Scalloway Castle

Scalloway Castle is a four-story stone tower house on the Shetland Islands featuring an L-shaped plan with tunnel-vaulted rooms and projecting corner turrets. The structure displays typical fortress design elements from its period.

Earl Patrick Stewart ordered construction in 1600 and local workers completed the fortress around 1607. The building was raised when the earl sought to strengthen his control over the islands through displays of power.

The fortress was where people gathered for important meetings and assemblies under Earl Patrick Stewart's rule in the early 1600s. It still stands as a symbol of how power was exercised over these remote islands.

Visitors can pick up keys at the Scalloway Hotel or the nearby museum to enter the interior and explore the rooms. Check opening hours ahead of your visit to ensure you can access the keys when you arrive.

Excavations in the 1970s uncovered foundations of 17th-century outbuildings beside the main tower. These discoveries showed the fortress was part of a wider complex rather than a solitary structure.

Location: Shetland Islands

Location: Tingwall

Inception: 1599

Founders: Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney

GPS coordinates: 60.13627,-1.27429

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:46