Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin stands approximately a mile north east of Golspie and is the ancestral home of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland. The name is said to be derived from the 6th Earl, Robert, 'Robin's Castle'. <br /> <br /> The castle originally dates back to the first half of the 13th century and was an enormous, fortified square keep but was extensively re-modelled to a Flemish style by Sir Charles Berry, the designer of the House of Commons, in 1840. The original keep is now no longer visible. Much of the interior was destroyed by a fire in 1915 and was re-designed by Sir Robert Lorimer. <br /> <br /> The Sutherland family had an infamous part to play in the history of the Highlands. The 1st Duke of Sutherland "improved" the estate when it was discovered that the land was more profitable as grazing for sheep than it was being farmed by tenant farmers. He is widely held responsible for the most enthusiastic of the Highland Clearances. <br /> <br /> This illustration is taken from 'A History of the Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans and Highland Regiments vol. 2' ed. by John S. Keltie