Lochindorb
Lochindorb is a freshwater loch in Morayshire, and the largest in the county; it is two miles long and half a mile wide. It is found to the north of Grantown on Spey. The name of the lake is from the Gaelic Loch nan Doirb, meaning "loch of the minnows".
The eastern portion of the loch falls in a detached part of Inverness-shire, and within this part stand the ruins of Lochindorb Castle, a former stronghold of the Clan Comyn, built on what now is said to be an artificially created island. It is also a popular spot with fishers and birdwatchers, the latter of whom come to see the local black-throated divers and greylag geese. At the southeast edge of the loch there is a small patch of coniferous forest and hidden by this Lochindorb Lodge.
Castle
The castle is first recorded during the Wars of Independence when Sir John ('the Black') Comyn died there in 1300. By 1455 the castle was in the hands of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray, The next year, after Douglas's defeat and death at Arkinholm, Lochindorb was again forfeited to the Crown and this time ordered to be slighted, the work of dismantling its defences being entrusted to the Thane of Cawdor. Since then, it has been left as a ruin.
Wildlife
Lochindorb is home to an array of wildlife and is a popular fishing and birdwatching spot.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Lochindorb) |
- Location map: 57°24’27"N, 3°42’23"W
- Site Record for Lochindorb Castle, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/15463/ - information on the castle