Keiss Castle, Scottish Highlands
Photo © Bill Henderson, 28 September 2007
Keiss Castles, Scottish Highlands
Photo © Fergus Mather, 14 July 2008
Keiss Castle - Photo ©
Bill Henderson, 28 Sept. 2007
Keiss Castle, Scottish Highlands Photo © Bill Henderson, 28 September 2007 |
Keiss Castles, Scottish Highlands Photo © Fergus Mather, 14 July 2008 |
Keiss Castle - Photo © Bill Henderson, 28 Sept. 2007 |
Keiss (Scottish Gaelic: Cèis) is a fishing village, at the northern
end of Sinclairs Bay on the east coast of Scotland, east Caithness, Scottish
Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
New and old castles, KeissKeiss Castle, which is now partially ruined, is located
less than 1 mile north of the village centre, on sheer cliffs, overlocking the
bay, and has been a major tourist attraction for many years. Keiss House replaced
Keiss Castle around 1755.
KEISS CASTLE, CAITHNESS-SHIRE.
Keiss Castle is situated opposite Girnigoe Castle, on the north side of Sinclair Bay, about eight or ten miles north from Wick. It stands on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the sea.
The building is oblong on plan, measuring 27 feet 3 inches by 23 feet 6 inches over the walls, with two round towers one projecting to the south at the south-east angle, and the other, containing the staircase, projecting to the west at the north-west angle, in line with the north wall. It is thus a modification of the Z plan, resulting probably to some extent from the nature of the site. The castle is lofty (having four stories and an attic in part), and has a much more imposing appearance, especially at a distance, than the above modest figures would lead one to expect. The building is now in a very ruinous condition, the whole of the north-east corner having disappeared, together with all the upper floors, which shows the interior as seen through the break in the walls. The entrance doorway was in the ruinous portion, and led directly into the ground floor chamber, entering off which was the staircase. As usual, this staircase does not go to the top, access to the upper floors being provided by a small wheel stair in a projecting turret on the north side.
Keiss was a residence of the Sineclairs, cadets of the Earls of Caithness.
The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland by David Macgibbon and Thomas Ross, 1889