This castle, situated about two miles north-west of Creagorry, in Benbecula, takes the form of an oblong tower measuring 60 feet by 36.5 feet with walls varying from 5 to 9 feet thick, which are still almost 30 feet high and indicate that there were at least 3 storeys. The entrance, which is in the south wall, is 4 feet wide arid has been barred. There is no record of when or by whom it was built.
In a charter of 1372 by John, first Lord of the Isles to Ranald, his eldest surviving son by Amie MacRuairi, his first wife, it is described as Vignawawle and John of Fordun in his Scotichronicon, circa 1400, calls it the Castle of Benwevil.
Tradition has credited Amie MacRuairi with having had it built but it almost certainly pre-dates her time It does not appear ever to have been occupied by the Chiefs of Clanranald but it is almost certain that Angus Riabach, a son of Ranald, aforesaid, made it his residence, when he held the lands of Benbecula. After his time there is no trace of any occupant until the time of Ranald, a son of Allan, 9th of Clanranald, who was styled as "of Castleborf." He was succeeded there by his eldest son, Ranald and either he or his son and successor Donald, 3rd of Benbecula, removed to Nunton, which continued to be the family seat after Donald's succession to the Clanranald Chiefship in 1725. The Castle is built upon a rock which was formerly surrounded by the sea. It now stands in a field of machair, the land having been reclaimed more than a hundred years ago by drainage.
Information taken from Newsletter of the Clan Donald Society of Edinburgh, and written by Norman H.MacDonald
