The large and somewhat noisy black and white birds with the distinctive red beaks which are commonly seen round the castle are oystercatchers.
West highland folklore states that these birds were given their white feathers (which in flight are shaped like a cross) in recognition of their service to Jesus.
In the Gaelic language their cry “bi glic, hi glic, bi glic, hi glic” means “be wise, be prudent” and in the past, fishermen and mariners on the west coast of Scotland regarded this cry as the warning of an approaching storm.