Skipness

#132 Skipness Castle
Argyll & Dunbartonshire, Scotland
1247 and later
This is NOT an official Lego site

Skipness Castle was first constructed about 1247 by the MacSweens and consisted of a hall (next to the later keep) and a chapel, with a wooden barricade and minor buildings. About 1262 the castle became the property of Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith, and was quickly strengthened against attacks by the Norsemen. About 1300 Sir John Menteith, possibly with the assistance of King Edward I, elongated the old hall, built a new chapel removed from the original, and converted the old chapel into a gatehouse (with portcullis) and residential range. A tall stone curtain wall featuring several fish-tailed crosslet-type arrow slots enclosed the complex. The west wall and keep both contained latrine towers. The Campbell Earl of Argyll added the two upper storeys and garret to the northeast corner of the hall soon after 1502, creating a classic Scottish tower with rounds on the parapet and a gabled caphouse.

The castle passed to the MacDonald Lord of the Isles at some point between 1300 and 1476, when Skipness was forfeited by John, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross. The castle was administered for the Crown from 1499 by the Earl of Argyll, who passed it on the his second son Archibald Campbell in 1511. Archibald of Skipness was killed in 1537, and the castle passed to his son John. John's daughter and heiress, Jane, married a younger son of the Campbells of Ardkinglass, thus uniting cousin clans.The Campbells remained Keepers of Skipness through an unsuccessful seige in 1645 by the MacDonalds, and a call for the 'razing down' of the castle by the Crown following the Earl of Argyll's invasion of 1685. The castle remained in the hands of the Campbells of Skipness until 1867, when the family became so depressed for funds they sold the castle which was used as a farm until 1898. It is open to the public.

Photos of the Lego Model Under construction December, 2011

On December 8 Skipness is laid out on green plates...	with a very minor upsloping from front to back	On December 9 the courtyard is build up, and the curtain walls and residential ranges defined.	On December 9 the courtyard is build up, and the curtain walls and residential ranges defined.

By December 11 work has been done all around the castle...	with particular note to the change from plain corners to decorative quoins.	On December 12 the walls are growing around the entire circumference.	A lot a time has been spent on the location of hoarding or construction holes in the walls.


The work on December 13 is concentrated on the west side...	...particularly the crosslet-type arrowslots and wooden scaffold which is associated.	Here's a closeup of the arrowslots	The next day work resumes on the donjon and hall-house...	with progress on the main living level and windows.


On December 15 the hall-house is completed including battlements.	The windows on the courtyard side are based on the only existing window - on the curtain wall.	With less than 10 days until Christmas, work turns back to the gatehouse and front building range.	The exterior protective slits are surely larger windows on the courtyard side. Further pictures will be of the completed model.

Photos of the Lego Model Built December 8 through 18, 2011 This is my first "retirement castle" - it was fun [actually 'great fun'] to do a leisurely build when I didn't have to go to work Monday through Friday!

Here is the formidable front of Skipness with the portcullis down.	As I built the castle I became increasingly impressed that she was an excellent fortification	The residential range that replaced the old chapel is well guarded	The lines of holes in the east curtain and tower wall are doubtless for hoardings

Holes for hoarding are also present on the north wall	The latrine tower was the 2nd tallest structure at Skipness, and contained the dovecot	Human vs bird poop - lets not go there...	The west wall sports most (but not all!) of the crosslet- type arrowslots


There is not access to the keep from the lower door, and attacked via the narrow staircase could be fatal	The courtyard is modest but very adequate for a necessary gathering of family and minions	Even the donjon is well protected from the parapets. Nicely done!


Drawing from the SSE	Drawing from the NNW	Drawing just after 1502 with Tower Keep complete


Ground Floor Plan	First Floor Plan	Tower plans of floors 3, 4 and garret


East Elevation	Cross-section looking west	Cross-section looking north