Clan
Sinclair
[Clan Sinclair]
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Scotland
Pictures of Scotland
Scotland
   Quarterman
   2006
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Tongue, 30 May 2006
   Tongue
   30 May 2006
Strath Halladale, 30 May 2006
   Strath Halladale
   30 May 2006
Brims Castle, 30 May 2006
   Brims Castle
   30 May 2006
Scara Bra, 31 May 2006
   Skara Brae
   31 May 2006
Thurso, 31 May 2006
   Thurso
   31 May 2006
Noss Head Lighthouse, 1 June 2006
   Noss Head
   1 June 2006
Girnigoe, 1 June 2006
   Girnigoe
   1 June 2006
Sponsor:
Q
Gretchen
scotland2006@quarterman.org 		[index to photographs]

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, 1 June 2006

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe; see also this story in the John O'Groat Journal.

The castle literature claims the site was held by the Sinclair family since at least 1379, which means the castle was probably begun by Henry Sinclair (c. 1345 - c. 1400) 1st Earl of Orkney.

Some of the walls and early buildings were built by William Sinclair (c. 1455 - 1513), 2nd Earl of Caithness, who made it his seat after 1468 and who died at Flodden.

The high gatehouse and tower house were built by Wicked Earl George Sinclair, the 5th Sinclair Earl of Caithness, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

       For tours from small to large, we (jsq & Gretchen) recommend James Campbell of Explore and Discover Tours.

Girnigoe from Noss Head
[Girnigoe from Noss Head, with seagull]
, with seagull
Tower House (Girnigoe Castle)
[Tower House (Castle Girnigoe; 15th or 17th cent.)]
Tower House (Castle Girnigoe; 15th or 17th cent.) 		[Tower House with goe (arm of sea)]
Tower House with goe (arm of sea) 		[Goe 2]
Goe 2
Gate Keep (Castle Sinclair)
[Gate Keep (Castle Sinclair; 14th cent.?)]
Gate Keep (Castle Sinclair; 14th cent.?) 		[Gate Keep 2]
Gate Keep 2 		[Gate Keep 3]
Gate Keep 3
Going in
[Entry bridge]
Entry bridge 		[No access beyond this point.]
No access beyond this point. 		[Ian says come right in.]
Ian says come right in. 		[Elsie says no problem.]
Elsie says no problem.
Inside the Gate Keep
[Across the bay]
Across the bay 		[Sea stack]
Sea stack 		[Scaffolding]
Scaffolding 		[Walls or midden]
Walls or midden 		[Across the bay 2]
Across the bay 2
Rooms
[A room]
A room 		[Hole in wall]
Hole in wall 		[Small arch]
Small arch
Walls
[Ian explaining plans to pull that wall more upright]
Ian explaining plans to pull that wall more upright 		[Down to the slate]
Down to the slate 		[Narrow way]
Narrow way
More walls
[Ian pointing out wall joins]
Ian pointing out wall joins 		[Nice smooth walls]
Nice smooth walls 		[With seagull]
With seagull 		[Different types of construction]
Different types of construction 		[The original floor]
The original floor
Dirty dog
[Who, me?]
Who, me? 		[Let dirty dogs lie]
Let dirty dogs lie 		[Dirty dog standing]
standing
Into the Tower House
[Not that way!]
Not that way! 		[Nice arch]
Nice arch 		[Window slit]
Window slit 		[Downwards]
Downwards
Inside the Tower House
[James and the arches]
James and the arches 		[Windows]
Windows 		[At least three stories aboveground, maybe more]
At least three stories aboveground, maybe more 		[Arch over nothing, and circle in wall]
Arch over nothing, and circle in wall 		[Narrow air]
Narrow air
More Tower House
[It's green out there]
It's green out there 		[Light source]
Light source 		[Center marker for arch drawing]
Center marker for arch drawing
Harold
[Ian instructing Peggy to look in the corner]
Ian instructing Peggy to look in the corner 		[I don't see anything]
I don't see anything 		[Writing?]
Writing?
Into the Well Room
[Down into the well room]
Down into the well room 		[Down to the right]
Down to the right 		[Vertigo]
Vertigo 		[Construction details]
Construction details
In the Well Room
[Large stone]
Large stone 		[With writing]
With writing 		[The only light]
The only light 		[Robert Henderson 1861]
Robert Henderson 1861
More Well Room
[Wall?]
Wall? 		[Ian lights the well]
Ian lights the well 		[Corner]
Corner 		[Steps?]
Steps?
Gull window
[Gull window]
 [Gull window 2]
2 		[Gull window 3]
3
Back upstairs
[Chimney?]
Chimney? 		[Chimney 2?]
Chimney 2? 		[Out back]
Out back 		[Fence on mainland]
Fence on mainland
Peninsula
[Noss Head Lighthouse from Castle Sinclair Girnigoe]
Noss Head Lighthouse from Castle Sinclair Girnigoe 		[Peaked roof with newer superstructure]
Peaked roof with newer superstructure 		[Tower House 1]
Tower House 1 		[Quarry]
Quarry 		[Goe and Noss Head Lighthouse 2]
Goe and Noss Head Lighthouse 2
The Sea Gate
[Sea Gate arch]
Sea Gate arch 		[Ian and the sea gate]
Ian and the sea gate 		[Ian explains to the lineup]
Ian explains to the lineup
Going out
[Way out]
Way out 		[Right this way]
Right this way 		[Yes, this way]
Yes, this way 		[Ian explaining layers of construction]
Ian explaining layers of construction
Back through the Gate Keep arch
[Gate Keep arch shoring]
Gate Keep arch shoring 		[Ian explaining inside the arch]
Ian explaining inside the arch 		[We can replace this new stuff with material from the stacks]
We can replace this new stuff with material from the stacks 		[Ian leads the way out]
Ian leads the way out
Back across the bridge
[Ackergill Tower in the distance; you can rent it for only a few thousand a day]
Ackergill Tower in the distance; you can rent it for only a few thousand a day 		[Castle history]
Castle history
Outside the fence
[The castle]
The castle 		[Outer castle wall]
Outer castle wall 		[Castle]
Castle 		[Castle and field gate]
Castle and field gate 		[Noss Head Lighthouse, sheep, bird]
Noss Head Lighthouse, sheep, bird

Last changed: $Date: 2006/07/14 05:30:14 $ [Clan Sinclair]