Dounreay Castle facts for kids

Dounreay Castle is an old, ruined castle from the 1500s. It's located about 8 miles west of Thurso in the Highlands of Scotland. You can find it inside the area of the Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment. Some people also call it Dounreay House. This castle and its nearby structures are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which means they are important historical sites.

The Castle's Story

Who Owned Dounreay Castle?

Dounreay Castle was built in the late 1500s. It first belonged to the powerful Sinclair family. In 1614, William Sinclair of Dunbeath owned it. Later, in 1726, it was used by the Earl of Caithness as one of his homes.

Over time, the castle changed hands many times. It was owned by the Forbes family, then by the Mackays of Reay, and later by the Mackays of Tongue.

Life at the Castle

People lived in Dounreay Castle until 1863. However, by 1910, the castle had lost its roof and was falling apart. The area around the castle was even used as a farm, with the castle's courtyard becoming the farmyard.

In the mid-1600s, during the time of Oliver Cromwell, soldiers stayed at the castle. When the Dounreay research center was built, most of the old farm buildings were removed, but the castle and a nearby cottage block were saved.

What Dounreay Castle Looked Like

Main Castle Building

The castle had a main building with three floors. It also had a special part called a "jamb" that held a large staircase. Below the main floor was a basement, and above that was the main hall.

The main part of the castle was about 39.5 feet long and 23.67 feet wide. The wing with the staircase was about 14.33 feet by 18.5 feet. The walls were very thick, about 3.5 feet wide! You entered the castle through a door in the corner where the main building and the jamb met, right under the staircase.

Castle Walls and Changes

The castle was once surrounded by a protective wall called a barmkin. Parts of this wall can still be seen today, especially on the side facing the sea. A kitchen was later added next to this wall, which ended up blocking a small opening in the tower that was used for defense.

The Castle Today

Sadly, parts of Dounreay Castle have fallen down. The northwest corner and some of the western wall have collapsed, filling the inside with rubble. In 1964, it was noted that the northern wall was also bulging outwards.

In 1997 and 1998, archaeologists looked at the castle courtyard and the nearby beach. They used machines to dig small test pits because of security rules. They didn't find much, except for a large millstone. This millstone was probably from a mill that was shown on old maps of the area.