The Return of Ardvreck’s Lost Guns
Swedish artillery, a royal siege, and a remarkable Highland mystery
For decades, two cannons associated with Ardvreck Castle were believed lost to Assynt. Their recent return to the care of Historic Assynt has opened a new chapter of research.
Specialists from the Big Cannon Project have identified the guns as seventeenth-century Swedish Finbanker cannons. Historical records suggest that two field guns were present at Ardvreck Castle during the events leading to the siege of 1672.
Could the returned cannons be those same weapons?
The cannons come home
For many local people, the cannons formed part of the story of Ardvreck Castle.
When they were removed from Assynt in the 1970s, their future became uncertain. Over time, many believed they had been lost to the area permanently.
Their return represents more than the recovery of two historic objects. It restores an important part of Assynt’s heritage to the community and gives Historic Assynt the opportunity to investigate their history in greater detail than ever before.
“If we are honest, most of us believed that we would never see them again, but thanks to a generous benefactor who very much values their anonymity and some amazing people who helped us re-home them, we can today announce that the Ardvreck cannons are back in Assynt.”
— Dave McBain, Chair of Historic Assynt
Identified as Swedish Finbankers
With the help of specialists from the Big Cannon Project, the cannons have been identified as Swedish Finbanker field guns, a type of cast-iron cannon widely used during the seventeenth century.
Swedish ironworks were among the major artillery producers in Europe. Their guns were exported widely and circulated through international networks of trade and warfare.
The presence of Swedish artillery at Ardvreck is therefore significant. It connects a remote Highland castle with a much wider European world of technology, conflict and commerce.
Historic Assynt is grateful to the Big Cannon Project for its specialist assistance in identifying the guns.
Research in progress
Preliminary examination suggests that traces of markings may survive on the breech of the cannons beneath centuries of corrosion.
Future investigation using methods such as detailed photography, photogrammetry and raking-light photography may help identify surviving makers’ marks and potentially provide further evidence about foundry and date of manufacture.
Did these guns help trigger a siege?
Archaeology meets history
In 1672, Neil MacLeod of Assynt was accused of several offences against the Crown, including maintaining an armed garrison at Ardvreck Castle and possessing artillery.
King Charles II authorised Kenneth Mackenzie of Seaforth to take action against MacLeod through a Commission of Fire and Sword, leading to the siege of Ardvreck Castle.
The siege marked a major turning point in the history of the castle and the MacLeods of Assynt.
Historical sources suggest that two field guns formed part of the accusations used to justify action against Neil MacLeod.
Today, two Swedish field guns of the correct historical period survive.
Could they be the same weapons?
The Ardvreck cannonball
Historic Assynt has long cared for a cannonball discovered near Ardvreck Castle.
During recent investigation, the cannonball was found to fit the bore of the returned cannons.
This is not conclusive proof that the guns were used at Ardvreck, but it provides another intriguing connection between the surviving artillery and the castle.
While definitive proof remains elusive, the evidence suggests that the surviving cannons may be connected to the documented events of 1672.
What was a Commission of Fire and Sword?
A Commission of Fire and Sword was one of the most severe legal powers available in seventeenth-century Scotland.
It could authorise its recipient to pursue named individuals, raise armed forces, seize property, suppress resistance and, if necessary, use lethal force.
In effect, it allowed a nobleman or clan chief to conduct a legally sanctioned campaign against those named in the commission.
What happens next?
The next phase of work will focus on:
- detailed photography and photogrammetry;
- investigation of possible makers’ marks;
- further documentary research into the garrisoning and siege of Ardvreck;
- specialist advice on conservation and preservation;
- improved archaeological recording;
- identifying an appropriate long-term home and display solution;
- continuing to interpret and share the research with the community.
Questions still to be answered
There is still much we do not know.
Can the cannons be directly linked to the 1672 siege?
Who supplied them, and how did they reach Assynt?
Were they ever fired?
Can surviving markings identify their foundry or date more precisely?
What other stories can these guns reveal about Ardvreck, Assynt and seventeenth-century Scotland?
Can you help?
Do you have old photographs of the cannons, memories of seeing them at Ardvreck, documents, family stories or other information that might help with the research?
Historic Assynt would be very pleased to hear from you.
More than cannons
These objects are evidence of international trade, Highland politics, royal authority, community memory and a castle whose story is still being uncovered.