Scrabster Castle[a] was a castle, near Burnside, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north and west of Thurso, and 0.5 miles (0.8 km) south of the village of Scrabster, Highland in Scotland, south of Thurso Bay.[1] It is on an eroding promontory.[2]
| Scrabster Castle | |
|---|---|
| Scrabster, Highland, Scotland | |
 Pillbox at Thurso Bay and mounds remaining from castle ruins, with Burnside in the background | |
  Scrabster Castle | |
| Coordinates | 58°36′04″N 3°32′20″W / 58.601013°N 3.538941°W |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | No |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Site history | |
| Built | c. 12th century |
| Built by | Bishop of Caithness |
| In use | 13th to 16th century |
History
editBuilt by the Bishops of Caithness, the castle served as the Bishop's Palace for the bishops of Caithness. Bishop John of Caithness was mutilated by Harald Maddadsson, Mormaer of Caithness, in 1201,[3] after being besieged at the castle, having his tongue and eyes removed for John's refusal to collect Peter's Pence, a tax of 1/10 of the income of every freeman. George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness, seized the castle in 1544.[4] The castle was later a royal castle.[1] The castle was in ruins in the early 18th century.[2]
Structure
editScrabster Castle was a castle of enclosure, with a keep. There is a pillbox within the ruins.[1]
There was a drawbridge towards the land. While erosion has partly destroyed the curtain wall, with other parts obscured by turf banks, short stretches of the outer face are exposed. The inner wall-face of a building about 5 metres (16 ft) square with a mural chamber is visible.[2]
Notes
edit- ^ Also known as Bishop's Palace or Castle of Burnside
Citations
edit- ^ a b c Coventry, Martin (1997) The Castles of Scotland. Goblinshead. ISBN 1-899874-10-0 p. 297.
- ^ a b c "Scrabster Castle". Canmore. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ Coventry 2010, p. 508.
- ^ Coventry 2010, p. 533.
References
edit- Coventry, Martin (2010). Castles of the Clans. Musselburgh: Goblinshead. ISBN 978-1-899874-36-1.