ALL my life I've joked that I have a castle in Scotland. Today, I saw it.
And even though it lies in ruins, she is absolutely beautiful.
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is about 2 miles north of Wick on Sinclair's Bay on the east coast of Caithness, Northern Scotland.
Technically, the ramshackle collection of bricks and stone belongs to a trust. Before that, it was owned by the Earls of Caithness, dating back to the late 15th century.
Unfortunately for me, a walk around her walls, treading on her grass and rocks littered with gorgeous white daisies and gazing upon the clear blue waters of her moat is about as close as I will get to owning her.
Let's face it, I'm no lady, let alone the lady of the castle.
After a morning cruise on Loch Ness and visit to Urquart Castle, we drove north ... almost as far north as you can go in the United Kingdom. Only the Orkney Islands are further north and apparently we Sinclairs hail from around there, too.
A few hours driving around the coastline through some majestic rural scenery, forestry areas and a slew of pretty little villages, we arrived at the car park near the lighthouse operated by, you guessed it, another Sinclair.
The brown and red stone castle still commands respect across the countryside, built on a treacherous cliff (as are most castles to deter invaders) against the innocent backdrop of the glistening bay.
A handful of cows grazing in the paddock near the trail to the castle are only casually interested in the visitors that come in their twos and threes almost like a tag team this afternoon.
We take our time wandering in and out of the open ruins, reading the well-researched educational boards and gazing out over the water from the pedestrian bridge and other vantage points.
The castle website says that the Castle ceased to be inhabited after it was partially destroyed (possibly by cannon) about 1680, ironically by a Sinclair, George of Keiss, who was denying the castle to Campbell of Glenorchy, who had seized it and claimed the title of Earl of Caithness as settlement of the debts of the 6th Earl of Caithness. Oliver Cromwell's army probably did the rest of the damage.
For a long time, it was thought the area held two castles, hence the double name. But it has since been discovered the two were joined as part of Castle Sinclair.
As we head back to the carpark, I leave my husband with these words of wisdom: "I'm the queen of the castle and you're the dirty rascal."
I've always wanted to say that while standing in my castle in Caithness.
Today's lesson: The family tree is worth every little branch.
Long-haired bull count: 2
Deer crossing road signs count: 2953 (I may be wrong)
Number of deer seen crossing the road count: 0
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