When Walter the High Steward married Robert the Bruce's daughter Marjory in the 14th century, little did they know that their descendants would take the crowns of Scotland and England for the next 400 years ending with Queen Anne in 1714.
Mary Queen of Scots, the executed Charles 1st, and the final Stewart monarch, Queen Anne, of all them knew about the Stewart homelands in Appin. James IV often visited his cousin in Stalker Castle, Appin in the 15th century for hunting and fishing. Then, as now, the East of Scotland was the seat of government and Appin was a playground. Then he would sail off to overpower the rebellious Isles.
There was uproar in Appin with the revolt of Bonnie Prince Charlie - Charles Edward Stewart - the whole clan turned out for him at Culloden Field in 1745, and the repercussions were awful. The banner of the Stewart Clan was hidden after the battle and is now in Edinburgh
And where was all the Appin activity over the centuries? Why here, around Duror and Ardsheal in our Appin.
Megalithic people 3,000 years ago in Kentallen Bay would light a fire with a bow, drill and dry wood, blowing the embers into flame, bake trout wrapped in grass, and enjoy oatcakes and nettle tea using water boiled on hot stones in an elk skin pot.
Kentallen Bay was fairly secure from South west winds, though a strong Southerly can funnel over the hill and create havoc even to-day. You can get big storms in the bay.
The old Duror bridge was in place 800 years ago, and probably was built on a previous wooden one. See it in the woods on the way to Cuil Bay.
Robert the Bruce after defeating Edward 11 at Bannockburn gave the rich lands of Duror and Kentallen to his Viking ally Angus Og. It was his son who established the MacDonald family in Glencoe.
The local language used until 50 years ago was Gaelic. Kentallen means “head of the small inlet”.
Duror was an ancient cattle tryst. Drovers
brought highland cattle from the West for sale.
In the 12th century this was a trade for monks.
Stalker Castle, 15th century, was the ancient Stewart stronghold. It was later lost in a card game to the Campbells.
Achara House the finest property in Duror
The mason’s stone dates it at 1589.
After Culloden, in 1745, when the Appin Stewarts came out in force, the Campbells said that “ no Stewart would ever hold lands of Appin again”.
The local factor, Colin Campbell of Glenure was shot - but a Campbell court at Inverary found James Stewart guilty, and he was hanged on the rock beside the Ballachulish bridge. His bones were strung together for 4 years. They are now buried nearby at Keill..
The leaders of the Appin Stewarts and the Lochaber Camerons fled to Paris. Stalker Castle is back in the hands of the Stewarts. The owner has spent years re-furbishing it and now opens it to the public occasionally.
‘Kentallen’ granite is famous. To ship it several piers and the railway were built for it then were all closed down. We can remember the railway
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All of these places can be found within minutes of our Kentallen cottage.
At Inshaig, the old Duror Inn, a Campbell veteran told a tale of being ordered to kill a MacDonald family in the massacre. But he just sliced off the baby’s finger to save them all. The Mc Donald barman held up his hand. His little finger had been sliced off.
Lettermore woods. The site of the killing
In 1745 the Clan Stewart leader, Charles, was hidden in this cave for months
Stewart of Appin tartan
Banned after 1745
Megaltihic people were nomadic + left few traces
The Bay at Midnight in June, looking much as it did 3,000 years ago
Our standing stone at Achara House is the largest in Argyll. 5,000 years old?
A Columban monk lived in a cave off Cuil Bay
Our old bridge in Duror
Appin, Clan Stewart homeland, Lochside cottage in Duror, Kentallen, Appin. Appin
is North of Oban and South-west of Glencoe. Appin is the land of Stalker Castle,
people from the Megalithic Age lived here. A Scottish Parliament was held in Ardchattan
priory, Appin, in the 14th century.