Dornoch Castle is a substantial 16th century tower house which may incorporate earlier work.

When the first castle was built at Dornoch is unclear, however Gilbert de Moravia, Bishop of Caithness and later St Gilbert, is thought to have built a castle here in the first half of the 13th century when he founded Dornoch Cathedral.

Some of the present castle, including the vaulted basement, is thought to date to around 1500.

The five storey tower once stood at the south-west corner of a larger castle complex with further towers at the north-west and south-east corners and a gatehouse at the north-east.

In 1557 Robert Stewart, Bishop of Caithness, granted the castle to John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland, who was married to Lady Janet Stewart, a relative of the bishop. The bishop was a grandson of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, while Lady Janet was the daughter of John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl. In 1563 the Earl of Sutherland was forfeited however in 1564 the bishop granted the palace of Dornoch to the 11th Earl’s son and heir by his second marriage, Alexander Gordon.

The castle was damaged by fire in 1570 when it was besieged following the Battle of Torran-Roy. A force of Mackays of Strathnaver under John Sinclair, Master of Caithness, attacked the castle which was being held by the Murrays of Aberscors for the Earl of Sutherland. Rebuilding work included the upper part of the tower where angle bartizans were added.

William Gordon, Lord Strathnaver and eldest son of John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland, is thought to be the last member of the Sutherland family to live in the castle and it was he who in 1720 was responsible for renovations which cost 2300 merks and included work by the master mason Alexander Stronach. He died of consumption in the same year however, pre-deceasing his father.

Dornoch Castle was occupied by the Jacobites in 1746 and was seemingly damaged as by 1760 it was reported to be in a derelict state. Between 1812 and 1814 Dornoch Castle was renovated at a cost of some £1745. In 1814 it was proposed that Dornoch Castle advertised for rent as either an inn or for a private family, but it was still unlet in November 1815.

In 1922 the castle was sold by the Sutherland estates to a private developer and in 1947 it was converted into a hotel. The castle is still run as a hotel to this day.