Introduction
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is located at top of sheer cliffs which border the Pentland Firth in N.E. Scotland, once a major trade route. The ‘Sinclair’ element of the name derives from St. Clair in northern France from where the powerful family of the same name originated. The family can also trace Scottish and Norse ancestry.
History of the Castle-Tranche 1
Back in the late 15th century Sir William Sinclair, the 2nd Earl of Caithness, extended the pre-existing fortalice (a fortified house) into a substantial castle incorporating an inner and outer moat. Sir William was killed fighting the English at the Battle of Flodden in 1513 as a consequence of which the castle passed to the 3rd Earl.
Although the Sinclairs of Girnigoe owned other castles in the region of Caithness, including the Castle of Mey, Girnigoe was always their principal residence.
The castle underwent various embellishments and alterations to reflect the changing fashions and trends. Under the 5th Earl (aka ‘Wicked George’) improvements continued and the castle morphed into a grand mansion. Unfortunately, George triggered disputes with many of his neighbours. In 1588 the 12th Earl of Sutherland laid siege to Girnigoe for 12 days This action proved unsuccessful.
In 1652 the castle was requisitioned by Oliver Cromwell’s forces for the English army (which was fighting a civil war against the monarchy).
On the death of the 5th Earl in 1676 the castle and title were passed to his main creditor (and 4th cousin) Sir John Campbell of Glenorchy. These transfers caused an intra-family squabble. Outcome was that Sir George Sinclair of Keiss ( a first cousin) raided the castle and removed furniture and roofs.
Sir John Campbell was, naturally, displeased and his actions resulted in a clan battle in 1680 at Altimarlach, near Wick, at which the Campbells prevailed. However, in 1681, George Sinclair successfully petitioned the Privy Council for return of the earldom whilst the Campbells retained the land.
History of the Castle-Tranche 2
Next, the castle was abandoned and succumbed to the twin depredations of a hostile climate and looting of the stonework by locals. Fortunately, the eastern section of the castle was saved by removal of the drawbridge over the moat.
In 1953, the property was re-acquired by the Sinclair family via purchase by the 19th Earl of Caithness. Then in 1999 was handed by the 20th Earl to the not-for-profit, Clan Sinclair Trust for conservation and restoration work.
Today, Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is a scheduled monument listed in the World Monuments Fund as one the world’s top 100 Endangered Sites.
Clan Sinclair
Today, this castle is an important site for members of Clan Sinclair who wish to connect with their history. This site is in the same broad Sinclair family who are credited with building of the very popular, Rosslyn Chapel.
Visiting
There is a railway station at nearby Wick. Both this castle and the Castle of Mey can be visited in course of undertaking the North Coast 500 touring route. Refer castle website for opening times and access.
More Information
Please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4, for more information on Scottish castles, history and sightseeing.
Acknowledgement: Some of the information in this article was sourced from Scotland Magazine.