ying ▁at ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁Man x ▁capital ▁until ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁The ▁centre ▁of ▁town ▁is ▁domin ated ▁by ▁Castle ▁R ush en , ▁a ▁well - pres erved ▁medieval ▁castle , ▁originally ▁built ▁for ▁a ▁Vik ing ▁king . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Cast let own ▁is ▁the ▁former ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁Is le ▁of ▁Man ▁and ▁site ▁of ▁T yn wald , ▁and ▁can ▁trace ▁its ▁roots ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 0 9 0 . ▁The ▁town ▁has ▁narrow ▁streets ▁and ▁small ▁fish ing ▁c ott ages . ▁Castle ▁R ush en ▁( at ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁town ) ▁was ▁originally ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 2 6 5 ▁for ▁a ▁Nor se ▁king , ▁then ▁fort ified ▁and ▁added ▁to ▁by ▁success ive ▁r ul ers ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁and ▁ 1 6 th ▁centuries . ▁The ▁castle ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁for tr ess , ▁a ▁residence ▁for ▁the ▁Kings ▁and ▁L ords ▁of ▁Mann , ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁a ▁mint ▁and ▁even ▁a ▁prison ▁( p ast ▁prisoners ▁include ▁a ▁bishop ▁and ▁two ▁newspaper ▁edit ors ). ▁The ▁town ▁and ▁castle ▁were ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁sie ges ▁and ▁batt les , ▁especially ▁during ▁the ▁years ▁when ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁passed ▁between ▁the ▁Nor se , ▁Sc ots ▁and ▁English . ▁Robert ▁the ▁Bruce ▁laid ▁sie ge ▁to ▁and ▁captured ▁the ▁castle ▁three ▁times . ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁and