#scalloway castle

[on-misty-mountains]

Scalloway Castle, Shetland

Scalloway Castle was built for Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney and Shetland (as was the Laird's House in Jarlshof) between 1599 and 1600. He spend a lot of money for new residences on Orkney (e.g. The Earl's Palace in Kirkwall) and Shetland once he became Earl, despite being heavily indebted. And so Scalloway Castle reflects the best building techniques of the time, offering a compromise between security and comfort. The windows had (and still have) glass and shutters, guest rooms had their own fire places and latrine cupboards, the big hall had beautiful tapestries, with everything spread across four floors. The central court of Shetland would meet here for trials and prisoners awaiting trial would be kept in a part of the castle.

Patrick Stewart upheld local law, but often quarrelled with big landowners, making demands of tax and labour on them, flying into a rage when he wouldn't get his way. Once the Bishop of Orkney was re-instated by James VI, Patrick lost a lot of income and would ransack properties of the richest men of Shetland to cover his debts. Eventually, so many complaints had piled up against him that he was arrested and after instigating his son Robert to regain his properties by force, both men were executed for treason in 1615. 

By 1701 the roof shingles had fallen off, leaving the timber inside to decay, slowly turning the castle into a ruin. Scalloway remained the capital of Shetland for a while longer, but lost its status as centre of administration and commerce to Lerwick by the 19th Century.

Shetland Day 3 - A history lesson on my YouTube channel.

[on-misty-mountains]

If you are ready to listen to me blether on about Scottish history for 10 minutes straight, go ahead and click the video. 

[nobody-else-can-take-me-higher]

Scalloway Castle, Shetland Islands (XVI century). Pictures by me.

[archaicwonder]

Scalloway Castle, Scotland

The castle is a tower house in Scalloway, on the Mainland of Shetland, off the north coast of Scotland.

The castle’s history...

In 1564, Robert Stewart (1533–1593), illegitimate son of King James V, was granted lands in Orkney and Shetland and subsequently established himself as a powerful but unscrupulous figure in the islands. Despite numerous complaints against him for seizing lands and misusing taxes, Stewart was later made Earl of Orkney and Lord of Shetland by King James VI. He remained unpopular with the local lairds, and they subsequently turned the king against Stewart, who died impoverished in 1593, having had his Earldom revoked in 1587. Robert Stewart's son Patrick (c. 1566 – February 6th 1615), who had been on unfriendly terms with his father, remained in the king's favor and was himself created Lord of Shetland in 1590. He effectively succeeded as Earl of Orkney on his father's death, though this was not formalized until 1600. In Shetland he continued to appropriate lands and feuded with the lairds: Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie, son of Robert Stewart's ally, became his chief opponent.

Following his charter of the Earldom in 1600, Stewart began the construction of Scalloway Castle which was completed around 1607. His main residence was the Earl's Palace, built by his father on Birsay, Orkney, while Scalloway was used by his representative in Shetland. The new castle also served as a meeting place for the parliament of Shetland during Earl Patrick's ascendancy. Construction of the castle was undertaken by unpaid workers, summoned by Patrick from the parishes of Shetland, and was overseen by his master of works, Andrew Crawford. Crawford was probably also responsible for Patrick's Earl's Palace in Kirkwall, and Muness Castle on Unst, built for Bruce of Cultmalindie.

In 1609 the Shetland lairds complained to the king of Earl Patrick's misrule of the islands. Patrick was subsequently imprisoned at Edinburgh Castle, and was executed in 1615 for encouraging his son Robert to retake his Orkney possessions. Meanwhile, control of the islands was given over to James Law, Bishop of Orkney, who held his first court at Scalloway Castle in August 1612. In 1653 troops were stationed in the castle, and by the early 18th century its condition was described as poor. Some of the ornamental stonework was removed to be incorporated into the Haa of Sand, an 18th-century house to the north-west of Scalloway. Excavations in 1979–1980 uncovered the remains of 17th-century outbuildings to the north of the tower.

[njugleson]

Scalloway Castle at night.