In 1303 Sir Alexander de Forbes failed to hold off another English assault. The English must have been dislodged soon after, since in 1298 Urquhart was again controlled by the Scots. In 1297 he was ambushed by Sir Andrew de Moray while returning from Inverness, and Moray subsequently laid siege to the castle, launching an unsuccessful night attack. Edward appointed Sir William Fitz Warin as constable to hold the castle for the English. Edward's invasion marked the beginning of the Wars of Scottish Independence, which would go on intermittently until 1357. The first documentary record of Urquhart Castle occurs in 1296 when it was captured by Edward I of England. In 1275, after Alan's death, the king granted Urquhart to John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch. It is considered likely that the original castle was built soon after this time, centred on the motte at the south-west of the site. On de Lundin's death a few years later it passed to his son Alan Durward. The last of these rebellions was put down in 1229, and to maintain order Alexander II granted Urquhart to his Hostarius (usher or door-ward), Thomas de Lundin. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Meic Uilleim (MacWilliams), descendants of Malcolm III, staged a series of rebellions against David I and his successors. Some sources state that William the Lion had a royal castle at Urquhart in the 12th century, though Professor Alcock finds no evidence for this. The findings led Professor Alcock to conclude that Urquhart is most likely to have been the site of Emchath's residence, rather than that of Bridei who is more likely to have been based at Inverness, either at the site of the castle or at Craig Phadrig to the west. The excavations, supported by radiocarbon dating, indicated that the rocky knoll at the south-west corner of the castle had been the site of an extensive fort between the 5th and 11th centuries. Adomnán also relates that during the visit, Columba converted a Pictish nobleman named Emchath, who was on his deathbed, his son Virolec, and their household, at a place called Airdchartdan. Columba visited Bridei some time between 562 and 586, though little geographical detail is given. Adomnán's Life of Columba records that St. Speculation that Urquhart may have been the fortress of Bridei son of Maelchon, king of the northern Picts, led Professor Leslie Alcock to undertake excavations in 1983. Pieces of vitrified stone, subjected to intense heat and characteristic of early medieval fortification, had been discovered at Urquhart from the early 20th century. The name Urquhart derives from the 7th-century form Airdchartdan, itself a mix of the Old Irish aird (point or promontory) and Old Welsh cardden (thicket or wood). The southern enclosure or Upper Bailey, sited on higher ground, comprises the scant remains of earlier buildings. The northern enclosure or Nether Bailey includes most of the more intact structures, including the gatehouse, and the five-story Grant Tower at the north end of the castle. The buildings of the castle were laid out around two main enclosures on the shore. It was approached from the west and defended by a ditch and drawbridge. The castle, situated on a headland overlooking Loch Ness, is one of the largest in Scotland in area. In the 20th century, it was placed in state care as a scheduled monument and opened to the public: it is now one of the most-visited castles in Scotland and received 547,518 visitors in 2019. Urquhart was partially destroyed in 1692 to prevent its use by Jacobite forces, and subsequently decayed. Despite a series of further raids the castle was strengthened, only to be largely abandoned by the middle of the 17th century. The castle was granted to the Clan Grant in 1509, though conflict with the MacDonalds continued. It was subsequently held as a royal castle and was raided on several occasions by the MacDonald Earls of Ross. Founded in the 13th century, Urquhart played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. The present ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries, though built on the site of an early medieval fortification. The castle is on the A82 road, 21 kilometres (13 mi) south-west of Inverness and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of the village of Drumnadrochit. Urquhart Castle ( / ˈ ɜːr k ər t/ ( listen) Scottish Gaelic: Caisteal na Sròine), a ruin, sits beside Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland.
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