The aquatic context of Caisteal Ormacleit, South Uist, Outer Hebrides
Lady Penelope’s chateau and its canals
Keywords:
Canal, Castle
Canal, Castle
Location(s):
Caisteal Ormacleit; South Uist; Outer Hebrides; Scotland; UK
Caisteal Ormacleit; South Uist; Outer Hebrides; Scotland; UK
Period(s):
Stuart
Stuart
Abstract
Caisteal Ormacleit [Ormiclate Castle], on the west side of South Uist, was constructed in the early 18th century by Clanranald for his wife Penelope, reputedly in the style of a French chateau, incorporating building materials imported from or via the east coast of South Uist at a time when there were neither roads nor carts. This high-status building (arguably more a fine house than a castle) and its origins and construction are reviewed in the context of historical sources, geology and topography. The history of the building and that of the couple for whom it was built had close associations with the Jacobite battles of 1689 (Killiecrankie) and 1715 (Sheriffmuir). The possible canal sections are reviewed in detail and a convincing case is provided for the existence of a canal network between the east coast of the Uists and the western situation of Caisteal Ormacleit, linking the Olaidh lochs, thus confirming the local tradition that the inland lochs of the Uists were used for boat-based transport and supporting the case for the existence of a wider navigable network within the Uist interior. Past intervention in water management has to be investigated in order to plan for future climate change impacts, and the Olaidh network is reviewed in this context.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Addyman, T & Kay, P 2000 ‘Five Ancient Monuments in the Uists and Benbecula: Feasibility Study for Conservation Work’, unpublished report, Simpson & Brown Architects, Edinburgh.
Anderson, J 1785 An Account of the Present State of the Hebrides. Report to the Lords of the Treasury.
Angus, S 2017 ‘Scottish saline lagoons: Impacts and challenges of climate change’, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 198: 626–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2016.07.014.
Angus, S in prep a ‘Land below the waves: inland terrains in Tiree and the Uists, Scotland, below High Water Mark.’
Angus, S in prep b ‘The pre-drainage loch network of western Benbecula, Outer Hebrides.’
Angus, S in prep c ‘Beyond the meta-ecosystem? The need for a multi-faceted approach to climate change in low-lying coastal wetlands: the case of South Uist, Scotland.’
Burnett, R 1986 Benbecula. Benbecula: Mingulay Press.
Daniell, F H B (ed.) 1904 Calendar of the Stuart Papers Belonging to His Majesty the King, ii, 107–14, 148–9, 408. London. https://archive.org/details/calendarofstuart02grea. Accessed 4 December 2017.
Jehu, T J & Craig, R H 1925 ‘Geology of the Outer Hebrides, Part II. South Uist and Eriskay’, Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 53: 615–41.
Lang, P, Krokowski, J & Mullen, E 2016 ‘The newly recorded chrysophyte, Bitrichia ollula (Fott) Bourrelly: an intriguing find from a Hebridean machair loch, and its ecological niche compared with two similar species occurring in Scottish freshwaters’, The Glasgow Naturalist 26: 95–9.
Macaulay, J 1996 Birlinn: Longships of the Hebrides. Strond & Cambridge: White Horse Press.
Macdonald, A 1931 ‘A history of South Uist’, manuscript in Edinburgh University Library. 2 vols.
McKay, M M (ed.) 1980 The Rev. Dr John Walker’s Report on the Hebrides of 1764 and 1771. Edinburgh: John Donald.
Maclean, G 2012 ‘Locheynort (Loch Aoineart) in the historical period’, in Parker Pearson, M (ed.) From Machair to Mountains: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in South Uist, 359–78. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
MacLellan, A 1997 Stories from South Uist. Translated by John Lorne Campbell. Edinburgh: Birlinn.
Macleod, A 1831 ‘Account of the drainage of Lochmore and Loch Scolpig, and of the embankment at Garridu, in the Island of North Uist’, Transactions of the Highland Society 8: 103–7.
Macmillan, A & Taigh Eachdraidh Beinn na Faoghla 2006 Clanranald & Benbecula. Benbecula: Taigh Eachdraidh Ltd.
