Scalloway Castle

Scalloway, Shetland
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This castle stands as a sophisticated and impressive example of a late 1500s tower house, but for many it stands as a symbol of Earl Patrick’s harsh rule.

The castle is currently closed to allow for conservation works.

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Scalloway Castle was the home of Patrick Stewart, earl of Orkney and Shetland. ‘Black Patie’, as he became known in Shetland, was notorious for his oppression of the Shetland people. He was accused of using forced labour in Scalloway’s construction in 1599, and was eventually executed in Edinburgh in 1615.

It is one of only two castles constructed in Shetland, and shares many similarities with another of Stewart’s buildings, the Earl’s Palace at Kirkwall.

Exterior view of Scalloway Castle, showing its tall, roofless stone walls, corner turrets and narrow windows, standing on a grassy lawn under a bright blue sky.
Harbour view of Scalloway Castle, with boats in the foreground and low green hills and islands across the water in the distance
Close-up of a stone doorway at Scalloway Castle, with a wooden arched door beneath carved stone panels and a small leaded window above.

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Ness of Burgi

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Muness Castle

Muness Castle is a remarkably fine tower house of the late 1500s and the northernmost castle in the British Isles.

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