A new book, The Archaeology of Finlaggan by Dr David Caldwell, condenses 30 years of excavation and analysis, showing the site was not only the ceremonial and political hub of the Macdonald dynasty (1300–1500AD) but also home to a grand, long-forgotten castle.

Findings reveal a massive stone tower, courtyards, workshops, homes, a chapel and a great hall for feasting – on a scale comparable with royal castles in England. The tower itself, around 19 metres across, places the site firmly in the realm of Europe’s elite strongholds.

The research also traces Finlaggan’s use back centuries, from prehistoric settlement to a Viking assembly site, before it became a royal residence of the Norse-Gaelic kings who preceded the Lords of the Isles.

Dr Caldwell, who led excavations between 1989 and 1998, said the project has been “a major part of my life since the 1990s” and hopes it lays the groundwork for future study.

Finlaggan’s rediscovered grandeur underscores the wealth, power and royal ambitions of the Lords of the Isles, who styled themselves “Kings of the Isles” and negotiated as equals with English and Scottish monarchs.