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Dounreay Castle is a Norse fortification located on the north coast of Caithness in the far north of Scotland. The site comprises the remains of a medieval stronghold dating to the medieval period, situated on a promontory that provided natural defensive advantages. The castle is associated with the Norse settlement and lordship of Caithness during the period when Scandinavian influence was significant in northern Scotland. The surviving archaeological remains include stone structures characteristic of medieval fortified settlements in this region.
Dounreay Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6401. View the official record →
Dounreay Castle is a Norse fortification located on the north coast of Caithness in the far north of Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6401.
Dounreay 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 SM6401.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Achvarasdal House,two stones N of (2.2 km), Achvarasdal House, broch 65m NE of (2.3 km), Reay, burial ground, old church and cross slab 175m E of Parish Church (2.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dounreay Castle'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.
Dounreay Castle stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.