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Eilean Donan

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small tidal island in the western Highlands of Scotland

Key facts

Scottish gaelic name
Eilean Donnain
Meaning of name
Island of Donnán
Os grid reference
NG880260
Island group
Loch Duich
Highest elevation
3 m (10 ft)
Council area
Highland
Country
Scotland
Sovereign state
United Kingdom

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Elevation
3
Image
Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland - Jan 2011.jpg
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Commons category
Eilean Donan
Commons gallery
Eilean Donan Castle
native label
Eilean Donan
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~29 min read

Article

Eilean Donan (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Donnain) is a small tidal island situated at the confluence of three sea lochs (Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh) in the western Highlands of Scotland, about one kilometre (5⁄8 mi) from the village of Dornie. It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge that was installed early in the 20th century and is dominated by a picturesque castle that frequently appears in photographs, film and television. The island's original castle was built in the thirteenth century; it became a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies, the Clan MacRae. In response to the Mackenzies' involvement in the Jacobite rebellions against the newly United Kingdom, Royal Naval ships destroyed the castle in 1719. The present-day castle is Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap's 20th-century reconstruction of the old castle.

Eilean Donan is part of the Kintail National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland. In 2001, the island had a recorded population of just one person, but there were no "usual residents" at the time of the 2011 census.

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