Braal Castle is located by the
River Thurso
The River Thurso ( gd, Abhainn Theòrsa) has Loch Rumsdale in Caithness as its source, about 26 kilometres south and 14 kilometres west of the burgh of Thurso, Caithness, and about 2 kilometres south of the railway line linking the burghs of T ...
north of the village of
Halkirk
Halkirk ( gd, Hàcraig) is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish ...
, in
Caithness
Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
, northern
Scotland. The ruined castle, which dates back to the mid-14th century, was originally known as the Castle of Brathwell.
History
The site may have been occupied by Harold II of Orkney,
Mormaer of Caithness (d. 1206), although the present building is of the fourteenth century.
The "Castle of Brathwell" was granted by King
Robert II of Scotland to his son,
David Stewart, Earl of Caithness. His descendant,
Walter Stewart,
forfeited his estates in 1437 when he was executed for his role in the murder of King
James I.
In 1450, the castle was bestowed by
James II James II may refer to:
* James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade
* James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier
* James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily
* James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...
upon Sir
George Crichton,
Lord High Admiral of Scotland, who was briefly created
Earl of Caithness in 1452. In 1455, the earldom and castle were granted by James II to
William Sinclair,
Baron of Roslin
Baron of Roslin or Rosslyn was a Scottish feudal barony held by the St Clair or Sinclair family.
History
No certain record exists but it is likely that the Sinclairs came from Saint-Clair-sur-Epte in Normandy. According to traditional history ...
and
Lord Chancellor of Scotland. The castle passed to the
Sinclairs of Ulbster, a branch of the
Sinclair Earls of Caithness, in the 18th century.
The mansion house
The Sinclairs began the building of an adjacent mansion, although construction was abandoned. In 1856 a hotel was built over these foundations.
This building was requisitioned by the Armed Forces during the
Second World War, and was converted into flats in the 1970s.
The castle
The medieval castle is located on a defensive site, above the River Thurso. The ruins comprise a
tower house, around , with walls thick. The entrance is at first-floor level, leading into a large hall. A stair in the wall led up to an upper floor and a parapet walk, although the upper parts of the castle have not survived.
The ruins are a
scheduled monument.
References
External links
Braal Castle, Caithness Braalcastle.com
Caithness.org
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Castles in Highland (council area)
Buildings and structures in Caithness
Ruined castles in Scotland
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Highland