Castles · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall Castle
Kirkwall Castle — castle in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
Chris Downer — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Family-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
About
Kirkwall Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1379. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 58.9823°, -2.9605°.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
Kirkwall Castle, also known as King's Castle, was located in Kirkwall, the main settlement in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. Built in the 14th century, it was deliberately destroyed in 1614. The last ruins were cleared in the 19th century. The castle was located around the corner of Broad Street and Castle Street in the centre of Kirkwall.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
In the 14th century, Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, (c. 1345 – c. 1400) held the Earldom of Orkney from King Haakon VI of Norway. Sinclair built the castle at Kirkwall soon after being granted the Earldom in 1379. Henry Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair, and Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell were both made keeper of castle and granted administrative offices in Orkney in May 1489. William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair complained that James Sinclair's men took the castle at Easter 1528, and it was said that at the time of the Battle of Summerdale, relatives of James Sinclair were captured at Kirkwall Castle and executed. The castle and town were defended by Edward Sinclair of Strom against an…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.9823, -2.9605
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW15 1DF
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
- Established
- 1379
- Official site
- www.orkneymuseums.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q6415871 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Kirkwall Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 4Other places · Scottish Islands
The Big Tree, Kirkwall
The Big Tree, Kirkwall in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
📷 5Memorials & monuments · Scottish Islands
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall — category A listed building-listed memorial in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Memorials & monuments · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall and St. Ola War Memorial
Kirkwall and St. Ola War Memorial — a memorial in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 4Historic houses · Scottish Islands
Town Hall, 23 Broad Street, Kirkwall
Town Hall, 23 Broad Street, Kirkwall in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
📷 4Museums · Scottish Islands
Orkney Museum
Orkney Museum — Museum in Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom.
📷 5Cathedrals · Scottish Islands
St Magnus Cathedral
St Magnus Cathedral — a other in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
Other castles from this era
📷 5Castles · London
Allington Castle
Allington Castle — stone-built moated castle in Allington, England.
📷 5Castles · London
Cheveley Castle
Cheveley Castle — castle in Cheveley, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · London
Guildford Castle
Guildford Castle — castle in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · London
Hertford Castle
Hertford Castle — Grade I listed castle in East Hertfordshire, England, UK.
More castles in this region
📷 5Castles · Scottish Islands
Bishop's Palace
Bishop's Palace — palace in Kirkwall, Scotland.
📷 3Castles · Scottish Islands
Borve Castle
Borve Castle — castle in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Castles · Scottish Islands
Braal Castle
Braal Castle — 14th-century castle in Caithness, Highland, Scotland, UK, now ruined.
📷 5Castles · Scottish Islands
Castle of Mey
Castle of Mey — castle in Caithness, Scotland.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Kirkwall Castle?
- Kirkwall Castle is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW15 1DF).
- When was Kirkwall Castle built?
- Built or established in 1379.
- Does Kirkwall Castle charge admission?
- Kirkwall Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Kirkwall Castle?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW15 1DF. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.