Islay Heritage conducted excavations at Dunyvaig Castle in 2018, 2019 and 2021. The reports are available here: http://islayheritage.org/dunyvaig/
The castle is a scheduled monument (SM4747) under care of Historic Environment Scotland, while remains in the ownership of Lagavulin/Diageo. During the course of the excavations, the need for repairs to the walls of the castle to avoid further deterioration became evident.
The castle is increasingly threatened by climate change, leading to higher and stormier seas, and increasing visitor numbers that can destabilise the masonry. Islay Heritage approached Historic Environment Scotland and secured funding for an updated conservation assessment. We commissioned GRAS architects to undertake the work and are pleased to share a copy of their report, received in August 2022. Some key areas of the castle are described as being in a parlous state, with a need for immediate and urgent repairs to be undertaken within a programme of overall consolidation.
We have submitted this report to Historic Environment Scotland and shared it with Lagavulin/Diageo. We hope a collaboration will develop to enable funding to be secured to protect the castle, one of Islay’s most important and much loved historic sites.