Talk:Caisteal Maol

Quality scale
I changed the quality class to a C. The article is certainly better now than a "stub" as it was previously rated. And it does meet the criteria for a C and is borderline B class in my opinion.

--Bryan MacKinnon (talk) 02:16, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

References to "Findanus Castle"
I can’t find any references that can confirm that Castle Moil was also called 'Finandus Castle'. There is references of a castle by that name in Skye, but nothing linking the two. Thus, I took this name out. I hope the changes are satisfying.

I may have been mistaken when I used that as one of nick names, Findanus, was the Lord (or whatever you call him) that owned the castle. He was the guy who married Saucy Mary. So some of the references I saw refered to it as "Findanus Castle", because he was the resident. "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacKinnon" Pixitha 21:29, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Regarding the reference to "Findanus Castle", I provide the below from "A SHORT HISTORY By Flight Lieutenant C. R. MacKINNON, F. S. A. (Scot). R. A. F, 1958"

The progenitor of the clan was Findanus, second son of Doungallus, eldest son of Prince Gregor who was the 3rd and youngest son of King Alpin. Between 880 and 900 Findanus obtained the estates of Tobermory, Mull, the clan's first principal seat. Findanus also occupied Findanus Castle in Skye, although at this time the MacKinnons had no connection with Strathaird or Strathardale which from the early 14th century was its principal possession for over 400 years.

--Bryan MacKinnon (talk) 03:16, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Historical accuracy
Should the article perhaps be amended to indicate that the story of Saucy Mary and the chain across the strait is a legend, without any firm (or even plausible) historical basis? As I understand it, the present building (or what is left of it) probably dates back only to the 15th century.

The castle makes an enjoyably brief, child-friendly and rather boggy excursion from Kyleakin.

45ossington 09:13, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

The Genealogy of the Clan MacKinnon has the following entry for the fourth chief of the clan Findanus: Second son of Doungallus, was seized of the estate of the Tombermory in the Isle of Mull and Findanus Castle (Dunakin) in the Isle of Skye, known by the name of MacKinnon Castle in the present day; this castle was the residence of the Lairds of MacKinnon till the 14th century, when Strathardill, also in Skye, became their seat. Findanus and his bride, the Norse princess nicknamed ‘Saucy Mary,’ ran a heavy chain from Skye to Lochalsh and levied a toll on all shipping passing up and down. It is from him that the MacKinnon chiefs obtained their Gaelic Patronymic.

--Bryan MacKinnon (talk) 04:53, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I would be interested to know the date of the first surviving historical reference (or other evidence) to Saucy Mary - one wonders what standard of historical reliability was demanded by the author of the Genealogy of the Clan Mackinnon. Quite apart from anything else, one's mind boggles at the feat of early engineering that would have been required to run a chain across the strait! 45ossington (talk) 12:22, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Following the Skye bridge route and using Google Earth as a tool, I estimate it's about about 500 meters of chain broken into two segments The direct path from Caisteal Maol to the mainland is about 600 to 700 meters in one segment. In addition to the earliest citation, I'd like to see any other historical precedents anywhere before modern times.

--Bryan MacKinnon (talk) 02:36, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

"one's mind boggles at the feat of early engineering that would have been required to run a chain across the strait!" On that note... one's mind boggles at the feat of early engineering that would have been required to build the pyramids! One wonders what standard of historical reliability was demanded by the "grave robbers" of Egypt. (It's good to see Wikipedia keeping up it's standards of "good enough as long as no admins get their feelings hurt.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.58.247.77 (talk) 22:40, 8 October 2010 (UTC)

Not a broch
I removed the reference that this 15th century castle was a broch, and also removed the broch category. Lianachan (talk) 22:46, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

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