Swiney Castle, remains of, Achastle-shore

Heritage listing

Date Added 08/09/2003 Supplementary Information Updated 03/10/2017 Type Secular: castle Local Authority Highland Parish Latheron NGR ND 23165 33953 Coordinates 323165, 933953 — The monument comprises the grass-covered remains of Swiney Castle, once held by a branch of the Sutherlands of Forse. Situated on a steep-sided promontory, the remains take the form of a large mound flanked by ditches. On the seaward side is a double ditch with a central rampart, while on the landward side is a single ditch. The central mound is about 18m across and up to 2m high. Traces of masonry walling can be seen on the landward side, beside the track which accesses the shore, but similar evidence on the S side, which was observed some years ago, is now obscured by grass cover. An old account describes foundations of a square enclosure with a tower at each corner, but this may have been speculation rather than observation. Until the development of Lybster harbour, Achastle-shore was an important landing place, and the castle is well sited to control it. The site is one which may also have been used in prehistoric times, although no sign of this survives. Even the medieval structure is scantily referenced, but it is believed to have been a dependent of Forse Castle, less than 1km to the E. The area to be scheduled consists of the whole upper surface of the promontory, bounded on the N by the upper edge of the cutting for the shore access track and on the other sides by the upper edge of the rocky coastal slope. It has maximum dimensions of 135m NW-SE by 105m NNE-SSW, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.