Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is a complex of ruined stone structures built and modified over a 200-year period by the Sinclair earls of Caithness, historically one of northern Scotland’s most powerful families. Girnigoe Castle was built around 1470 and additions were added through the early 17th century when the castle was renamed Sinclair. (...)
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is a complex of ruined stone structures built and modified over a 200-year period by the Sinclair earls of Caithness, historically one of northern Scotland’s most powerful families. Girnigoe Castle was built around 1470 and additions were added through the early 17th century when the castle was renamed Sinclair. Originally thought to be two separate fortresses, recent excavations and research indicate that the complex was in fact one castle with later additions, and so is now known as Castle Sinclair Girnigoe. The castle was a cultural, artistic, and social center of this region of Scotland until the end of the 17th century, and was of strategic importance as it was situated along cliffs overlooking the North Sea. During the Civil War, Cromwellian troops occupied the complex. It was later damaged by cannon fire during a succession dispute, and has been uninhabited since 1690. The complex passed out of the Sinclair family but was bought back in the 1950s and was donated to a trust set up for its preservation in 1999.
Ruined elements of the complex that survive include the massive tower gate built in the 14th century, a large hall and defensive wall constructed in the 15th century, and a tower house designed as the centerpiece of a major 16th century renovation, which transformed the castle into a Renaissance-inspired fortress.
A lack of maintenance combined with exposure to harsh coastal elements over 300 years, as well as recent vandalism, have left the structures in the roofless complex in varying states of ruin. Most of the section originally called Sinclair Castle was completely ruined; only a chimney, some outer walling, and an access passage remain and were in need of repair to remain standing. The ruins of the tower house, formerly Girnigoe Castle, were in danger of collapsing into the sea. In addition, the cliff walls supporting the castles were actively failing, and the keystones supporting the walls on the precipice were unstable, further threatening the survival of the structures.
