Kisimul Castle is the ancestral home of the Clan Macneil.
The castle was built on a rocky islet in the bay, just off the coast of Barra in the Western Hebrides of Scotland. It can only be reached by boat.
Kismul has its own fresh water wells. Legend has it that it was the stronghold of the Macneils since the 11th century. Kisimul was abandoned in 1838 when the island was sold, and the castle’s condition deteriorated. The remains of the castle, along with most of the island of Barra, were purchased in 1937 by Robert Lister Macneil, the chief of Clan Macneil, who made efforts at restoration.
In 2001, the castle was leased by the chief of Clan Macneil to Historic Scotland for 1000 years for the annual sum of £1 and a bottle of whisky.
