74:
81:
58:
360:. In 1963, Maureen Blake, who as a girl lived with her mother and C. S. Lewis for about twenty years, became the eighth baronetess of Hempriggs and the steward of Ackergill Tower until it was sold in 1986. The castle underwent a two-year period of restoration work before re-opening as a hotel.
379:
story relates the tale of a young woman by the name of Helen Gunn, who was abducted by John Keith for her beauty. She flung herself, or fell, from the highest tower to escape her abductor's advances. Supposedly her ghost is still seen.
287:, as keeper of Ackergill in 1549. The Sinclairs again captured the castle in 1556, for which they were again granted remission. John Keith, Captain of Ackergill, was present at the death of Mary of Guise at Edinburgh in 1560.
615:
575:
325:
238:
From 2014, Ackergill Tower was operated as an events and wedding venue by AmaZing Venues, before being sold to
American philanthropist Dr Betsee Parker in February 2019.
585:
294:(who rightfully owned the tower), seized Ackergill by force, for which he was declared a rebel, and the castle was returned to the Earl. In September 1597 John Keith of
610:
505:
560:
630:
565:
283:, then Regent of Scotland, granted the Sinclairs remission for this and returned Ackergill Tower to the Keiths. She later installed Laurence Oliphant, 4th
590:
570:
625:
433:
635:
47:
104:
73:
620:
595:
580:
232:
139:
605:
600:
298:
attacked the tower in the dead of night, climbing the walls with ladders, taking its occupants by surprise and capturing the place.
309:
during his feud with George
Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness. The Sinclairs surrendered the castle before any assault took place.
291:
306:
497:
408:
43:
263:
in 1354 from the
Cheynes family. Ackergill Tower may have been built by his son, but was first mentioned in 1538.
640:
276:
301:
In 1612, the
Sinclairs acquired Ackergill Tower once again, but through legal means, when it was sold to the
413:"ACKERGILL TOWER, GARDEN WALLS, WALLED GARDENS AND STABLE RANGE (Category A Listed Building) (LB14072)"
519:
437:
321:
305:
by the Earl
Marischal. However, by 1623 it was under assault once more, when it was besieged by
412:
363:
The tower was later sold and the new owners, AmaZing Venues, part of
Clarenco LLP, acquired a
302:
295:
317:
341:
313:
228:
348:-shaped extension to the tower. In the mid-19th century, further additions including a
328:
took possession of
Ackergill Tower in repayment of debts owed to him by the Sinclairs.
220:
30:
554:
316:
may have used
Ackergill Tower to garrison his troops during his siege of the Keith's
284:
280:
272:
227:, in northern Scotland. It was built in the early 16th century, and is a Category A
219:) is located on the coast of Sinclair's Bay, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of
364:
357:
353:
252:
184:
119:
106:
472:
A Protestant Lord in James VI's
Scotland: George Keith, Fifth Earl Marischal
376:
349:
260:
256:
224:
34:
38:
344:. The Dunbars began extensive renovations, including the addition of a
235:. The four-storey wing to the rear was added in the early 18th century.
345:
57:
544:
337:
367:
rating in 2012 having spent £2 million upgrading facilities.
616:
Buildings and structures completed in the 16th century
576:
Category A listed buildings in
Highland (council area)
206:
198:
190:
180:
172:
167:
159:
151:
146:
135:
98:
23:
326:John Campbell, 2nd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland
8:
356:on behalf of George Sutherland Dunbar, 7th
340:up for sale in 1699, and it was bought by
20:
484:Register of the Privy Council of Scotland
586:Reportedly haunted locations in Scotland
611:16th-century establishments in Scotland
520:"Ten of Scotland's most haunted hotels"
389:
231:. The building is a five-storey oblong
80:
561:Buildings and structures in Caithness
498:"Ackergill Tower joins five-star set"
403:
401:
399:
397:
395:
393:
7:
486:, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1882), p. 455.
631:2018 disestablishments in Scotland
566:Castles in Highland (council area)
290:In 1593, Robert Keith, brother to
14:
591:Hotels in Highland (council area)
571:Houses in Highland (council area)
508:from the original on 12 May 2014.
436:. AmaZing Venues. Archived from
292:George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal
279:attacked and seized the castle.
79:
72:
56:
16:Castle in Highland, Scotland, UK
626:1988 establishments in Scotland
496:Clark, Will (7 November 2012).
342:Sir William Dunbar of Hempriggs
176:Late 15th or early 16th century
320:, when he was hunting for the
1:
636:Hotels disestablished in 2018
409:Historic Environment Scotland
522:. Scotsman.com. 29 July 2010
474:(Boydell, 2019), pp. 65, 69.
