Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

Coordinates: 58°28′41″N 3°04′05″W / 58.478014°N 3.068082°W / 58.478014; -3.068082
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe
Wick, Caithness,
L-plan tower house with numerous extensions
Site information
Ownerthe Sinclair Castle Trust
Open to
the public		Yes
ConditionRuin
Site history
Builtbetween 1476 and 1496
Built byWilliam Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness
In use15th century to 17th century
MaterialsStone

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is located about 3 miles north of

Wick on the east coast of Caithness, Scotland. It is considered to be one of the earliest seats of Clan Sinclair. It comprises the ruins of two castles: the 15th-century Castle Girnigoe; and the early 17th-century Castle Sinclair. They are designated as a scheduled monument.[1]
Lady Amanda Carruthers currently holds the sole title deeds to Castle Sinclair Girnigoe registration no #120439

History

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe today.

The earlier Castle Girnigoe was built by

fortalice.[2]

Olave Sinclair, the foud of Shetland, was brought to Girnigoe in May 1573, paralysed after a stroke.[3] In 1577, George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness, imprisoned his own son John Sinclair, Master of Caithness, in Castle Girnigoe, on suspicion of rebelling against his rule. He was held there for seven years, after which his father fed him a diet of salted beef, with nothing to drink, so that he eventually died insane from thirst.[4] The rebel Earl of Bothwell was at Girnigoe in December 1594.[5]

Expansion occurred in 1606 when Castle Sinclair was built, comprising a gatehouse and other buildings, along with a curtain wall. These were connected to the earlier castle by a drawbridge over a ravine.[2] The same year George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness, requested the Scottish Parliament to change the name to Castle Sinclair, but because the names Castle Sinclair and Castle Girnigoe were both written down in 1700, both names have been in use since.[6]

Robert Sinclair describes Girnigoe as "an adapted 5-storey

crow-stepped gabled tower house, which sat upon a rocky promontory jutting out into Sinclair Bay. Of interest is the secret chamber in the vaulted ceiling of the kitchen."[2]

In 1672,

Earl of Breadalbane by way of compensation.[10][11]

Preservation

Since 1998 the Clan Sinclair Trust has been carrying out archaeological research in the castle and are also seeking to preserve the castle.[12] The castle is the only castle in Scotland which is listed by the World Monuments Fund.[13]

Image gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Castle Girnigoe and Castle Sinclair (SM622)". Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-1481795708
    .
  3. ^ John H. Ballantyne & Brian Smith, Shetland Documents, 1195-1579 (Lerwick, 1999), p. 153 no. 202.
  4. ^ "The Scottish Nation: Caithness". Electric Scotland. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  5. ^ Annie Cameron, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1936), p. 513.
  6. ^ "Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, Caithness". Caithness.org. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  7. Calder, James Tait (1861). Sketch of the Civil and Traditional History of Caithness, from the tenth century. Glasgow: Thomas Murray and Son. pp. 160-168. Retrieved 12 February 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain
    .
  8. ^ a b Saint-Clair, Ronald William (1898). The Saint Clairs Of The Isles. Auckland: Brett, General Printer and Publisher, Shortland and Fort Streets. p. 213. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  9. ^ Mackay, Robert (1829). History of the House and Clan of Mackay. Edinburgh: Printed for the author, by Andrew Jack & Co. pp. 374-375. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  10. ^
    Newgate Street, London: A. Fullarton & Co, pp. 524–525, retrieved 12 February 2021{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link
    )
  11. W. & A.K. Johnston. 1900. p. 7
    . Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, Caithness". caithness.org. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Who are Scotland's present day clan chiefs ?". The Scotsman. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Castle Sinclair Girnigoe.
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