Dornoch Castle is situated opposite Dornoch Cathedral in the town of

Dornoch Dornoch (; ; ) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east. ...

, in

Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, a little over north of

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

. As of 2021, the castle was operated as a family-run hotel with 24 rooms.

History

Dornoch Castle was built around 1500 as the home of the

bishops of Caithness A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

. Bishop Robert Stewart gifted the castle to

John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

in 1557. In 1570 the castle was set alight in a feud between the McKays and Murrays. The rebuilding which followed included the addition of the upper part of the tower. The Castle is believed to have been haunted by the ghost of the

covenanter Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...

, Andrew McCornish, who was hanged for sheep stealing in the 17th century. The castle decayed during the 18th century, but was restored between 1813 and 1814. In the first half of the 19th century, court hearings were held in a room in the tower of castle, accessed by a spiral staircase, until Dornoch Sheriff Court was erected further to the east along Castle Street in 1850. Following extensive remodelling by William Fowler, the castle became a residence for

George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland, KG (8 August 178627 February 1861), styled Viscount Trentham until 1803, Earl Gower between 1803 and 1833 and Marquess of Stafford in 1833, was a British peer and Whig politic ...

, in 1859. Further alterations were made around 1880, including the heightening of the south-west block, and the addition of a three-storey east tower. The castle was sold to a private developer in 1922 and was converted into hotel in 1947. Facilities included 24 bedrooms, and some garden rooms, which were added in the 1970s. The castle is a category B

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

References

External links

Dornoch Castle Hotel
{{coord, 57.87975, -4.02984, format=dms, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Castles in Highland (council area) Clan Sutherland Category B listed buildings in Highland (council area) Listed castles in Scotland Reportedly haunted locations in Scotland Buildings and structures in Sutherland Dornoch