Castles · Scottish Islands
Scrabster Castle
In or near Halkirk.
Scrabster Castle — architectural structure in Highland, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Thurso · 1.4 km
- Family-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Scrabster Castle, the nearest railway station is Thurso, located 1.4 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is KW14 7UG. Please note that the site is not wheelchair accessible.
About
Scrabster Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "architectural structure in Highland, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 58.6008°, -3.5389°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Scrabster Castle 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. It is on an eroding promontory.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Scrabster Castle 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. It is on an eroding promontory.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Built 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, 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. The castle was later a royal castle. The castle was in ruins in the early 18th century.
Architecture
Scrabster Castle was a castle of enclosure, with a keep. There is a pillbox within the ruins. 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 m square with a mural chamber is visible.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.6008, -3.5389
- District
- Highland
- Postcode
- KW14 7UG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
- Nearest railway station
- Thurso — 1.4 km
- Opening
- no
Sources
- wikidata: Q56661827 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Scrabster Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Pillbox at Thurso Bay - geograph.org.uk - 244031.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Scrabster Castle (site of)
Castles · 0.0 km
Thurso Caravan Park
Campsites · 0.7 km
Victoria Walk
Viewpoints · 0.8 km
Wolfburn Distillery
Distilleries · 0.9 km
Congregational Church, Castle Street, Thurso
Historic churches · 1.0 km
Magnus Mowat Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 1.0 km
Original Wolfburn Distillery
Distilleries · 1.0 km
St Andrew's Church, Olrig Street, Thurso
Historic churches · 1.1 km
Dr John Grant Smith Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 1.1 km
Thurso
Villages · 1.2 km
St Peter's Parish Church and Church Rooms, Princes Street, Thurso
Historic churches · 1.2 km
Sir George Sinclair Memorial Fountain
Memorials & monuments · 1.2 km
Nearby
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📷 3Frequently asked questions
- Where is Scrabster Castle?
- Scrabster Castle is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW14 7UG).
- What is Scrabster Castle?
- Scrabster Castle — architectural structure in Highland, Scotland, UK.
- How do I get to Scrabster Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Thurso, about 1.4 km away. Drivers can use postcode KW14 7UG.
- Is Scrabster Castle a listed building?
- Scrabster Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Does Scrabster Castle charge admission?
- Scrabster Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Scrabster Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Thurso, about 1.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode KW14 7UG.