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Wick is a Town 104 miles north of Inverness, 17
south of John O Groats, in the area of
Caithness in the far northeast of Scotland.
Wick is popular for its Heritage Museum,
Coastal Walks from the Harbour, Boat Trips,
Outdoor Baths, Old Pulteney Whisky Distillery,
and the ruins of the Castle of Old Wick and
Sinclair Castle.
For Images on Mobile swipe right
Click on Map for area Attractions
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The image top right is of the Riverside Car
Park in Wick centre from Bridge Street.
The Church by the Car Park is Wick St Fergus
built from 1820 with the remains of an earlier
Church next to it from the 1500s. This Church
closed in December 2024. A large Effigy of St
Fergus may now be inside this Church after
being moved around Wick many times.
The second image is from the War Memorial
looking east along Bridge Street, the Main
Street in Wick, with the Town Hall in the
middle, built in 1828 in Neoclassical
style.
The High Street runs off the east end of
Bridge Street towards the Harbour, where you
can find small local shops and pubs.
Walking out from the High Street, past the
north side of the Harbour, is a Coastal Walk
past a Second World War Pill Box, North Side
Open Air Pool, War Memorial for Wars in the
1800s, scenic Cliffs, and a Cave. Google Maps
show this route well.
At the Harbour is the Marina where you can
take Boat Trips to Sea
Stacks, Castles and Wildlife.
Wick Heritage
Centre is by the Harbour on Bank Row, with
a lot of information on Wick when it was the
Largest Herring Fishing Port in the World 1850s
- 1940s. There is also a large display of
Caithness Glass that opened in Wick in
1961.
The Old Pulteney
Whisky Distillery is a short walk west of the
Harbour, up Huddart Street from the Seafarers
Memorial above the Harbour.
The Castle of Old Wick from the 1100s is
about 1 and a half miles south of the Harbour
passing the Seafarers Memorial and large
Bremner Memorial, then follow a single lane
coast road to a Car Park close to the Castle.
The Trinkie open Air Pool is next to the
Coastal Road between Wick and the Castle of Old
Wick. Some Touring Vans drive in from the west
to a Car Park right at the Castle.
Sinclair Castle from the 1400s is on the
northeast side of Wick, best found with Satnav
or Google Maps as the roads to it are hard to
follow, about 4 miles out driving. Sinclair
Castle Large
Image.
Reiss Sands Beach is next to Wick Golf Club,
3 miles north of Wick on the main A99 road then
1 mile down a single lane road with a Car Park
by the Golf Club and another at the Beach with
a small charge.
Large Image of
Wick Attractions.
Wick History
1159 - the Castle of Old Wick was built for
the half-Norse Earl Harald Maddadson, Earl of
Orkney and Caithness 1 and a half miles
southwest of where Wick Harbour is today.
1300 - Clan Duffus gained control of the
Castle of Old Wick.
1345 - the marriage of Mary Duffus to
Nicholas Sutherland saw the Castle of Old Wick
pass to the Sutherlands who became vast land
owners in the far north of Scotland as the
Earls of Sutherland.
1400s - Castle Sinclair Girnigoe was built 4
miles northeast of where Wick is today for Clan
Sinclair who became the Earls of Caithness.
1500s - Ackergill Tower or Castle was built
for Clan Keith about 1 mile north of Castle
Sinclair, with many battles between the
Keith's and Sinclair's over the following
centuries.
Other Clans in the area at the time were
Campbell and Dunbar.
1550 - King James V of Scotland began
encouraging Fishermen to fish for Herring.
1570 - the Old Parish Church dedicated to St
Fergus was built with a large Effigy of St
Fergus.
1660s - there were said to be Fishing
Stations at the mouth of Wick River, a time the
town would be growing around Fishing and
Farming.
1690? - Sinclair Castle was abandoned then
fell into ruin.
1710s - the Highland Clearances began when
the Dukes of Argyle began clearing Crofters to
make way for Large Scale Sheep and Crop
farming.
1745 - the failed Jacobite Rising led to an
increase in Clearing Crofters in the Highlands
so as to reduce the population, so as to reduce
the risk of more Risings.
1792 - Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster, 6 miles
south of Wick, brought the first Sheep to his
Caithness estates. Locals removed from their
land to make way for the Sheep, referred to
them as four-footed Clansmen, this was the
start of Clearances in the far north of
Scotland, and a vast increase in Fishing.
1700s - the Castle of Old Wick was abandoned
by Clan Dunbar then fell into ruin.
1803 - Thomas Telford built the first
Harbour at Wick as the Fishing industry was
growing fast.
1807 - Elizabeth Duchess of Sutherland began
the Clearances of Crofters from her vast lands
in the far north of Scotland to make way for
large scale Sheep Farming. Although one of the
last to take part in the Clearances, she is
probably the most famous as she was a woman.
Croft's would have their roofs removed or
burned to prevent the Crofters returning.
1820 - Wick St Fergus Church was built next
to the Old Church, not much of the Old Church
remains.
1860s - Wick had become the largest Herring
Port in the World with over 1,100 Herring Boats
crammed into the Harbour, 3,500 Women Gutting
and Packing the Herring, 650 Men making
Barrels, and over 40 Pubs in Wick to keep them
all merry.
1826 - the Old Pulteney Whisky Distillery
was founded, producing Single Malt from 5 to 50
years old, 40 to 500 pounds per bottle
today.
1828 - Wick Town Hall was built to designs
of Robert Reid in Neoclassical style, a time
the Town Centre was being built up with 3 and 4
story high buildings.
1848 August - 37 local fishermen died during
a storm at Wick. Over 100 boats and 100 men
were lost all along the coast between Wick and
Stonehaven.
1904 - Wick North Baths, Open Air Pool was
opened on the north side of the Harbour.
1920s - The Trinkie Open Air Pool was opened
about one mile southwest of Wick Harbour on the
Walk to the Castle of Old Wick.
1961 - Caithness Glass was
founded in Wick by Robin Sinclair.
1870 - Wick Golf Club was founded.
1986 - Clan Dunbar sold Ackergill Tower so
it could be converted to a Hotel, it may now be
used for Self Catering Holidays.
2017 - the Effigy of St Fergus was returned
to Wick St Fergus Church, think it is now
inside either the new or old building. The
Effigy had been moved around Wick over the
years, being in Gardens then in the Library,
may even have been in the Jail for a while.
2023 - the Seafarers Memorial was erected
overlooking Wick Harbour to commemorate deaths
from fishing boats in the Wick area.
2024 - Wick St Fergus Church closed in
December. Locals are hoping to use the building
for local events.
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