Desk Based Assessment
Date 3 May 1971
Event ID 649774
Category Recording
Type Desk Based Assessment
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/649774
NC55NE 1 5807 5674.
(NC 5807 5674) Caisteal Bharraich (NR)
OS 6" map (1962)
Castle Varrich or Bhurraich: the shattered remains of a small roughly-built tower whose history is unknown although it is said to have belonged to the Bishop of Caithness who stayed here on his way from his castle at Scrabster (ND16NW 3) to his property of Balnakiel (NC36NE 4). It appears to have been a house rather than a tower and is probably of late date. It consisted of two storeys with an attic, and probably a parapet. The walls are 4ft 6ins thick and the ground floor was vaulted but the arch has now fallen in. The ground floor was probably used for cattle and horses since there is no stairway to the first floor which was probably reached by a ladder. It had only one apartment.
Information from OS (ES) 3 May 1971
Sources: D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92; RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909
