Dunbeath Castle
Dunbeath Castle is a castle on the east coast of the Scottish county of Caithness (now part of the Highland administrative division ), about 2 km south of the village of Dunbeath . A castle existed on this site from the 15th century, but the current castle dates mainly from the 17th century with additions from the 19th century.
history
A castle is first mentioned in 1428 on the rocky peninsula of Dunbeath, when these lands belonged to the Earls of Caithness . The first laird recorded was Alexander Sutherland . Later the area became the property of the Sinclair clan through the marriage of the daughter of Alexander Sutherland with William Sinclair (1410-1484), the first Earl of Caithness of the Sinclair family. In 1620, the Sinclairs had an earlier castle replaced by a four-story residential tower .
In March 1650, Dunbeath Castle was attacked by Royalist forces under James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose , during the Civil War . Sir John Sinclair rode to Edinburgh to warn of the arrival of the Marquess of Montrose and left it to his wife to defend Dunbeath Castle against Sir John Hurry . She soon had to surrender and the castle was occupied by a royalist garrison. The Marquess of Montrose was defeated at the Battle of Carbisdale in April and the opposition forces under David Leslie retook Dunbeath Castle.
In the 17th century Sir William Sinclair had the castle converted into a palace. Further renovations took place in 1853 and 1881 under the direction of the architect David Bryce . From 1894 to 1945 the castle belonged to Vice Admiral Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair . In 1945 the property, which had been in the hands of the Sinclair family for 325 years, was sold to Bertram Currie . In 1967 it was sold again to Harry Blythe and Helen (Sinclair) Blythe . They owned the castle until 1976 when it was sold to Richard Stanton Avery . In 1997 he sold it on to its current owner, Stuart Wyndham Murray-Threipland . The castle is still privately owned and not open to the public.
architecture
The oldest part of the castle is located on the south-west corner and mostly dates from the 17th century. More modern additions were made in the north and east in the Scottish Baronial Style, so that it matched the earlier buildings. The interior of the castle has undergone major changes. The character of a defensive structure was enhanced by adding a dry ditch on the land side, which separates the narrow headland on which the castle stands from the mainland.
Historic Scotland has listed Dunbeath Castle as a Category A Historic Building.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dunbeath Castle . In: Canmore . Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ↑ a b c d D. B. Miller: Historic Castles and Families of the North 9. Dunbeath Castle - The Sutherlands & Sinclairs of Dunbeath . In: Caithness Field Club Bulletin . April 1979. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ↑ a b Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
Web links
Coordinates: 58 ° 14 ′ 6 " N , 3 ° 26 ′ 8" W.