Clan Rising
Kinkell Castle today

Scotland · Restored

Kinkell Castle

Kinkell Castle (Tower of Kinkell) is a late 16th-century Z-plan tower house on the Black Isle in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. Built for the Mackenzies of Gairloch, it is a three-storey residence with an attic, a round stair-tower and vaulted basement; it has been restored and is a listed building.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1594

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1594

What Kinkell Castle looked like in its prime.

A compact Z-plan tower house of pale yellow harled stone, three storeys plus an attic, with a rectangular main block terminating in a stepped gable. Two large round corner towers with conical slate roofs and finials flank the block; a round stair-tower rises with a small watch room at its summit. Thick walls are pierced by small square windows and vertical gunloops; stone chimneys break the roofline. The castle stands within a low-walled rural courtyard on the Black Isle peninsula.

Its story

The story of Kinkell Castle.

Kinkell, also called the Tower of Kinkell, is a late sixteenth-century Z-plan tower house in the parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester on the Black Isle, in the Scottish Highlands. It was built as the seat of the Mackenzies of Gairloch, a branch of Clan Mackenzie.

The tower rises three storeys and an attic, with a round tower housing the stair and topped by a watch room, gun loops guarding the entrance, a vaulted basement that once held the kitchen, and the great hall on the floor above. It has been restored and is a listed building.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1594.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Kinkell Castle, including 3 interiors: great hall with fireplace, vaulted basement kitchen, attic watch room. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach from courtyardRound stair-tower (exterior)Great hall with fireplaceVaulted basement kitchenEntrance and gunloopsAttic watch roomStepped gable and roofline

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Whose castle

Clans who held Kinkell Castle.

The families that held Kinkell Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Mackenzie

    Built as the seat of the Mackenzies of Gairloch, a branch of Clan Mackenzie, in the late 16th century.

Questions about Kinkell Castle

What is the history of Kinkell Castle?

Kinkell Castle was built in the late 16th century as the seat of the Mackenzies of Gairloch. It was constructed in the 1590s for John Roy Mackenzie, IV of Gairloch, with a keystone dated 1594. From 1968, it was restored by the pop artist Gerald Laing and used as the Back Isle Bronze Age foundry for bronze casting.

What is inside Kinkell Castle?

Inside Kinkell Castle are a great hall, a vaulted basement kitchen and an attic watch room. The great hall was on the floor above the basement, which once contained the kitchen. The round tower houses the stairs and is topped by the watch room; the great hall also has a fireplace and a mantlepiece with coats of arms.

Why was Kinkell Castle built, and what was it used for?

Kinkell Castle was built as a residence and seat for the Mackenzies of Gairloch, a branch of Clan Mackenzie. Its defensive features included gun loops guarding the entrance, while its great hall and vaulted basement served domestic purposes. From 1968, it was used as the Back Isle Bronze Age foundry for bronze casting.

Where is Kinkell Castle?

Kinkell Castle is on the Black Isle peninsula, in the parish of Urquhart and Logie Wester in the Scottish Highlands. It was in the former county of Ross and Cromarty and is within the Highland administrative area. The castle stands in a rural courtyard on the Black Isle.

When was Kinkell Castle built?

Kinkell Castle was built in the late 16th century, during the 1590s. A keystone above the fireplace bears the date 1594, which provides a specific date associated with its construction. The site's first-raised year is not recorded.

Which family or clan held Kinkell Castle?

Kinkell Castle was held by the Mackenzies of Gairloch, a branch of Clan Mackenzie. It was built as their seat in the late 16th century. The family connection is also reflected in the great hall, where the coat of arms of John Roy Mackenzie and his first wife appears above the mantelpiece.

What did Kinkell Castle look like in its prime?

Kinkell Castle was a compact Z-plan tower house of pale yellow harled stone, with three storeys, an attic and a stepped gable. Two large round corner towers had conical slate roofs, while a round stair-tower rose to a watch room. Small square windows, vertical gunloops and stone chimneys marked its thick-walled exterior.

Is Kinkell Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Kinkell Castle is still standing and has been restored rather than left as a ruin. It remains a three-storey tower house with an attic, round towers, a vaulted basement and a stair-tower with a watch room. It has also been an A listed building since 25 March 1971.

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