Scotland · Partial ruin
Noltland Castle
Noltland Castle is a 16th-century stone castle on the island of Westray in Orkney, United Kingdom, set on low grassy land near the sea. The surviving fabric today consists of high curtain walls and the remains of tall gabled ranges; it is visited as a substantial ruined fortress.
Its prime
1570
Today
Partial ruin
As it stood in 1570
What Noltland Castle looked like in its prime.
A massive, roughly rectangular stone castle of grey flagstone with very thick curtain walls pierced by regular small rectangular gunloops in rows. One tall, squared tower-like range projects at a corner with narrow vertical slits; higher up, steep gabled rooflines and stepped gable ends once rose above the walls. The castle sits on a flat grassy plain with the sea visible beyond one flank; at its prime the roofs and gables would have been intact and continuous along the silhouette.
Its story
The story of Noltland Castle.
In 1560 Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney, granted the lands of Noltland on the island of Westray to his brother-in-law Gilbert Balfour, who built the castle, though it was never fully completed. A Z-plan of rectangular main block with towers at opposite corners, it is notable for defensive architecture unusual for the period, including a large number of shot holes, and a great staircase compared to the stair at Fyvie Castle.
Balfour was Master of the Royal Household to Mary, Queen of Scots, and was involved in the plot to kill her husband, Lord Darnley. Noltland was seized by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney, an opponent of Mary's supporters, but returned to Balfour in the early 1570s; it passed to Andrew Balfour of Montquhanie, was seized again in 1598 by Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney, and was restored to the Balfours by 1606.
The castle was then sold to Sir John Arnot, Provost of Edinburgh and later Sheriff of Orkney. A courtyard was added to the south in the 17th century, but by 1881 Noltland was described as a ruin, and in 1911 it was given into state care by the Balfour family; it is protected as a scheduled monument.
Step inside
6 places to explore in 1570.
The record describes 6 distinct spots at Noltland Castle, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
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Clans who held Noltland Castle.
The families that held Noltland Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.
Balfour
Built by Gilbert Balfour from 1560; the Balfour family held Noltland, with interruptions, and gave it into state care in 1911.
Arnot
Sold to Sir John Arnot, Provost of Edinburgh and later Sheriff of Orkney, after 1606.
Nearby
