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All who come and stay at Ackergill quickly learn to use the Castle as their own, and greatly enjoy the warmth of the Tower, the solitude of the great outdoors, and the huge Caithness skies. Every room in the Tower bears the hallmark of Ackergill. Soak up the glorious views from the Morning Room towards the Skerries Lighthouse, which guards the dangerous tides and eddies of the Pentland Firth - itself a myriad of colours and shades created by the subtle depth and dimensions of true northern light and the reflections of sunlight on breaking waves and surf. Dating from 1476, Ackergill was a Keith stronghold, owned by Sir Reginald de Cheyne, Earl Marshall of Scotland. The Estate was then estimated at well over 500,000 acres. Various Captains signing by the name of Keith looked after the lands in Caithness for many years, with the Estate passing in direct descent for eight generations until the Battle of Flodden in 1513. These were barbarous times and it became increasingly difficult for the Keiths to maintain this remote estate in the north of Scotland. The 5th Earl of Caithness took the Tower by force in the late 1600’s and held it for several years until Cromwell’s troops in 1671 sent him scurrying for safety to Orkney. The house and grounds were duly returned to the Keiths, but they had tired of the their most northerly property and sold it in 1696 to Sir William Dunbar of Hempriggs. In 1845, Sir George Dunbar, recently created Lord Duffus, employed the Edinburgh architect, David Bryce, to transform the Castle into the finest gentleman’s seat in the north of Scotland. The Castle enjoyed a short period of glorious splendour in the late 1800’s, when hunting and shooting parties were commonplace, but the cost of upkeeping Ackergill Tower soon took its toll. Hastened by Victorian gambling debts, the Castle entered a period of slow decline. Ackergill was considered beyond salvation when it was purchased in 1986 by the present owner. However, after a careful and loving restoration, the Castle opened its doors again in 1988. The Opera House can be used for plenary sessions for up to 60 delegates. Syndicate rooms are in the stable complex, with the Tower used for fall-out meetings. Your privacy and security are always maintained. State of the art communications – fibre optic communication and ISDN lines. Power point projection. Dinners in the Great Hall with drummers heralding in the beef. Enjoy a pipe band parading on the lawn in summer. Catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Sample a huge range of outdoor activities. Delicious food and wine. Enjoy a sumptuous picnic on the beach. Challenging outdoor games can be incorporated into your business thinking. Rental £395 + VAT per person per night fully catered, not including wine and spirits. Wick airport 5 minutes away, 2 hours drive from Inverness. Ackergill Tower has 25 bedrooms, comprising 23 double/twins and 2 single bedrooms all with en-suite bathroom/showers Conference Room, Opera House and Spa facilities. The freshest seasonal produce from garden and estate, local scallops home caught lobster and crab, the tenderest of spring lamb and the northern beef makes the kitchen an exceptional experience. Rental £435 + VAT per person per night fully catered, not including wine and spirits. Exclusive use based on a minimum of 16 people. Fly Fishing Superb fly fishing on Loch Killimster, Salmon fishing on the River Thurso and sea trout fishing on Loch Wester are all available from Ackergill. Golf Seaside golf links at Wick or championship links at nearby Royal Dornoch. Walks Scenic walks from Skirza head to John O‘Groats. Music Ceilidhs, pipers, opera and other musical events abound at Ackergill with special events taking place regularly in the private Opera House. Spa treatments Highly trained masseuses and reflexologists are all available at Ackergill in the privacy of your own bedroom. Corporate Events Ackergill is about inspiration, whether it be a meeting in the “loose boxes” or a dinner in the Castle. The Highlands has always been at the forefront of communication technology and Ackergill is part of it. Ministerial and Government meetings, acquisition headquarters, board meetings, strategy reviews, corporate bonding and planning, and international get-togethers are all part of every day life at the Castle. An Opera House for music, an estate for sport and a wealth of local activities to entertain and enjoy. Local wildlife on both sea and moor make Caithness a naturalist's paradise.

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