Torsay

   TORSAY, an island, in the parish of Kilbrandon and Kilchattan, district of Lorn, county of Argyll. This small isle lies in a sound encompassed by the islands of Seil, Luing, and Shuna, and on the west by the main land of Nether Lorn: it has a quarry of excellent slate, and is inhabited. There is an ancient tower here, which at one period belonged to the great Macdonald, who made it his half-way hunting-seat in his progress from Cantyre to his northern isles; and hence it was called Dog Castle. Macdonald invariably resided in the tower until he had expended the whole of the revenue collected by him in the neighbourhood.