Girnigoe - Sinclair Castle

There seems to be some confusion on this castle. Some references claim it is two castles, Girnigoe and Sinclair, and others claim it is one caslte, Girnigoe. Whether one or two, this is a beautiful location and very nice structure.

It is a 15^th 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 4^th 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 6^th 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.