The Castle of Old Wick was built in the twelfth century. At this time, the remote northern coasts of Caithness and Sutherland – along with many of the islands along Scotland’s North and West coasts – were under the control of the King of Norway.
On its isolated promontory the castle was protected on three sides by the cliffs, towering above sea level. Much of this once grand structure has now been lost but the configuration consisted of storage on the ground floor, the hall on the first floor and accommodation above. A lack of a stone staircase suggests access to the upper levels was via a timber ladder. Various other buildings, invariably including all the domestic support buildings associated with such a settlement, were built along the length of the promontory. Below the cliffs on the north side is a small beach which would have been ideal for sheltering the small ships in use during the medieval period. TRINKIE The “Trinkie” (‘Trinkie’ is a Scottish word for trench) is one of Wick’s two outdoor coastal swimming pools (the North Baths on the opposite side of the bay is the other). This sign, painted on the rocks next to the pool, is a very famous coastal feature on the coast of Wick Bay. The pool itself was built in an attempt to pull some money from the tourist market, and it was a very popular spot during the summer months. As time advanced, people’s tolerance of cold water receded and heated swimming pools have taken the place of the icy water of our sea.