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Keiss Castle: Stroma Pier, Pentland Firth

Auxiliary Lugger (19th Century)

What is recorded here

Keiss Castle, a tiny Wick-registered auxiliary lugsail of just seven tons, struck the Stroma Pier rocks on 16 June 1918. Capt. Robertson and his crew faced the Pentland Firth's cruel sway in a vessel no longer than nine metres, small enough that one wrong turn meant death. The castle name mocks such fragility; castles stand while lugsails break.
Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Keiss Castle: Stroma Pier, Pentland Firth as Auxiliary Lugger (19th Century). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 10m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.
Keiss Castle: Stroma Pier, Pentland Firth was built in the 19th century as an auxiliary lugger, likely associated with coastal defense or maritime operations. It is remembered as a historic maritime structure in a strategically significant location at the Pentland Firth.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.

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