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Castle of Old Wick is a medieval castle situated in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. The structure occupies a dramatic headland position, its foundations anchored into the Middle Old Red Sandstone bedrock that underlies the site. This geological foundation, formed during the Middle Devonian period from conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone deposits, has provided a stable base for the castle's construction and has helped preserve it through centuries of exposure to the harsh northern climate.
The castle represents a significant example of medieval fortification in the northern Highlands, likely constructed to command the surrounding landscape and coastline. Its location in Caithness places it within a region of strategic importance during the medieval period, where such fortified strongholds served both defensive and administrative functions for the local ruling powers.
The monument is now protected by Historic Environment Scotland, designated under the reference SM90065, recognising its importance as a heritage asset. The enduring qualities of the Old Red Sandstone bedrock have allowed substantial elements of the medieval structure to survive to the present day, making it an important archaeological and architectural record of medieval life and settlement patterns in the far north of Scotland.
Wick,Castle of Old Wick is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90065. View the official record →
Castle of Old Wick is a medieval castle situated in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90065.
Wick,Castle of Old Wick dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle of old wick. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Wick,Castle of Old Wick 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 SM90065.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Thrumster Little,broch,Thrumster (4.3 km), Rockhill, standing stone 225m SW of (5.2 km), Thrumster House, broch 210m S of (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Wick,Castle of Old Wick'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.
Wick,Castle of Old Wick stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.