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Castles
in Shetland.

It’s 20:56 in Shetland.
Shetland Islands

Earl Patrick's tower and Muness on Unst.

Shetland's castles are tower houses from the years when the Stewart earls ruled the islands, and they were built to impress. On Unst, near Uyeasound, stands a roofless Z-plan tower begun in 1598 by Laurence Bruce, half-brother of the Earl of Orkney. The inscription over its door still asks his heirs to help, and not to hurt, the work. Privateers from Dunkirk burnt it in 1627. In Scalloway, Earl Patrick's own tower of 1599 rises over the harbour, though it is closed for now for conservation work. Unst is two short ferry crossings from the Mainland, so check the times before you set off.

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Castle of the day15 hours ago

Scalloway Castle.

Earl Patrick Stewart's tower house of 1599 above Scalloway harbour, closed for now for conservation work.

Read about it
Did you know4 hours agoWritten byLaurie GoodladRead Laurie’s piece

Earl Patrick Stewart, who built Scalloway Castle in Shetland around 1600, was given away in the end by his own pipe smoke, or so the story goes.

‘The story goes that, having been tipped off that the King’s men were on the hunt for him, Patrick hid in a turret in his castle at Scalloway. Patrick was a great pipe smoker, and while hiding, he lit up his pipe and took a long draw of the sweet tobacco. Unfortunately, for our poor villain of the story, the pipe smoke gave away his hiding place, and the King’s men were able to find him and cart him off to Edinburgh to face justice. There is no evidence that there is any truth in this tale.’

Written byLaurie GoodladRead Laurie’s pieceSee Scalloway Castle · Shetland Islands
From our guideJust now

Muness Castle.

Muness is the northernmost castle in Britain, a roofless tower house near Uyeasound in the south-east of Unst. Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie began it in 1598, and the inscription over the door asks his heirs to help the work, not hurt it. He was half-brother to Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney, and fell out badly with his nephew, Earl Patrick. Look up at the corner turrets on their chequered corbels, with dummy gunloops and carved rosettes. Privateers from Dunkirk burned the castle in 1627. It is free to visit and open all year.

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