Castle of Old Wick

The Castle of Old Wick stands on a narrow peninsula south-west of Wick in Caithness. The ruins rise above sheer sea cliffs with only the square tower still standing. Two wide moats once guarded the landward side of the castle. The surviving tower had four storeys originally, though only three remain today. Inside, the ground floor held the kitchen and storage rooms while the first floor served as the great hall. The upper floors contained private chambers for the lord and his family. The castle’s history is partly unclear but the oldest parts seem to date from the 14th century. Reginald le Chen of Inverugie and Duffus held it early in that century. Mary le Chen married Nicholas Sutherland in 1345 and the castle passed to the Sutherland family. Later it went to the Oliphants through Christian Sutherland’s marriage to William Oliphant in the 15th century. Andrew Oliphant sold the castle to his uncle Lord Oliphant in 1526. In 1569 Laurence Oliphant and his servants were besieged by John Sinclair, Master of Caithness. The Sinclairs took possession in 1644 before selling to John Campbell, Lord Glenorchy. The Dunbars of Hempriggs owned the castle from 1690 until 1910. A narrow courtyard once led to the centre of the peninsula where barracks, a brewery and a chapel stood. Outside the second moat a defensive wall enclosed further buildings. A drawbridge across a deep rock-cut ditch connected the castle to the mainland.