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Castle Howe is a medieval Norse castle and prehistoric settlement located in Orkney, Scotland, protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1434. The site occupies Middle Devonian sandstone bedrock interspersed with siltstone and marl, geology that has shaped both settlement and construction across millennia. This durable stone foundation provided material for medieval building and earlier inhabitants who recognised the site's defensive and practical advantages.
The Norse castle represents Orkney's period of Scandinavian rule, when the islands formed part of the Norwegian earldom. Medieval settlers chose this location deliberately, exploiting the local geology and natural topography to establish a fortified residence. The sandstone outcrops would have afforded both defensive position and ready building material.
Beneath the medieval structures lie traces of prehistoric occupation, indicating that Castle Howe's strategic value was recognised long before Norse settlement. The concentration of settlement activity across such different periods demonstrates how the site's geographical and geological characteristics—commanding position and accessible stone—made it repeatedly attractive to successive inhabitants of Orkney.
Castle Howe, Norse Castle and prehistoric settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1434. View the official record →
Castle Howe is a medieval Norse castle and prehistoric settlement located in Orkney, Scotland, protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1434.
Castle Howe, Norse Castle and prehistoric settlement dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a norse castle and prehistoric settlement. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Castle Howe, Norse Castle and prehistoric settlement 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 SM1434.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Lower Cornquoy, barrow 225m SSE of, Holm (1.2 km), North Cairn,chambered cairn,Rose Ness (1.7 km), Holm Battery, coast artillery battery 195m SW of East Breckan (2.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Castle Howe, Norse Castle and prehistoric settlement'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 Howe, Norse Castle and prehistoric settlement stands on Middle Devonian sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is major:{sandstone}, Minor{siltstone,marl}.