Castle Dunscaith is the place where Clan Uisdean, and our name, was born. It was found, in the earliest of Celtic legends, as home to a tribe a female Amazonian warriors. The legendary Irish hero, Cuchullin, studied, here, the art of war. The Cullin mountains that surround the castle were named for him. Dunscaith became the home to Clan Uisdean when Hugh of Sleat, progenitor of our name, began using it as his home-base sometime around 1469. His son, and generations after, continued to use it right up to the end of the original Clan Uisdean, about 1616.
The first Scottish record of the castle name was recorded when Hugh's first son, John Makhuchone, is found selling the castle. In the next posting I will discuss John Makhuchone, Dunscaith Castle and other early members of the family, in great detail.
Above is an artist's rendition of the castle in its heyday; below is a floor plan, both of these based on historical and archeological evidence. Following the floor plan are two photos I took in February, 2000 on Skye. One is a closeup of the ruins of Dunscaith, and the most dramatic is the scenic shot which shows the wonderful view Hugh and his family experienced everyday.
