On A99 on the John O Grouts road. Keiss Castle tower ruins, Keiss, Caithess, Scotland, UK. Keiss Castle stands at the northern end of Sinclair Bay overlooking a long beach and was one of three fortifications that controlled this territory (the others were Ackergill Castle and Girnigoe Castle). Allegedly built over the site of an earlier fortification, known as Reddar, it was built in the late sixteenth/early seventeenth century by George Sinclair, Fifth Earl of Caithness. It was configured as a 'Z' plan Tower House that was four storeys tall with an apex roof and attic. The first record of the castle dates from 1623 when George defied King James VI (I of England). In response the King dispatched Sir Robert Gordon to raid Caithness and, although the rebellious Earl provisioned his castles for a siege, he withdrew to Orkney. All three castles surrendered without a fight to Sir Robert but were eventually returned to the Earl's son - George, Lord Berriedale. Little is known about his tenure other than in 1638 when he wrote to his own son, scalding him for his support for the National Covenant. In 1643 the castle passed to George Sinclair, Sixth Earl of Caithness. He built Thurso Castle which he used as his main residence with Keiss being allowed to decay. This was only exacerbated when the Sinclairs found themselves embroiled in a bitter dispute over land and title with the Campbells of Glenorchy. First the courts then the King supported the

圖片編號：
拍攝者： Loinshoes