Dounreay Castle

Dounreay Castle is a ruined 16th-century L-plan castle, about 8 mi west of Thurso, Highland (council area), Scotland, within the grounds of Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment.

It is also known as Dounreay House.

History
The castle is thought to date from the latter part of the 16th century. It was a property of the Sinclairs, the owner in 1614 being William Sinclair of Dunbeath, while in 1726 it was one of the lodgings of the Earl of Caithness. Ownership passed to the Forbeses, to the Mackays of Reay, and then to the Mackays of Tongue. Occupation continued until the 1863, but the castle was unroofed and ruinous by 1910. The site was used a farm, with the courtyard being the farmyard.

Cromwellian troops were housed in the castle in the mid 17th century.

Structure
The castle comprised a three storey main block, and a stair-wing containing a scale-and-platt stair. Above an unvaulted basement was the hall.

The dimensions of the main block were 39.5 ft by 23.67 ft, and those of the wing 14.33 ft by 18.5 ft, while the walls were about 3.5 ft in thickness.