This is the home of my ancestors, Clan Sinclair. The tower on the right is Castle Girnigoe. It was build in the early 14th century. Castle Sinclair, on the left, was build in the early 17th century only to be beseiged and abandoned in 1690. It is now considered on of the most impressive ruins in northern Scotland. It is located on Sinclair Bay just 3 miles from Wick.
Ive always held a fascination for castles, even when I was little. Now that I know That Girnigoe/Sinclair exists my goal is to one day walk through it's every path and run across it's cliffs.
It is a 15th century keep which has been altered over the years. In 1455, William Sinclair was given
the title of Earl of Caithness. Girnigoe became the seat for the earldom.
The 4th
Earl imprisoned his heir, the Master of Caithness for seven years. The
Master was fed only
salted
beef with no water and eventually died insane from thirst. The 6th Earl
had large debts due to
the
Campbell of Glenorchy, so he turned the lands of Girnigoe over to Campbell.
In 1679,
the Sinclairs of Keiss sieged the castle to recover the seat and title.
The Campbells went to
battle
and the Sinclairs were slaughtered in great numbers. The Sinclairs did
get the Earldom back in
1681,
however, the castle was left to ruin.
Picture copyright Charles
Tait, Orkney
My Sinclair
line
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