Skye's ancient Duntulm Castle needs help to see off its final nemesis
After clan warfare, storms, disrepair and ghosts, Duntulm Castle on Skye faces a terrifying new threat
Duntulm Castle, perched high on a sheer cliff on Skye’s north coast, has had a hard life. Dating to the 1400s, it saw years of conflict between the MacDonalds and the MacLeods. After it was abandoned, it fell into disrepair and then a great storm in the 1980s caused extensive damage. It’s also said to have more than its fair share of ghosts.
But now the ruin may face its final nemesis, an enemy that, given time, could prove every bit as destructive as a horde of angry, claymore-swinging clansmen – tens of thousands of pleasant, mild-mannered tourists. In 2023 and 2024, a total of 159,000 visited the site.
Now Highland Council has asked for scheduled monument consent to repair erosion caused by “visitor footfall”. Donald Ross, of Skye Conservation, who is working on the site, said “the numbers are unreal”, adding that the castle “has real historic value and we really can’t afford to neglect the place”.
Perhaps those ghosts need some human help in scaring people off. Time for white sheets and wind chimes? Then again, that would probably only make things worse.
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