Eilean Donan Castle: Exploring a Highland icon, archaeological research excavations 2009-2017

REVIEW BY DEREK ALEXANDER Eilean Donan Castle is indeed a Scottish icon, featuring on many calendars and in movies – Highlander for one. You can’t fail to notice it if you are driving to the Isle of Skye, as it sits on its small island in Loch Duich, protected by a screen of visitor facilities besieged by tourist buses. Of course, the castle looks like it has been preserved from the medieval period, but in fact, after it was destroyed in 1719, it lay abandoned as a ruin until it was rebuilt in the early 20th century. This excellent book reports on the excavation work undertaken around the current castle looking for the remains of the earlier, 13th-century structure. The detailed do