Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is located about 3 miles north of Wick on the east coast of Caithness, Scotland.

[1] The earlier Castle Girnigoe was built by William Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness, probably sometime between 1476 and 1496, but certainly before his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

He was held there for seven years, after which his father fed him a diet of salted beef, with nothing to drink, so that he eventually died insane from thirst.

[5] Expansion occurred in 1606 when Castle Sinclair was built, comprising a gatehouse and other buildings, along with a curtain wall.

Glenorchy and some of his troops remained in Caithness for some time and levied rents and taxes on the people, subjecting them to the most grievous oppression.

[10] Through the influence of the Duke of York and afterwards James II,[8] he took his place as 7th Earl of Caithness on 15 July 1681, and his lands were restored on 23 September.