MacQueen, A 1794 ‘North Uist’, Old Statistical Account. Edinburgh: Creech.
Martin, C 2014 ‘The sea world of the chessmen’, in Caldwell, D H & Hall, M A (eds) The Lewis Chessmen: New Perspectives, 184–99. Edinburgh: National Museums Scotland.
McKean, C 2001 The Scottish Chateau: The Country House in Renaissance Scotland. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.
McKean, C 2006. ‘A Scottish problem with castles’, Historical Research 79: 166–98.
Mould, P 1953 West-over-sea. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
Munro, G 1794 ‘South Uist’, Old Statistical Account. Edinburgh: Creech.
Parker Pearson, M 2012 ‘The machair survey’, in Parker Pearson, M (ed.) From Machair to Mountains: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in South Uist, 12–73. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Peacock, J D 1984 ‘Quaternary geology of the Outer Hebrides’, BGS Reports 16: No. 2.
Raven, J A 2005 ‘Medieval Landscapes and Lordship in South Uist’, PhD thesis, University of Glasgow. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1116. Accessed 2 May 2018.
Raven, J 2012 ‘Duns, brochs and crannogs’, in Parker Pearson, M (ed.) From Machair to Mountains: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in South Uist, 134–59. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Rennie, A F & Hansom, J D 2011 ‘Sea level trend reversal: land uplift outpaced by sea level rise on Scotland’s coast’, Geomorphology 125: 193–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geo morph.2010.09.015.
Ritchie, W 1966 ‘The physiography of the machair of South Uist’, unpublished PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.
Routh, E M G 1912 Tangier: England’s Lost Atlantic Outpost, 1661–1684. London: John Murray.
RCAHMS 1928 Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles. Edinburgh: HMSO.
Slade, H G 1992 ‘Ormiclett (Ormiclate) Castle, South Uist’, Vernacular Architecture 16: 1–4.
Stell, G 2014 ‘Castle Tioram and the Macdonalds of Clanranald: a western seaboard castle in context’, in Oram, R D 2014 (ed.) The Lordship of the Isles, 271–96. Leiden: Brill.
Strachan, S R 2008 ‘The Laird’s Houses of Scotland: From the Reformation to the Industrial Revolution, 1560–1770’, PhD by Research, University of Edinburgh. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/3485. Accessed 2 May 2018.
Walker, J 1812 An economical history of the Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland: report to the Highland Society of Scotland and to the Board of Agriculture, 2 vols. Edinburgh: Guthrie & Anderson.
Wikipedia 2017 List of Governors of Tangier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_Tangier. Accessed 8 January 2018
Anderson, J 1785 An Account of the Present State of the Hebrides. Report to the Lords of the Treasury.
Angus, S 2017 ‘Scottish saline lagoons: Impacts and challenges of climate change’, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 198: 626–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2016.07.014.
Angus, S in prep a ‘Land below the waves: inland terrains in Tiree and the Uists, Scotland, below High Water Mark.’
Angus, S in prep b ‘The pre-drainage loch network of western Benbecula, Outer Hebrides.’
Angus, S in prep c ‘Beyond the meta-ecosystem? The need for a multi-faceted approach to climate change in low-lying coastal wetlands: the case of South Uist, Scotland.’
Burnett, R 1986 Benbecula. Benbecula: Mingulay Press.
Daniell, F H B (ed.) 1904 Calendar of the Stuart Papers Belonging to His Majesty the King, ii, 107–14, 148–9, 408. London. https://archive.org/details/calendarofstuart02grea. Accessed 4 December 2017.
Jehu, T J & Craig, R H 1925 ‘Geology of the Outer Hebrides, Part II. South Uist and Eriskay’, Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 53: 615–41.
Lang, P, Krokowski, J & Mullen, E 2016 ‘The newly recorded chrysophyte, Bitrichia ollula (Fott) Bourrelly: an intriguing find from a Hebridean machair loch, and its ecological niche compared with two similar species occurring in Scottish freshwaters’, The Glasgow Naturalist 26: 95–9.
