Monument record MHG7648 - Strome Castle

NG83NE 1 8623 3542.
Strome Castle (NR) (In Ruins) OS 6"map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed. (1905)

Strome Castle is first recorded 1472 as a stronghold of Lord of the Isles. In 1503 its reduction was undertaken by Earl of Huntly to whose family it was granted by Queen Mary 1546. It was blown up by Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Kintail, about 1602, after a siege, and only its ruins remain.
Orig Paroch Scot 1855.

A hall-house, rectangular in plan, measuring c100ft by 30ft, with a late cross-wall toward W end. To E of the cross-wall, walls stand about 20ft high, with gaps. To W of the cross-wall only early foundations remain, with a garderobe chute (visible from rocks below) at NW corner. Walls are about 4ft thick. A mound of rubble lies at E end.
Info from Hugo D Millar, Glasgow Archaeol Soc, 14 May 1964.

Strome Castle is generally as described above. It was presented to National Trust for Scotland in 1939.
Visited by OS (WDJ) 18 October 1966.

A piece of vitrified rock from Strome Castle is in NMAS (Acc. No: 19D-9755).
Glasgow Art Gallery & Museum Annaul Report 1966.

In order to examine archaeological potential of Strome Castle, destroyed in a siege in c1602, a short programme of trial excavs was carried out early September 1994. Considerable evidence of several distinct phases of construction was observed in hall elements. Structural remains of a tower, buried beneath rubble at castle's E end were uncovered. A collapsed sandstone arch from around a blocked doorway was present in tower's W wall. In addition a rock-cut well was located to W of tower mound and partially excavated. A trench located inside main hall uncovered rubble representing levelling material laid down after construction of S wall. A flint flake and fragments of vitrified rock were recovered from this trench although no further evidence was found of a prehistoric structure.
A detailed plane table survey at a scale of 1:100 was carried out of castle ruins, rubble mound containing tower, rocky outcrop they sit upon and substantial lumps of masonry and general collapse in surrounding area.
Sponsors: NTS and Highland Regional Council.
Driscoll, Will and Cullen 1994.

App/Gair & Lochcarron Local Plan, Dec 1985: P111/10.27. POLICY - The Council will resist development of the 3.7ha. Lying to the east of the road on agricultural and amenity ground.
J Aitken : 06/06/01.