Cubbie Roo’s Castle
Cubbie Roo’s Castle on Wyre is one of the oldest surviving stone fortifications in Scotland, built around 1145 by Kolbein Hruga, a Norse chieftain whose name evolved into the legendary “Cubbie Roo.” Its compact, square design reflects early medieval defensive thinking: thick walls, minimal openings and a commanding position over the island. A striking fact is that the castle appears in the Orkneyinga Saga, making it one of the few Scottish sites directly tied to Norse literature. Inside, the structure is simple but atmospheric. You can step into the ground‑floor chamber, originally used for storage and protection, where the narrow slit windows emphasise its defensive purpose. A steep internal stair leads to the upper level, once the main living space. Here, the larger window openings and traces of a hearth suggest a more comfortable domestic environment, though still firmly within a fortified shell. The surrounding earthworks add further interest, showing how the castle was once part of a wider defended enclosure. From the upper platform, views stretch across Wyre’s quiet farmland and the surrounding sea channels. Despite its modest size, Cubbie Roo’s Castle offers a rare, tangible link to Orkney’s Norse past and the island’s earliest stone architecture.
Wyre Scotland
Cubbie Roo's Castle is on the tiny island of Wyre in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It's known as the oldest castle in Scotland, built around 1145 by a Norse chief called Kolbein Hruga, which is where the name Roo comes from. The address is Cubbie Roo's Castle, Island of Wyre, Orkney KW17 2QA. It's only half a mile from the pier, so you can walk it in about ten minutes after you land. Wyre is a small, low-lying island you reach by ferry from Mainland Orkney, and the castle sits right next to St Mary's Chapel, a lovely little 12th century ruin. It is a small stone castle, a tower inside an oval walled enclosure with ditches, but it has a lot of atmosphere because it is so old and so remote. Because it's on Wyre, you are right in the middle of the Orkney isles. From the castle you can see Rousay and the surrounding islands. Nearby on Wyre itself there is not much else except the chapel, birds and quiet beaches, which is the charm. Back on Mainland Orkney, just a short ferry ride away, you have the big sights around Kirkwall like the Bishop's and Earl's Palaces on Watergate, St Magnus Cathedral, and the Orkney Museum in Tankerness House.