On the shores of Loch Assynt lies Ardvreck Castle, a ruined castle dating from the 16th century – the former old stronghold of the MacLeods of Assynt.
The castle is said to be haunted by the weeping ghost of one of the daughters of a MacLeod chief, who threw herself out of one of the windows after being promised to the Devil, as well as the ghost of a tall man, clad in grey. (The Castles of Scotland)
Ardvreck Castle dates back to about 1490, a time when the land was owned by the Macleods of Assynt.
It only entered the history books once, in especially inglorious circumstances. On 27 April 1650, the Marquis of Montrose, fighting for the Royalist cause even after the execution of Charles I lost the battle of Carbisdale to a much smaller Covenanter army. His flight brought him, two days later, to Ardvreck Castle, where he sought sanctuary with Neil Macleod of Assynt. (Undiscovered Scotland)
But there isn´t a happy end for the Marquis, Neil wasn´t at the castle, but his wife Christine tricked Montrose into going in the dungeon and sent for the Government troops. Montrose was executed in Edinburgh in May.
Adrvreck castle was attacked and captured by the Mackenzies of Assynt in 1672. In 1726 they replaced it with Calda House, also on Loch Assynt. They even seemed to have used stones from the castle to build it. But Calda House burned down in 1737 and the Crown punished the Mackenzies for being on the wrong side of the 1745 Jacobites uprising and took away the land.
In 1758 the land and house were sold to the Earl of Sutherland.
Calda House
Calda House
Built in 1726 by the Mackenzies as their new home to replace Ardvreck Castle.
The family were said to have held riotous parties, and soon became short of money. The house was plundered and torched in 1737, perhaps deliberately by the Mackenzies as they were in debt. (Castles of Scotland)
Calda House is also said to be haunted, by a pipe player and again a woman.
A sudden change of weather and it started raining cats and dogs!