Macaulay, J 1996 Birlinn: Longships of the Hebrides. Strond & Cambridge: White Horse Press.
Macdonald, A 1931 ‘A history of South Uist’, manuscript in Edinburgh University Library. 2 vols.
McKay, M M (ed.) 1980 The Rev. Dr John Walker’s Report on the Hebrides of 1764 and 1771. Edinburgh: John Donald.
Maclean, G 2012 ‘Locheynort (Loch Aoineart) in the historical period’, in Parker Pearson, M (ed.) From Machair to Mountains: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in South Uist, 359–78. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
MacLellan, A 1997 Stories from South Uist. Translated by John Lorne Campbell. Edinburgh: Birlinn.
Macleod, A 1831 ‘Account of the drainage of Lochmore and Loch Scolpig, and of the embankment at Garridu, in the Island of North Uist’, Transactions of the Highland Society 8: 103–7.
Macmillan, A & Taigh Eachdraidh Beinn na Faoghla 2006 Clanranald & Benbecula. Benbecula: Taigh Eachdraidh Ltd.
MacQueen, A 1794 ‘North Uist’, Old Statistical Account. Edinburgh: Creech.
Martin, C 2014 ‘The sea world of the chessmen’, in Caldwell, D H & Hall, M A (eds) The Lewis Chessmen: New Perspectives, 184–99. Edinburgh: National Museums Scotland.
McKean, C 2001 The Scottish Chateau: The Country House in Renaissance Scotland. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.
McKean, C 2006. ‘A Scottish problem with castles’, Historical Research 79: 166–98.
Mould, P 1953 West-over-sea. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
Munro, G 1794 ‘South Uist’, Old Statistical Account. Edinburgh: Creech.
Parker Pearson, M 2012 ‘The machair survey’, in Parker Pearson, M (ed.) From Machair to Mountains: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in South Uist, 12–73. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Peacock, J D 1984 ‘Quaternary geology of the Outer Hebrides’, BGS Reports 16: No. 2.
Raven, J A 2005 ‘Medieval Landscapes and Lordship in South Uist’, PhD thesis, University of Glasgow. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1116. Accessed 2 May 2018.
Raven, J 2012 ‘Duns, brochs and crannogs’, in Parker Pearson, M (ed.) From Machair to Mountains: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in South Uist, 134–59. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Rennie, A F & Hansom, J D 2011 ‘Sea level trend reversal: land uplift outpaced by sea level rise on Scotland’s coast’, Geomorphology 125: 193–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geo morph.2010.09.015.
Ritchie, W 1966 ‘The physiography of the machair of South Uist’, unpublished PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.
Routh, E M G 1912 Tangier: England’s Lost Atlantic Outpost, 1661–1684. London: John Murray.
RCAHMS 1928 Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles. Edinburgh: HMSO.
Slade, H G 1992 ‘Ormiclett (Ormiclate) Castle, South Uist’, Vernacular Architecture 16: 1–4.
Stell, G 2014 ‘Castle Tioram and the Macdonalds of Clanranald: a western seaboard castle in context’, in Oram, R D 2014 (ed.) The Lordship of the Isles, 271–96. Leiden: Brill.
Strachan, S R 2008 ‘The Laird’s Houses of Scotland: From the Reformation to the Industrial Revolution, 1560–1770’, PhD by Research, University of Edinburgh. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/3485. Accessed 2 May 2018.
Walker, J 1812 An economical history of the Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland: report to the Highland Society of Scotland and to the Board of Agriculture, 2 vols. Edinburgh: Guthrie & Anderson.
Wikipedia 2017 List of Governors of Tangier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_Tangier. Accessed 8 January 2018
Published
21-11-2018
How to Cite
Angus, S. (2018). The aquatic context of Caisteal Ormacleit, South Uist, Outer Hebrides: Lady Penelope’s chateau and its canals. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 147, 243–259. https://doi.org/10.9750/PSAS.147.1246
Issue
Section
Articles
