Killundine Castle (Caisteal Nan Con)

Killundine Castle, Scottish Highland Photo © John Douglas, April 2002

Killundine Castle, Scottish Highland Photo © Sylvia Duckworth, 26 July 2006

Killundine Castle - Photo © Peter Bond, 20 October 2006

Killundine Castle known as Caisteal Nan Con (Castle of Dogs) on the Morvern Peninsula. Over looking the Sound of Mull and dates from the 17th Century.

Torsa (occasionally Torsay) is one of the Slate Islands in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

The north end of Torsa with the heights of Dùn Crutagain beyond, seen from SeilLying east of Luing and south of Seil, the island was inhabited until the 1960s. There is now only one house on the island, which is used for holiday lets. Its main industry is farming, with cattle brought over from the neighbouring island of Luing. The Luing cattle were bred for their hardiness.

The island is connected to its smaller partner, Torsa Beag (Gaelic for little Torsa). In the bay beyond is a suspected crannog.

The island is best known for the ruined sixteenth century hunting lodge Caisteal nan Con. This is known locally as the Castle of the Dogs. It is doubtful that the castle would have originally been built as a hunting lodge, as it is in a very fine defensive position built upon a sheer rocky outcrop overlooking the sea on three sides. However, over time this may have become the final use of the building before falling into disrepair.

KILLUNDINE CASTLE, ARGYLLSHIRE.

A quadrilateral building, with one gable standing on the top of a rocky headland on the opposite coast of the Sound of Mull from Aros Castle. It is supposed to have been a hunting lodge connected with Aros, and is still called the "Dog Castle." It is evidently a late structure, without much architectural interest.

THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND BY DAVID MACGIBBON AND THOMAS ROSS, 1889