Scottish Castles Association

Mingary Castle Restoration

Ancient graffiti has been found in the chapel of 700 year old Mingary Castle.

The graffiti, which was scratched into the plastered walls of the uninhabited castle, contains initials and images that experts believe to be a ship and a lighthouse.

It was discovered in a hidden room. The purpose of the room was unclear until an altar was fond while rubble was being cleared. The graffiti was found to the left of the altar and at the other end of the room.

Mingary Castle Grafitti

Jon Haylett, a local historian, said "It's pretty simple stuff, the sort of marks that would have been made by an illiterate man. One picture looks remarkably like Ardnamurchan lighthouse, another seems to be a ship while a third suggest to me that that the plaster's name may have stared with a capital 'I'".

Tom Addyman, the lead archaeologist, said: "it's exciting because the graffiti seems to date to the time of the original construction of the castle in the 13th century."

He said that the room was blocked at a later date, probably to strengthen the case wall against attack. In the same area 2 cannonball fragments were found which supports this theory.

Source: Adapted from 'The Times

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