- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- 1598 · 16th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 60.6895°, -0.8492°
History
The castle was built in 1598 by Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie, half-brother of Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney, who had made him chief administrator and judge of Shetland. Bruce was known for his harsh rule and for his feuds with his nephew Earl Patrick Stewart, the builder of Scalloway Castle. The work is attributed to the master mason Andrew Crawford, who also built for Earl Patrick. The castle follows a Z-plan: a rectangular block with round towers at diagonally opposite corners. According to tradition it was burnt by privateers in 1627, and in the 18th century it was abandoned and fell into ruin.
What to see
The roofless rubble walls stand on grassy coastland in the south-east of Unst, looking out to sea. You can enter the vaulted ground-floor rooms, including the kitchen, and see the remains of stairs, fireplaces and gunloops, as well as the decorative corbelling of the corner turrets. The ruin is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and freely accessible.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q2278554
Popularity: articles about this site in 15 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).