Castle of Old Wick **

Region: Caithness, Sutherland & Ross

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Description:

This is one of Scotland’s oldest castles, perched on a narrow promontory on the far north-eastern tip of the mainland. "The Old Man Of Wick" as it's sometimes called is considered to date to the 12th century, when Caithness was part of the lands ruled over by the Norse Earls of Orkney, and potentially to the time of the rebellious Earl Harald Maddadson, who died in 1206. His sons were the last of the old Norse line, and when his son Jon died in 1231, Caithness was granted to a son of the Earl of Angus. The only recorded action was in 1569, when it was besieged by the Sinclairs and starved into submission. There is not all that much of the original structure, but to the visitor the setting is great.