Dunrobin Castle.

DUNROBIN CASTLE

Was built in the beginning of the twelfth century, by Robert, third Earl of Sutherland. Its situation is elevated and picturesque, and much ornamented by wood, which grows on banks rising from the shore. It is in good repair, and conveniently fitted up. Part of it, which had been burnt in the time of Oliver Cromwell, has since been rebuilt by the Marquis of Stafford. The following account is given of it in a manuscript history of that country, written by Sir Robert Gordon, in 1630.

" Robert, Earl of Sutherland, was the first founder and builder " of the castle of Dunrobin, so called from his name, for Doun- " Robin signifieth the mote or hill of Robert. It is a place seated, " on a round mote, by the which there lyeth fair orchards and " gardens, planted with all kind of fruits, hearbs, and flowers, used " in this kingdom; and good store of saffron, tobacco, and rose- " marie: the fruit here is excellent, and chiefly the pears and

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"cherries. In the midst of the court, within the castle, there is
"one of the deepest draw-wells in Scotland, all made of *aisler work*
"from the ground, which was built and finished before the house
"was begun. This well is called St. John's well. This castle is
"situate hard by the sea."

It was besieged in 1513, during some civil commotions in the
country, and resisted the forces of the Marquis of Montrose in
1650.

The view from the tower is very extensive, nine different coun-
ties being visible from it.

Near Dunrobin are the remains of three pictish towers within
sight of each other. One of them is about four hundred feet in
circumference; and is raised so high above the ground as to form a
considerable mount. Within it is a hollow square, in which are
three passages covered with large flat stones.

At the neighbouring village of Golspy a small rivulet runs into
the sea through a rocky valley covered with wood, in which there are
some beautiful points of view, as there are also farther to the south,
where a bay of the sea called Strathflete runs some miles inland.
It is bounded on each side by mountains and rocks of singular
forms, intermixed with wood. In one part of it three battle stones
are placed, to commemorate a combat fought there in 1477, when
Macdonald of the Isles, and his followers, who had invaded the
country, were defeated by its inhabitants. There are also some
remains of druidic circles.

Four miles to the south of Strathflete is Dornoch, the principal
town in Sutherland, and a royal borough. There are in it a
cathedral, the ruins of the bishop's castle, and remains of different
religious houses. The cathedral was built in 1235, (on the ruins of
one founded by St. Bar in the eleventh century) by Gilbert Murray,
bishop of Caithness, whose statue, in a mutilated state, it still con-
tains; and it is called from him the Cathedral of St. Gilbert, though

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dedicated to our lady. It was, with the town, nearly destroyed by
the Earl of Caithness, and rebuilt by an Earl of Sutherland in
1570. Part of it is in good preservation, and used as the parish
church; the rest was unroofed and blown down by a tempest on the
5th of November, 1605. The Rev. Mr. Bethune is minister of
this parish, and much esteemed by its inhabitants.

The castle, a residence of the bishops, is now a ruin: it was
also sometimes inhabited by the earls, and the history already cited
contains an account of a visit made by Patrick, Earl of Orkney,
to John, Earl of Sutherland, in 1604, " who honorably entertained
" him at Dornoch, with comedies, and all other sports and recrea-
" tions that he could make him; after which he returned into his
" own country." This visit was in return for one made to him by
the Earl of Sutherland in 1602, " when he, with divers other
" gentlemen, went into Orkney to visit Earl Patrick; they shipped
" at Cromartie, in the Earl of Orkney his ship called the *Dunkirk*,
" and landed at Kirkwall, where they were honorably received and
" heartily entertained by Patrick, Earl of Orkney; having staid
" eight days at Birsay, and eight days at Kirkwall, and having
" concluded a bond of friendship with the said Earl, they embarked
" again, and so returned into their own countries."

Near Dornoch is an antient stone pillar, reported to have been
placed there in memory of a battle fought in 1259, beween some
danish and norwegian forces, who landed at a part of Strathflete
called Ferry-oons, and being attacked by William, Earl of Suther-
land, and his followers, were defeated at that place, where he killed
the Danish commander with the leg of a horse which lay on the
ground, his sword being broken. From this circumstance, the
name of the town of Dornoch is derived, Dornoch signifying in
gaelic a horse's foot, and it bears in its arms a horse-shoe.