Braal Castle

Braal Castle is a ruined tower dating back to the 14th century when it was resigned by the earl of Caithness to the crown. It was originally a castle of great importance being a property of the earl near a residence of the bishop of Caithness, but Brathwell, as it was called, was abandoned in favour of more spacious accommodation, probably in the 16th century.

The rectangular tower is three storeys high and was accessed at first floor level with all floor supported on timber joists. The only staircase is a mural stair leading from the first floor great hall to the second floor chamber; the basement was presumably reached through a trapdoor – the wallwalk and likely attic level (now lost) may also have been accessed via a trapdoor – or a wooden stair in one of the second floor mural chambers. There is no evidence to show the presence of a courtyard, which may have been to the north and protected by a palisade and wet ditch. An attempt was made by the Sinclairs to build a new tower house or palace block to the south, but the attempt was abandoned and the foundations were used to built the modern day mansion, now converted into apartments.

HES Canmore database entry