Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Berriedale Castle

Berriedale Castle

Scotland
HES SM3438
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Berriedale Castle is a 16th-century fortified structure located in Caithness in the far north of Scotland. The castle occupies a strategic position overlooking the River Berriedale and its associated strath, commanding an important route through the landscape. Built during the period of intense clan rivalry in the Highlands, it reflects the defensive architecture typical of the period, with a compact plan suited to withstanding local conflict. The site remains a significant example of early modern Scottish baronial fortification in the north, though substantially ruined, preserving evidence of its role in the territorial control of the Caithness region.

Berriedale Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3438. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Berriedale Castle?

Berriedale Castle is a 16th-century fortified structure located in Caithness in the far north of Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM3438.

Who is responsible for protecting Berriedale Castle?

Berriedale Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM3438.

What other scheduled monuments are near Berriedale Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Langwell Castle or Achastle,230m E of Langwell House (0.5 km), Rinsary, broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m SSW of, Berriedale (1 km), Langwell House,cairn 400m SW of,Berriedale (1.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Berriedale Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Berriedale Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Langwell Castle or Achastle,230m E of Langwell House
230m e of langwell house0.5 km
Rinsary, broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m SSW of, Berriedale
Iron Age · Broch and post-medieval farmstead 300m ssw of, berriedale1 km
Langwell House,cairn 400m SW of,Berriedale
Cairn 400m sw of,berriedale1.1 km
Borgue Langwell, broch, outworks and later settlement, Berriedale
Iron Age · Broch, outworks and later settlement, berriedale1.9 km
Langwell Plantation,souterrain 130m W of Kennels
Iron Age · Souterrain 130m w of kennels1.9 km
Borgue Langwell, homestead 150m NW of broch, Berriedale
Iron Age · Homestead 150m nw of broch, berriedale2 km
Langwell Tulloch, broch 400m SE of Turnal Rock
Iron Age · Broch 400m se of turnal rock2.4 km
Turnal Rock, hut circle complex 250m NW of Langwell Tulloch broch.
Iron Age · Hut circle complex 250m nw of langwell tulloch broch.2.5 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Berriedale Castle

Berriedale Castle stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

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