352:were made by the architect
657:
621:Hotels established in 1988
596:Defunct hotels in Scotland
581:Listed castles in Scotland
606:Listed hotels in Scotland
259:, inherited the lands of
155:Private, Dr Betsee Parker
67:
55:
28:
601:Tower houses in Scotland
461:(London, 1872), p. 412.
194:15th century to present
459:HMC 3rd Report: Murray
255:, under John Keith of
470:Miles Kerr-Peterson,
502:John O'Groat Journal
267:Keiths and Sinclairs
142:with some extensions
120:58.47480°N 3.11273°W
440:on 16 December 2014
322:Honours of Scotland
116: /
336:John Campbell put
125:58.47480; -3.11273
434:"Ackergill Tower"
307:Sir Robert Gordon
303:Earl of Caithness
210:
209:
648:
532:
531:
529:
527:
516:
510:
509:
493:
487:
481:
475:
468:
462:
456:
450:
449:
447:
445:
430:
424:
423:
421:
419:
405:
318:Dunnottar Castle
217:Ackergill Castle
147:Site information
131:
130:
128:
127:
126:
121:
117:
114:
113:
112:
109:
83:
82:
76:
60:
51:
50:
21:
656:
655:
651:
650:
649:
647:
646:
645:
641:Wick, Caithness
551:
550:
547:, Caithness.org
545:Ackergill Tower
541:
536:
535:
525:
523:
518:
517:
513:
495:
494:
490:
482:
478:
469:
465:
457:
453:
443:
441:
432:
431:
427:
417:
415:
407:
406:
391:
386:
373:
338:Ackergill Tower
334:
314:Oliver Cromwell
269:
249:
244:
229:listed building
213:Ackergill Tower
124:
122:
118:
115:
110:
107:
105:
103:
102:
94:
93:
92:
91:
90:
89:
88:
87:Ackergill Tower
84:
63:
62:Ackergill Tower
46:
41:
29:
24:Ackergill Tower
17:
12:
11:
5:
654:
652:
644:
643:
638:
633:
628:
623:
618:
613:
608:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
553:
552:
549:
548:
540:
539:External links
537:
534:
533:
511:
488:
476:
463:
451:
425:
388:
387:
385:
382:
372:
369:
333:
330:
268:
265:
248:
245:
243:
240:
208:
207:
204:
203:
200:
196:
195:
192:
188:
187:
182:
178:
177:
174:
170:
169:
165:
164:
161:
157:
156:
153:
149:
148:
144:
143:
137:
133:
132:
100:
96:
95:
86:
85:
78:
77:
71:
70:
69:
68:
65:
64:
61:
53:
52:
44:grid reference
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
653:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
558:
556:
546:
543:
542:
538:
521:
515:
512:
507:
503:
499:
492:
489:
485:
480:
477:
473:
467:
464:
460:
455:
452:
439:
435:
429:
426:
414:
410:
404:
402:
400:
398:
396:
394:
390:
383:
381:
378:
370:
368:
366:
361:
359:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
332:Later history
331:
329:
327:
323:
319:
315:
310:
308:
304:
299:
297:
293:
288:
286:
285:Lord Oliphant
282:
281:Mary of Guise
278:
274:
271:In 1547, the
266:
264:
262:
258:
254:
247:Early history
246:
241:
239:
236:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
214:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
186:
183:
181:Built by
179:
175:
171:
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
145:
141:
138:
134:
129:
101:
97:
75:
66:
59:
54:
49:
45:
40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
524:. Retrieved
514:
501:
491:
483:
479:
471:
466:
458:
454:
442:. Retrieved
438:the original
428:
416:. Retrieved
374:
362:
335:
311:
300:
289:
270:
250:
237:
216:
212:
211:
168:Site history
18:
526:7 September
418:30 December
358:Lord Duffus
354:David Bryce
324:. In 1676,
233:tower house
191:In use
140:Tower house
123: /
99:Coordinates
555:Categories
384:References
253:Clan Keith
185:Clan Keith
108:58°28′29″N
377:ghostlore
371:Ghostlore
365:five-star
350:cap-house
312:In 1651,
273:Sinclairs
261:Ackergill
257:Inverugie
225:Caithness
199:Materials
160:Condition
111:3°06′46″W
35:Caithness
506:Archived
277:Girnigoe
48:ND352546
39:Scotland
346:lean-to
296:Subster
242:History
444:14 May
163:Intact
202:Stone
173:Built
152:Owner
528:2012
446:2014
420:2018
251:The
221:Wick
215:(or
136:Type
31:Wick
275:of
42:GB
557::
504:.
500:.
411:.
392:^
375:A
223:,
37:,
33:,
530:.
448:.
422:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
