Kisimul Castle
Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland
Photo: Conor Lawless from North Uist, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Gallery: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Toxic Lab, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Operator
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Condition
- Partial ruin
- Access
- Grounds only
- Entry pass
- Historic Scotland Explorer Pass
- Nearest station
- Arisaig, 62.2 miles (straight-line)
- Note
- Closed for conservation; view from Castlebay shore, Barra
Pinpoint
Castlebay, Isle of Barra HS9 5UZ
Telephone 01871 810313
A 15th-century castle occupying its own tiny island in Castlebay harbour on Barra, currently closed for ongoing conservation work. When boat access has been running, reviewers describe a compact but well-restored interior; check locally before you travel, since the crossing isn't guaranteed to be operating.
At a glance
Worth the trip
The setting - a castle filling its own small island in the middle of a working harbour is a genuinely unusual sight, worth seeing from the shore even without getting across.
Before you go
Boat access comes and goes depending on conservation work, so don't assume you'll get across; even from Castlebay shore, it's the defining view of the town and worth the visit regardless.
What visitors say
Kisimul Castle reviews · 4.3 / 5 across 99 Google reviews
Reviews of Kisimul Castle are more mixed than most, reflecting a site still undergoing restoration.
Most visitors enjoy the short boat trip over from Castlebay and find the restored parts well presented, but two reviewers were disappointed by how little there was to see or learn, with one calling the paid leaflet less informative than Wikipedia and another arriving to find the castle not open to visitors at all.
Worth checking current access and restoration status before planning a trip.
“Conserved castle on a tiny island off the coast, the namesake of the town. Very well exhibited and an interesting attraction, still in the process of conservation but a must see if you're on Barra.”- Isu “Isuj” Jusi, visitor review
History
Clan MacNeil · late 15th century
Kisimul was built on a rocky islet in Castlebay harbour, likely during the late 15th century, though legend claims MacNeil occupation since the 11th century. The castle was abandoned in 1838 when the island was sold, and some of its stone was used as ship ballast and paving. Robert Lister MacNeil, chief of Clan MacNeil, purchased the island in 1937 and began restoration.
Adapted from this castle's Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Common questions about Kisimul Castle
Where is Kisimul Castle?
Kisimul Castle is in Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland, at Castlebay, Isle of Barra HS9 5UZ.
Can you go inside Kisimul Castle?
At Kisimul Castle the grounds are open to visit but the castle interior generally isn't, under Historic Environment Scotland. Check the official site for current access before you travel.
What is the highlight of visiting Kisimul Castle?
The setting - a castle filling its own small island in the middle of a working harbour is a genuinely unusual sight, worth seeing from the shore even without getting across.
Is Kisimul Castle a ruin or still intact?
Kisimul Castle is a partial ruin - Closed for conservation; view from Castlebay shore, Barra.
