© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Castle Girnigoe is a ruined late medieval and early modern fortress located on a headland near Wick in Caithness, northern Scotland. The castle was developed from the late 15th century onwards by the Sinclair family, earls of Caithness, with significant construction and modification continuing into the 17th century. The site comprises two distinct castles, Girnigoe and Sinclair, which occupy adjacent rocky promontories and were connected by a causeway, representing an impressive defensive stronghold commanding the Moray Firth coastline. The remains include curtain walls, towers, and domestic structures that demonstrate the architectural evolution of Scottish castle design across more than two centuries, reflecting the strategic importance and sustained occupation of this northern stronghold by one of Scotland's most powerful noble families.
Castle Girnigoe and Castle Sinclair is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM622. View the official record →
Castle Girnigoe is a ruined late medieval and early modern fortress located on a headland near Wick in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM622.
Castle Girnigoe and Castle Sinclair 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 SM622.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wick Airfield bomb stores, 315m and 400m SSE and 470m SE of Upper Ackergill (2.4 km), Cairn of Elsay, broch, Staxigoe (3.1 km), The Pap,broch 350m E of Hillhead (3.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Castle Girnigoe and Castle Sinclair's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Castle Girnigoe and Castle Sinclair stands on Middle Devonian sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is major:{sandstone}, Minor{siltstone,marl}.