Kirkwall Castle, Medieval fortification in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
Kirkwall Castle was a medieval fortress that once stood in the old town of Kirkwall, on the Orkney Islands in Scotland. It was built at a key street crossing and was known for its very thick defensive walls.
The castle was built in 1379 by Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, after he was appointed by the Norwegian king. Over the following centuries it fell into ruin and was eventually demolished, and its exact location was forgotten.
Kirkwall Castle is a reminder that the Orkney Islands were once part of the Norwegian kingdom, a past that still shapes the identity of the town today. Standing at the old street crossing, visitors are at a spot that marked the center of medieval Kirkwall for generations.
Nothing remains above ground today, and the buried foundations lie beneath the street at a central crossing in Kirkwall's old town. Visitors who want to find the spot should head into the old town and look for the main street intersection in the historic center.
During road maintenance work in 2019, workers came across the castle foundations buried under the street by accident. This find settled a long-standing question about where exactly the building had stood.
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