Scheduled MonumentsScotlandKeiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss
350m sse of square of keiss

Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss

Scotland
HES SM623
Site type
350m sse of square of keiss
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Keiss Castle is a ruined stone tower situated near the village of Keiss in Caithness, northern Scotland. The castle dates to the medieval period and stands as evidence of the fortified settlements that characterised the Scottish far north. The structure comprises the remains of a substantial tower, reflecting the defensive architecture typical of late medieval Scottish baronial strongholds. The site's location near the Caithness coast reflects the strategic importance of such fortifications in controlling regional access and maritime activity during the medieval and early modern periods.

Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM623. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss?

Keiss Castle is a ruined stone tower situated near the village of Keiss in Caithness, northern Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM623.

Who is responsible for protecting Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss?

Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss 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 SM623.

What other scheduled monuments are near Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Whitegate Broch (0.5 km), Keiss Broch (0.7 km), Kirk Tofts,broch,Keiss (0.8 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss'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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss

Keiss Castle,350m SSE of Square of Keiss stands on Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is sedimentary rocks.