Brochel Castle

Brochel Castle stands on a fifteen-metre-high rock on Raasay’s north-east coast. The ruined tower rises from a narrow summit reached by a steep path. It is the only medieval castle on the island and commands wide views over the Inner Sound. The rock is part of Raasay’s hard gabbro ridge, which juts into the sea. The castle was already standing by 1549 and probably dates from the 15th century. Tradition says it was built by Calum Garbh, the first MacLeod chief of Raasay, who inherited the island from his father, the ninth chief of Lewis. In 1911 the ruins were bought by the ironmasters Baird & Co and later passed to the Board of Agriculture for Scotland in 1922. Visitors follow a short climb up the rock to the remains of the tower. The walls still show the original entrance and narrow windows. From the top there are clear views of the mainland hills and the Sound of Raasay. The site is quiet, with only the sound of seabirds and the wind across the rock.