The Castle
It was built in the second half of the 13 th century. It is called a hall house because its upper floor was a huge hall.
1411 – His son Donald 2nd Lord of the Isles gathered over 500 galleys at Ardtornish before taking them to a battle near Aberdeen.
1462 – His great grandson John the 4 th Lord of the isles met the commissioners of Edward the IV of England talk over the Treaty of Ardtornish which was designed to overthrow the Scottish King . However it didn’t work.
By the end of the 16 th century the castle was in Maclean hands.
The castle was abandoned by the end of the 17 th century which time the Campbells of Argyll owned Ardtornish .
Ardtornish House
1754 Donald Campbell of Airds, Argyll’s factor, was tacksman of Ardtornish, he may have been responsible for building Old Ardtornish House, sometime before 1770.
1896 (old) Ardtornish House was dismantled and finally demolished in 1907.
The owner’s wife had had so many good times in the house that she didn’t want anyone to have the house after them, so she ordered it to be demolished.
The houses around the castle may have been built with it and possibly abandoned at the same time. In 1716 ten men were recorded living on the estate at that time
