Work to restore a 15th Century castle at Kyleakin on Skye are now complete after the structure of the castle was damaged following a lightning strike in February.
The restoration project on Castle Moil began in July as approximately 30 tonnes of scaffolding was erected around the famous castle, recognised as the ancient seat of the MacKinnon clan.
Pointing work was carried out on the damaged north wall by Shona McLeod of Skye Stones as the site was made safe to allow members of the public to revisit the tourist attraction.
Local contractor DA MacLennan was appointed as the principal contractor on the job, overseeing the works of all trades involved.
Mr MacLennan said: “It is fantastic that we have been able to bring the project full circle and restore this iconic part of Kyleakin.
“Visitors access to the castle has been restricted over the course of work and we are thankful to those who have respected the safety precautions put in place.
“I am delighted as a local man to be involved here and I would like to thank all involved in the project for their hard work and the locals who have been very patient throughout.”
The castle has attracted attention from watchers across the globe with the total cost of the project anticipated to have exceeded the £100,000 mark.
Local councillor John Finlayson said: “Caisteal Maol’s historic, cultural and tourism significance is important to everyone who lives in Kyleakin. All Skye Councillors are delighted that a plan was out in place to stabilise the castle and ensure it will be open for the public to visit in the future.
“We would like to thank everyone for all the efforts involved in making Caisteal Maol safe and special thanks go to Marine Harvest for providing the landing craft free of charge which afforded a significant cost saving to the project.”
The castle attracts numerous visitors each year and is strikingly visible from the Skye Bridge, the gateway to the island.
