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Castle of Old Wick

Highland, Scotland ยท Atlas SC2827

Castle of Old Wick is a promontory fort in Wick, Highland, Scotland.

Other names on the record: Old Man of Wick, Wic 177, Lord Oliphant's Leap, Castle Walk, and 'Aul' Man o' Wick'.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial univallate rampart form and an enclosed area of 0.18 hectares.

Banks or ramparts are the remains most likely to be visible.

The topographic record places it on a coastal promontory and at 30 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes coastal grassland.

Dating evidence is recorded for after AD 800 (Morphology/Earthwork/Typology).

A scheduled monument number is recorded (90065).

Location

Atlas number
SC2827 (2827)
Country
Scotland
Current county or unitary authority
Highland
Historic county
Caithness
Parish, community, or townland
Wick
National Grid reference
ND 3692 4883
Latitude
58.42337
Longitude
-3.08163
Altitude
30 m

Form and condition

Type
promontory fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial univallate
Complete rampart circuit
No
Number of ramparts
1
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 0, SE 0, SW 1, NW 0
Number of ditches
1
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
1
Enclosed area
0.18 ha
Also recorded
ditches
Entrance forms
Uncertain (South west)

Landscape

Topographic position
coastal promontory
Aspect
level
Land use
coastal grassland

Dating

Dating
after AD 800
Dating evidence
Morphology/Earthwork/Typology
Dating reliability
D - None

Interior and investigation

Interior surface
rectangular stone structures
Investigations
1st Identified Written Reference (1794); 1st Identified Map Depiction (1872); Other (1910); Other (1935); Other (1963); Earthwork Survey (1971); Other (1982); Other (2009)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
90065
HER
Highland HER MHG2036
National record
record ND 34 NE 2; monument 8956
Wikidata
Q31101555

Sources

References

  1. Coventry, M (2008) Castles of the Clans: the strongholds and seats of 750 Scottish families and clans. Musselburgh (pp 100, 167, 466, 531, 563)
  2. Gifford, J (1992) Highland and Islands, The buildings of Scotland series. Penguin: London (p 46, 113)
  3. Lamb, R G (1980) Iron Age promontory forts in the Northern Isles. Brit Archaeol Rep, British Ser 79. BAR: Oxford
  4. Murray, D (2009) 'Castle of Old Wick, Highland (Wick parish), evaluation and recording'. Disc Exc Scot, New Ser, 10 (2009), 116
  5. Name Book, Ordnance Survey Object Name Books (6 inch and 1/2500 scale); available http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/
  6. RCAHMS (1911) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. HMSO, London
  7. Stat Acct (date) Statistical Account of Scotland: Drawn up from the Communications of the Ministers of the Different Parishes (Sinclair, J ed), 1791-99