine, Ross, Alasdair and Morag, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

So much history here from castlestalker.com

[inflatablecake]

My recent trip to Scotland. And I couldnt help to bring my drone! Locations: - Caol - River Ure | Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve - Loch Tulla Viewpoint (timelapse) - Dallachulish Farm - Glencoe - Castle Stalker | Portnacroish Drone: DJI Mavic Air Music: Dawn by Caleb Etheridge ---------------------- Follow my Instagram ► https://ift.tt/2kBXkvF Follow me on Twitter ► https://twitter.com/inflatemycake

[technicolourstation]

Portnacroish, Scotland // Castle Stalker // (2018)

[personalisedpjs]

via Twitter https://twitter.com/bestcustompjs