📌 Keiss, Highland
★★★
Half a mile along the coast path north of Keiss, the late 16th century tower house of Keiss Castle seems to have an ominous atmosphere about it – possibly not helped by the Danger! sign scrawled in red on a rock out front. The castle is a precarious ruin perched on the edge of a cliff, and was superseded centuries ago by a newer building visible a little further inland. With a picturesque harbour at the start, two overgrown brochs and wartime coastal defences, there’s plenty of man-made interest en route. And this area been rich in wildlife on our two visits too, with otters, seals, shelducks and a great northern diver among the sightings.
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at Keiss harbour, minor road end 0.5 mi southeast of Keiss village centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: ND 351609
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.531742,-3.115638
🚌 Bus to Keiss (0.5 mi)
🚗 Space for a few cars only – don’t block access
📝 Key info
▶ 2 km / 1 mi | ▲ 20 m | ⌛ 45 min
Features: ⭕ Keiss Broch; ⭕ Whitegate Broch; 🏰 Keiss Castle
⬤ Easy | Coastal path, a little rough underfoot.
Download file for GPS➡️ Out-and-back walk: start – Keiss Broch – Whitegate Broch – Keiss Castle – return by outward route
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Seals with pups basking on rocks below the castle. A great northern diver, fulmars, shelducks.* 2+ otters in the sea below the castle. Shelducks with ducklings, fulmars, other seabirds.**
Weather: Mostly cloudy, some sunny periods.* Windy and overcast, rain threatening.**
*May 2021 / **July 2016
Also on this walk
Keiss Castle ★★
🌍 Location
📌By the coast 0.5 mi east of Keiss
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: ND 357616
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.538069,-3.106228
🚌 Bus to Keiss (1 mi)
🚗 Park as for walk route above (0.5 mi)
📝 Key info
⌚ Always viewable
🎫 Free
💬 There is no easier access to the castle than by the walk route described above.
