Mulindry House
castle in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK
Mulindry House, also known as Caisteal Mhic Dhomhnuill or Mullintrae House, was a fortified house north of Mulindry Farm, Islay, Scotland.
History
16th century
Angus MacDonald, 8th of Dunnyveg invited Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean, chief of Clan MacLean who was visiting his estates in Islay, to his home at Mulindry in 1586. Sir Lachlan was reluctant to go, however as he had Angus's son James and brother Ranald as hostages, he agreed to visit Angus at Mulindry. He brought with him 86 followers and Angus's son James, while Ranald was left in chains at Duart Castle. A banquet was held and after Sir Lachlan was lodged in an adjoining residence, the house was surrounded by between 300 or 400 armed men. Angus called for Sir Lachlan to come out and face him in combat, however, Sir Lachlan came to the door with Angus's son James. James pleaded with his father to spare his uncle and Angus agreed to hold Sir Lachlan as a prisoner.
Sir Lachlan was held prisoner in a chamber at Mulindry, while his retinue were persuaded to surrender upon assurances that their lives would be spared. Two refused, a relative of Sir Lauchlan's and the outlaw MacDhomhnuill Herraich of Clan Uisdein, and were set upon and withdrew into the adjoining house and perished when that house was burnt to the ground. After news of Sir Lachlan's capture had become known, a rumour was started by Allan Maclean, a kinsman of Sir Lachlan, who had hoped to gain influence should Sir Lachlan be killed, that Ranald who was being held a Duart had been killed in retaliation.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Mulindry House” is castle in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Mulindry, House and castle, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “castle in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6934015. Authority coordinates are 55.761, -6.203. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1586.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Mulindry House”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Mulindry House primary sources, Mulindry House archive and Mulindry research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Mulindry House”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Mulindry House” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.