Scalloway Castle
Earl Patrick Stewart's tower house of 1599 above Scalloway harbour, closed for now for conservation work.
Scalloway Castle stands above the harbour in the middle of Scalloway, a tall, roofless tower house of the late 1500s, and one of only two castles ever built in Shetland.
Patrick Stewart, Earl of Orkney and Lord of Shetland, built it in 1599 beside the meeting place of the islands' head court, as a bold statement of power: it was his home and his courthouse. He is remembered in Shetland as Black Patie, and he was executed in Edinburgh in 1615.
The castle is L-shaped, with the entrance in the projecting wing. The kitchen, stores and well were on the ground floor, the great hall filled the whole first floor, serving for feasts and for justice, and the earl's own rooms and guest rooms were above. A broad straight stair with landings climbs through it, and it shares much with his Earl's Palace in Kirkwall. It is closed for now while conservation work is done, but it can be seen from the street, and the Scalloway Museum next door looks straight onto it.
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Closed for now while conservation work is carried out; it can be seen from the street.
In the centre of Scalloway, beside the Scalloway Museum.
- Getting there
- Castle Street, Scalloway.
- Open
- Closed for conservation work; seen from outside.
- Next door
- Scalloway Museum.
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Add your reviewCastle Street, Scalloway, ZE1 0TQ.
Scalloway MuseumThe Shetland Bus, told where it happenedUnder a mile 1 min by road
Meal BeachA sheltered bay of fine white sand by Hamnavoe on West Burra, with a boardwalk, toilets and room for a picnic.5 miles 10 min by road
Jamieson's of Shetland5 miles as the crow flies
Lerwick BreweryA brewery at Ladies Drive in Lerwick, making traditional beer styles with a Shetland twist, with guided tours, a taproom and a shop.5 miles 8 min by road
Clickimin BrochAn Iron Age broch on the shore of Clickimin Loch at the edge of Lerwick, with a thousand years of settlement around it.5 miles 11 min by road
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What we have written about it and more in Shetland.
For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .
- Scalloway CastleThe castle, and its closure for conservation.historicenvironment.scotHistoric Environment Scotland↗
- History and storiesThe tower house and Black Patie.historicenvironment.scotHistoric Environment Scotland↗
- Ferries to ShetlandThe overnight ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick.shetland.orgShetland.org↗
- Flights to ShetlandFlights to Sumburgh.shetland.orgShetland.org↗