The two castles of Loch Breachacha on the island of Coll

On the shore of Loch Breachacha on the island of Coll, Scotland, there are two structures. The earlier of these is Old Breachacha Castle, a 15th-century stronghold of the Macleans of Coll, who were granted the island in 1431. This castle was superseded by a new dwelling in 1750 but remained occupied for a time, eventually falling into a ruinous state by the mid-19th century.

In 1933, retired Royal Engineer Brig.-Gen. Ernest Moncrieff Paul obtained permission from Lyon King of Arms to take Stewart of Coll as his surname and made Breachacha Castle his seat. Work was performed in the 1930s to prevent further dilapidation, and the castle was eventually restored to livable condition in the 1960s by Nicholas MacLean-Bristol and his wife Lavinia. It is a Category A listed building.

The newer Breachacha Castle, also known as Breachacha House, was constructed in the mid-18th century approximately 140 metres northwest of the old castle. This building is also a Category A listed building and was visited by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell during their tour of the Hebrides. As of June 2017, the newer castle was for sale as a listed property in need of great repair.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons