Neither legend nor fantasy—a real castle hidden beneath the waters of Loch Finlaggan has been discovered in Scotland, which could rewrite the history of medieval power

These rectangular stone towers were very uncommon in Scotland at that time, and are generally associated with the architecture of the great Anglo-Norman lords and the kings of England and Ireland. The appearance of one on Islay suggests that the local lords wanted to present themselves as equals to those powerful rivals. The castle, in this sense, was not just a fortress: it was a political statement.

A history of power, war, and disappearance

Control of Islay and much of the west coast of Scotland was disputed for centuries between Scotland, Norway, and even England. During the 13th century, after the formal cession of the Hebrides by the Norwegian king to the Scottish king, a power vacuum emerged that allowed the consolidation of the Lordship of the Isles, dominated by the MacDonald clan. This lordship acted with complete autonomy: it signed treaties, held councils, collected taxes, and possessed an army of up to 6,000 professional warriors, capable of intervening on the mainland and in Ireland.

However, the newly discovered castle seems to belong to an earlier period. To a time when the ancestors of the MacDonalds, probably kings of the islands themselves, consolidated their rule from Finlaggan. The fact that this castle disappeared before the height of the Lordship of the Isles may indicate that it was dismantled for structural reasons, by enemy destruction, or because it was obsolete in the face of the new political needs of the 14th and 15th centuries.

Archaeology has made it possible to reconstruct part of this missing history. Among the findings are chest keys, ornamental ironwork, and architectural remains that reinforce the idea of a place of prestige and ritual. The cobbled paths connecting the pier to the main buildings, the existence of a private chapel and a banquet hall, the defensive layout… Everything points to a first-class royal residence.

Memory rescued by archaeology

The most striking thing about this discovery is not only its scale, but its documentary silence. The medieval history of Scotland, like that of so many other places, is biased by what was written—or not written—at the time. Finlaggan does not appear as a royal seat in contemporary chronicles. And yet, the land, the ruins, and the objects speak eloquently.

Thanks to patient archaeological work, it has been possible to give voice to this silenced past. The book The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay, the result of almost three decades of work, not only compiles the results of the excavations, but also proposes a new interpretation of the role Finlaggan played in shaping medieval Scotland. A role that was more central, more majestic, and more complex than had been assumed.

The research has been supported by multiple institutions, including National Museums Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland, and has been promoted by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. It is no coincidence that this organization, dedicated since the 19th century to preserving Scottish history, has led this publication. Finlaggan, until now little more than a footnote, could become one of the keys to understanding the political and cultural identity of western Scotland before the Stuart rule.

What remains to be discovered?

Although the castle has been revealed in broad terms, many of its secrets still remain underground. The analysis of materials, the precise dating of structures, and the interpretation of their evolution over time will be the subject of future research. But what has already been discovered is enough to make Finlaggan a key site in Scotland’s past.

More than an archaeological find, Finlaggan is a recovery of memory. It is testimony to the fact that history is not always written on parchment, but in stone, in earth, in everyday objects that, with time and the necessary care, can tell us stories that no one dared to write.