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RAIT CASTLE Latitude and Longitude:

57°32′58″N 3°51′00″W / 57.5494°N 3.8499°W / 57.5494; -3.8499
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rait Castle
Ruins of Rait Castle
Rait Castle is located in Highland
Rait Castle
Rait Castle
Coordinates 57°32′58″N 3°51′00″W / 57.5494°N 3.8499°W / 57.5494; -3.8499
Site information
Owner Earl Cawdor [1]
Site history
Built13th century
Materials Granite [2]
Ruins of Rait Castle in winter

Rait Castle is a ruined hall-house castle dating from the thirteenth century, situated just south of Nairn near Inverness, Scotland. [3] It is a scheduled monument. [4]

Architecture

The remains of the courtyard walls are nine feet high and also contain the remains of the Chapel of St Mary of Rait. [5] The building was a two story building, measuring 20 metres by 10 metres. [6] It had an unvaulted basement and an upper hall. [6] The hall was entered from the outside and was protected by a portcullis and a drawbar. [6] The walls of the castle are nearly 6 feet thick. [2] A tower projects from one corner of the castle and there is a garderobe tower on the west side that projects nearly 13 feet. [2]

History

The castle was originally a property of the Comyn family, who took the name of de Rait. [1] Sir Alexander Rait killed the third Thane of Cawdor (chief of Clan Calder), and then fled south where he married the heiress of Hallgreen. [3] The castle later passed from the de Raits to the Mackintosh family and then to the Campbell family. [3]

In 1442, [1] when the castle passed to the Mackintoshes from the de Rait family, a feast was held at the castle between the two families which ended in the slaughter of most of the Comyns and de Raits. [7] The laird blamed his daughter, whom he chased around the castle. [7] She climbed out of a window but he chopped off her hands and she fell to her death. [7] The castle is said to be haunted by her ghost, [7] with no hands. [1]

The Duke of Cumberland is said to have stayed at the castle before the Battle of Culloden in 1746, [3] although the last recorded reference to the castle was in 1596. [2]

American singer Bonnie Raitt is a descendant of the Rait clan, and visited Rait Castle in 1990. [8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Mackenzie, Steven (BBC Highlands and Islands reporter). Haunted castle: The ruin with a colourful past, 14 May, 2013 bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Rait Castle - Archeological Notes rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Coventry, Martin. (2008). Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans. pp. 486. ISBN  978-1-899874-36-1.
  4. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Rait Castle (SM1235)". Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  5. ^ Save Rait Castle saveraitcastle.org. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Rait Castle - Architecture saveraitcastle.org. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d Coventry. (2008) pp. 383.
  8. ^ Italie, Hillel (14 December 1991). "Bonnie Raitt discovers her roots". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 December 2016.

External links