Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

This illustration of Castle Sinclair Girnigoe in Caithness is taken from 'Tours in Scotland 1747, 1750, 1760' by Richard Pococke, Bishop of Meath, published by the Scottish History Society, 1887.<br /> <br /> It had previously been believed that two castles had been built here by the Earls of Caithness, one in the 15th century and the second at the beginning of the 17th century. The main structure became known as Castle Girnigoe and the other Castle Sinclair. It was thought that both had been destroyed by cannon during a siege in 1690.<br /> <br /> However, the survey by FAS found that there had only ever been one castle on the site. Construction had begun as early as the late 14th century and the buildings had been added to over the years with the final additions made in the 17th century. <br /> <br /> In 1606 the Earl of Caithness had obtained an Act of Parliament to change the name of the Castle from Castle Girnigoe to Castle Sinclair but both names remained in use which led to the confusion and error that there were two Castles on the site.<br /> <br /> Castle Sinclair Girnigoe opened to the public on 1 August 2010 after a decade-long restoration project costing £700,000. A further two phases are planned which will turn the building into a major tourist attraction.