The date given by the testing, 1372, is earlier than the 1454 licence to fortify, which suggests that building may have begun before the official date. Nothing in the source shows that the donkey story is anything but legend. It is a standard kind of founding tale, in which an animal chooses the site.
Folklore & legend
The Donkey and the Holly Tree at Cawdor
Cawdor Castle (tower vault)
Legend of the 14th or 15th century
Cawdor Castle is privately owned and open to paying visitors in season.
- Evidence
- Long-standing local tradition
- Access
- Open, admission charged
- Location
- 57.524, -3.927 (Sited to the building or field)
Sources: Wikipedia, Cawdor Castle [other]; Discover Highlands and Islands, Cawdor Castle, Macbeth and a Ghost [other]
Comments