Test page for reviews widgets – Castle Sinclair Girnigoe Trust

s
September 12, 2025
This is one of my favorite castle ruins. One of the main reasons is the fascinating area that you can walk down to and watch the waves come into a... read more narrow channel with high cliffs on both sides. The sound of the rocks rolling around with the pull of the waves when they recede is so cool! Park at the Noss Head car park, where payment is not compulsory. It's about a 1/2 mile easy walk to the ruins.
Angela
September 10, 2026
Wundervolle Ruine, 24/7, war schon mehrmals dort und es ist immer wieder wunderschön, man kann es gut mit Sango Bay und Smoo Cave verbinden,  wenn man zeitig aufsteht und... read more spät schlafen geht 😅
Abi
July 18, 2026
Short walk from the car park, dramatic ruins, well worth a detour

Barry
June 6, 2026
What a great ruin on a sunny day. We built some of the stone towers down by the water and took the time to enjoy what was once a magnificent... read more castle.
Denil
August 22, 2025
Beautiful place to visit! The castle is amazing, a real historic wonder, and the rocks and coastline around it are stunning. Good parking nearby and only about a 15–25 min... read more walk to reach the castle. Definitely worth a visit!
Gr3at
June 26, 2026
Lovely place to walk your dog.  Not a lot left of the castle and half of it is closed for the visitors due to the health and safety reasons.

Win
April 11, 2026
Although it’s a long drive from Inverness, Castle Sinclair is worth a visit. It looks stunning and is full of history. There were very few tourists when we visited, so... read more it feels as if we had a private tour.
Linda
September 12, 2026
Photo opportunity not to be missed. The track to get there can be muddy in places.
Tony
April 7, 2026
Parking £1 for 2 hours. Little walk to the castle. Free to enter and wander around although small and most closed off due to safety.
Great scenery, very atmospheric and I... read more believe it is the inspiration for the iron islands in Game of thrones.

Tim
September 9, 2026
This was one of my highlights as part of the NC500. 1300s "castle", lots of info on the history and you can just imagine what it must have been like... read more when built. A lovely little inlet as well with loads of cairns! Loved this! Short walk from the car park which had spaces for about 15 cars maybe!
Crème
July 11, 2026
CASTLE SINCLAIR GIRNIGOE

Caithness

A MARVEL IN THE FAR NORTH

Located on the northern tip of Scotland, this castle, built by Clan Sinclair some time in the 15th century, commands an awesome view... read more over the coast and North Sea. This exquisite ruin is also the only castle in Scotland to be listed by the World Monuments Fund.
Caisteal
July 26, 2026
A lovely walk out to Castle Sinclair. It was extremely breezy and taking photos of this magnificent building was tricky, but we managed. Just stunning

Janine
June 20, 2026
If you love rock, history, crumbling ruins, stories of a bygone era and hope for the morrow then this is the place for you to explore. Keep children and dogs... read more on leads but enjoy the walk across gated paddocks, through mud if it is raining, and across the draw bridge which was rebuilt by a benefactor. This Castle is on a protection list. Enjoy it while we can.
Paul
September 23, 2026
A good place to explore, it's a private road upto it thats a tad bumpy. Drive slow.
J
September 23, 2026
Eeriely wonderful  a stunning castle in a stunning location.. worth the visit

Jennifer
September 9, 2025
Stunning views.  The castle ruins are amazing.  You walk through the fields to the castle.  You can walk around the inner and outer areas. Ocean views are... read more unbelievable.
Alisa
September 19, 2025
Amazing castle with nice views. Short walk (5 minutes) from the car park. Due to the ongoing restorations and dangerous parts in September 25 it's unfortunately not allowed to enter... read more the buildings itself.
Rob
July 31, 2026
Very interesting and awesome  historical site

Cece
June 6, 2024
Amazing castle to visit around 3 miles north of Wick, most areas blocked off but nice to explore around it and the stunning location. Decent sized carpark with a £1... read more parking fee, then a 10 - 15 minute walk along to the castle. Information boards doted along the route give you a bit of the castles history.
tdmlfc
July 22, 2025
Stunning views, castle is imposing and a short 5 min walk from car park.  Amazing views out into the sea.

Castle had some restoration done and it looks well preserved,... read more some folk use drones sadly even though prohibits this clearly on signage.
Donna
June 30, 2025
Free to walk around ..
10 minute walk from car park ..
Tea/coffee van at the car park..
Amazing views over the sea ..
A few reading boards to look at about the history... read more of the castle ..
Lots of birds nesting on cliffs ..

Kirk
June 2, 2026
Well worth a detour with some amazing scenery, apparently there is an issue with people dumping their load though so beware
Laraine
May 15, 2026
It's quite a trek from the small (payment invited) car park to the cliff edge but worth it for the sight of such an incredible ruin. I have no idea... read more how or why they managed to build such an impressive building in this incredibly remote and dangerous place.
The wind was relentless but luckily the rain waited until we were almost back at the car!
Be warned, the path is uneven and muddy with lots of sheep poo as they roam free.
Axel
August 23, 2025
Great place to walk and explore.  10 min walk down a very easy path to the ruins.  Great views of the he cliffs.  Paid parking is free... read more for first hour, and very cheap after that.  Can also walk up to lighthouse; but much nicer trip to the ruins.

Seth
August 16, 2026
A really cool castle to visit! My ancestors built it so I had to go and see. Google takes you to a car park and it’s about a 10-15 minute... read more walk from there. It is a must see on your tour of the highlands.
Warren
February 24, 2026
these are most extraordinary castle ruins perched on the edge of a sea cliff ...there is not a Huge amount left of the castle and in time the sea will... read more probably swallow most of it up ...there is limited access to the castle itself as its pretty unstable but well worth a look due to it uniqueness ..The earlier Castle Girnigoe was built by William Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness, probably sometime between 1476 and 1496, but certainly before his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. There is some evidence to suggest that the castle was built on the foundations of an earlier fortalice. Expansion occurred in 1606 when Castle Sinclair was built, comprising a gatehouse and other buildings, along with a curtain wall. These were connected to the earlier castle by a drawbridge over a ravine. The same year George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness, requested the Scottish Parliament to change the name to Castle Sinclair, but because the names Castle Sinclair and Castle Girnigoe were both written down in 1700, both names have been in use since
Wolfgang
October 25, 2025
Stunning and full of history!

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is an incredible place to visit the views over the cliffs are absolutely breathtaking, and the ruins themselves have such a powerful, atmospheric... read more feel. You can really imagine what life must have been like here centuries ago.

It’s an easy walk from the car park and totally worth it for the scenery alone. The castle sits dramatically right on the edge of the sea a perfect spot for photos and a peaceful wander.

One thing though: please respect the ruins and stay on the marked paths. (Don’t be this guy). We saw someone climbing where they really shouldn’t it’s dangerous and damages the site. Let’s help keep this amazing piece of history safe for everyone to enjoy!