OS Map of Torsa

11315 Torsa

22-Jun-24 • Dugswell2 • flickr

nearisleofluing torsa tidalisland p62 sib tump 53834328748

11315 Torsa b

22-Jun-24 • Dugswell2 • flickr

nearisleofluing torsa tidalisland p62 sib tump 53834423889

11315 Torsa c

Crossed 50 minutes before low tide & followed DM's directions which were spot on. Frisky Luing cows with calves on Torsa which added to the fun. Name:Torsa Hill number:11315 Height:62m / 203ft Parent (Ma):none RHB Section:19A: Oban to Loch Fyne County/UA:Argyll and Bute Island:Mono Tump island (t) Class:Tump (0-99m), SIB Grid ref:NM 76186 13277 Summit feature:small cairn Drop:62m Col:Sea Observations:ground N of cairn is clearly lower Survey:Abney level

22-Jun-24 • Dugswell2 • flickr

nearisleofluing torsa tidalisland p62 sib tump 53834424189

11315 Torsa d

22-Jun-24 • Dugswell2 • flickr

nearisleofluing torsa tidalisland p62 sib tump 53833178882

Argyll Kayakers Cove ans Cuan Sound get-in/landing site.

17-Jul-23 • Shandchem • flickr

sea kayak argyll cuan sound kayaker cove campsite 53094435385

Argyll Kayakers Cove ans Cuan Sound get-in/landing site.

17-Jul-23 • Shandchem • flickr

sea kayak argyll cuan sound kayaker cove campsite 53094212884

Ballycastle Dun, an Iron Age Hillfort (NGR NM 75231 12058). Link to history: canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle

Ballycastle Dun, an Iron Age Hillfort (NGR NM 75231 12058). Link to history: canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle" rel="noreferrer nofollow canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle

16-Jul-23 • Shandchem • flickr

luing argyll scotland ballycastle dun iron age hillfort ngr nm 75231 12058 53092023265

Ballycastle Dun, an Iron Age Hillfort (NGR NM 75231 12058). Link to history: canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle

Ballycastle Dun, an Iron Age Hillfort (NGR NM 75231 12058). Link to history: canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle" rel="noreferrer nofollow canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle

16-Jul-23 • Shandchem • flickr

luing argyll scotland ballycastle dun iron age hillfort ngr nm 75231 12058 53092104948

Ballycastle Dun, an Iron Age Hillfort (NGR NM 75231 12058). Link to history: canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle

Ballycastle Dun, an Iron Age Hillfort (NGR NM 75231 12058). Link to history: canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle" rel="noreferrer nofollow canmore.org.uk/site/22618/luing-ballycastle

16-Jul-23 • Shandchem • flickr

luing argyll scotland ballycastle dun iron age hillfort ngr nm 75231 12058 53091056987

Caisteal nan Con (1)

After a night spent in a free camp site at Aberarder beside Loch Laggan and then a drive through clearing rain down through Fort William, I am now just south of Oban in what is turning into a nice day. Seven miles south of Oban, a B road turns off to the right, leading to Seil Island, the crossing to which is via the Clachan Bridge (otherwise known as the Bridge over the Atlantic), a beautiful 18th century stone hump-backed bridge designed by Thomas Telford. Once on Seil, I drove across the island to Cuan, where a small ferry crosses a strongly tidal channel to the island of Luing. But Luing is not where I want to get to, I want to see the island of Torsa, to which no ferry goes, so it's drone time again! Torsa was inhabited until the 1960s, but although it is still farmed, the farm house is only used for holiday lets. This view looks south towards the Isle of Shuna, lying darkly in the distance above the further clump of pine trees. The houses of Toberonochy are visible towards the far end of Luing, beyond which in the far distance, is the Isle of Jura. And in the foreground, perched entirely on a very large rock, are the remains of Caisteal nan Con - Dog Castle.

09-Aug-22 • arjayempee • flickr

dji065961stitch scotland 2022 caistealnancon torsa theslateislands argyllshire ruinedtowerhouse campbellofcaistealnancon macdougallofcaistealnancon seilisland 53160649336

Caisteal nan Con (2)

Caisteal nan Con consisted of a rectangular tower, measuring about 13.7 meters by 8.8 meters, on the upper end of the rock, and a walled bailey, 16.2 by 10.6 meters, which incorporated a fairly substantial circular tower at its north-east (near left) corner.

09-Aug-22 • arjayempee • flickr

dji0663crop scotland 2022 caistealnancon torsa theslateislands argyllshire ruinedtowerhouse campbellofcaistealnancon macdougallofcaistealnancon seilisland 53161141388

Caisteal nan Con (3)

The turf covered humps and bumps clearly conceal much of the remaining walling, but the more you look, the more you realise that considerable portions of the external wall faces of the tower-house and bailey survive, including almost the entire lower section of the courtyard's circular corner tower.

09-Aug-22 • arjayempee • flickr

dji0664crop scotland 2022 caistealnancon torsa theslateislands argyllshire ruinedtowerhouse campbellofcaistealnancon macdougallofcaistealnancon seilisland 53160060627

Caisteal nan Con (4)

The entrance was on this, the south-east side, the approach to it appearing (from lines in the turf) to pass immediately below the keep, from where it could be defended. It's hard to tell (from up here) whether the extension of the castle rock out into the bay, is geological or man-made (natural or unnatural). I suspect it was probably a boat landing, built using the naturally occurring line of the volcanic dyke. The perfect (turf covered) fan against the south-west face of the castle rock, presumably contains much of the masonry from the tower.

09-Aug-22 • arjayempee • flickr

dji0668 scotland 2022 caistealnancon torsa theslateislands argyllshire ruinedtowerhouse campbellofcaistealnancon macdougallofcaistealnancon seilisland 53161078865

Caisteal nan Con (5 of 5)

The castle, a former stronghold of the Campbells and later of the MacDougalls, is roughly dated to the later Middle Ages. It must have been quite a sight in its day.

09-Aug-22 • arjayempee • flickr

dji066970stitch scotland 2022 caistealnancon torsa theslateislands argyllshire ruinedtowerhouse campbellofcaistealnancon macdougallofcaistealnancon seilisland ardmaddycastle caddleton kilbrabdonhouse 53160860654