Dunvegan Castle

The origins of Dunvegan Castle date back to the 13th century, when the MacLeods erected an initial fortification on a rock. This early complex included a simple curtain wall that protected residential and economic buildings and was equipped with battlements. Around 1340, Malcolm MacLeod, the third clan chief, had the great keep built. In the 15th century, Alasdair Crotach MacLeod, the eighth clan chief, expanded the complex with the Fairy Tower, featuring four habitable floors. The castle acquired its current appearance through renovations and extensions during the Victorian era between 1840 and 1850, carried out under the direction of architect Robert Brown.