Description:

One of Scotland’s oldest castles, perched on a narrow promontory at the far north-eastern tip of the mainland, is known as “The Old Man of Wick.” Believed to date back to the 12th century, it hails from the time when Caithness was under the rule of the Norse Earls of Orkney, possibly during the era of the rebellious Earl Harald Maddadson, who died in 1206. His sons were the last of the Norse line, and after Jon’s death in 1231, Caithness passed to a son of the Earl of Angus. The only recorded conflict occurred in 1569, when the castle was besieged by the Sinclairs and starved into surrender. Though little of the original structure remains, the dramatic setting makes it a memorable sight for visitors.