Tour Scotland travel video clip, with Scottish music, of the castle on the coast by Thurso on ancestry visit to Caithness in the Northern Highlands. The original castle no longer exists. Erected in 1660 by George, Earl of Caithness, it was removed to make way for the existing castle built about 1875 which is now in ruins, the roof having been removed. Former United States President, Ulysses S. Grant visited the castle as part of his 1877 world tour. George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness was the son of John Sinclair, Master of Berriedale and his wife Jean, daughter of Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth. His paternal grandparents were William Sinclair, Lord Berriedale and Mary, daughter of Henry Sinclair, Lord Sinclair. William Sinclair, Lord After the Stuart Restoration the Earl of Caithness had become a royalist and was active in suppressing the Covenanters. He was a member of the Privy Council of Scotland and Lord Lieutenant of the county of Caithness. A Sinclair clansmen, John Sinclair of Dunbeath Castle, joined the royalist James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose and was with him at the Battle of Carbisdale in 1650. Berriedale was in turn a son of George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness. George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness was present with Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll when Oliver Cromwell was proclaimed Chiefe Magistrate of thir thrie nations, ouer the Crose of Elb. George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness married Mary, daughter of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, but had no children. He died at Thurso Castle in 1676. The Earldom of Caithness being much in debt, he had transferred the estates and the title to his principal creditor, John Campbell of Glenorchy, who upon Sinclair's death was created Earl of Caithness by patent. This however was challenged by George Sinclair of Keiss, son of Francis Sinclair of Northfield, who in turn was a younger son of George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness. On 13 July 1680, Campbell of Glenorchy took a force of 800 men north to evict Sinclair of Keiss, who was waiting for him with 500 men near Wick. Inflamed with drink, the Sinclairs attacked the force of Campbells and were routed in what is known as the Battle of Altimarlach. Legend has it that so many Sinclairs were killed that the Campbells were able to cross the river without getting their feet wet.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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