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Snelsetter Castle

Snelsetter Castle was a tower house that stood on the southern edge of the Orkney island of South Walls.

The exact site of Snelsetter Castle isn’t clear, however it is thought to have stood in the vicinity of the current farm of Snelsetter. There seems to be some confusion as to whether it was located to the south of the current farm, or somewhere to the east, closer to the bay of Kirk Hope.

For now I have placed it where the farm is currently located, as the complete lack of any visible ruins seems strange given its known relatively recent history. This leads me to believe that the farm may have been built on the site of the old castle.

On early maps the castle appears with variations on the spelling of its earlier name of Walls. Abraham Ortelius’ map Scotiae Tabula from 1580 shows it as “Wase”, but the relative inaccuracy of the map makes it difficult to establish its precise location. However it does appear to be on the south coast of South Walls, approximately to the south of the present farm.

Scotiae Tabula

Abraham Ortelius

Antwerp, 1580

By 1636 it appears with its new name of Snelsetter, written as Saelster on a Henrik Hondius map that was engraved in that year but published in 1662. Its location would appear to be towards Kirk Hope rather than to the south of the current farm.

Scotiae pars septentrionalis.

Henrik Hondius

Amsterdam, 1662

It is shown on Blaeu’s map of 1654 as “Snelster”, and is what appears to be a substantial castle. On this map it does certainly seem to be immediately to the west of Kirk Hope bay rather than south of the farm.

Orcadum et Shetlandiae Insularum accuratissima descriptio.

Blaeu Atlas of Scotland

Amsterdam, 1654

In the text of Blaeu’s Atlas there is a description of Snelsetter:

There are very many buildings on it, and very many spirited inhabitants, in particular a dwelling called Snelsetter to the south, and one called Melsetter to the west. It also has an anchorage for ships not far from Snelsetter, quite commodious. Here too is an adequate church

Blaeu Atlas of Scotland

Amsterdam, 1654

On Nicolas Sandon’s 1665 map of 1665 it is shown as “Snelstet”, and appears to be located somewhere to the south of the current farm of Snelsetter.

Les Isles Orcadney, ou Orkney

Nicolas Sandon

Paris, 1665

The castle is believed to have been built by the Moodie or Mudie family, possibly in the 15th century. William Mudie of Breckness, Snelsetter Castle and Melsetter was Chamberlain of Orkney under Mary Queen of Scots from 1571 until 1574. A charter from the queen describes Snelsetter as having been possessed by the Moodies “beyond the memory of living man”.

In 1591 a charter from James VI describes the Mudies as having been owners of Snelsetter “from time immemorial”.

Snelsetter Castle is thought to have been the Mudies’ first residence in South Walls, but was later succeeded as their main home by Melsetter, which occupied a less exposed location.

During a dispute with Patrick Stewart, the 2nd Earl of Orkney, in 1598, the Earl seized the castle when Adam Mudie was in Edinburgh, with the Earl installing a garrison in the castle and fortifying it.

The castle seems to have been returned to the Mudies later, possibly after the death of the Earl in 1615, and the castle was in the possession of the Mudies in 1650, when a George Drummond and Marjorie Graham are recorded as having lent money to a Mudie of Snelsetter.

Despite the family feud, another William Moodie and Barbara Stewart, daughter of the 1st Earl of Orkney’s grandson, married, apparently against their parents’ wishes, in 1670. Their marriage was commemorated in stone, with the initials “W.M.” and “B.S.” being carved into a stone panel which may have been installed over the arched gateway into Snelsetter Castle.

This panel was later removed from the ruins of Snelsetter and used as lintel above a window in a farm building near Melsetter House. The archway itself was also removed and built into another wall at Melsetter.

In 1681 a James Moodie of Melsetter died at Snelsetter Castle, possibly a son of William and Barbara. Snelsetter seems to have been occupied as late as 1690.

The 8th Moodie laird of Melsetter, Captain Benjamin Moodie, was on the Hanoverian side during the Jacobite Rising of 1745, and apparently put considerable time and effort into harrying known Jacobites in the Orkneys in subsequent years. This appears to have put a strain on the family finances.

The last Moodie owner of Snelsetter was a Major James Moodie, whose main residence was at Melsetter. In 1818 he was forced to sell the family’s estates, the breaking up of which led to an acrimonious legal battle.

One of the Major’s daughters, Henrietta Moodie, had married a Robert Heddle, who bought Melsetter from the creditors, retaining a Moodie link of sorts. However it appears that Snelsetter passed out of the Moodie family at this time.

In the 1750s stone from Snelsetter Castle was used to build a barn and granary, known as The Old Horse Mill, to the west of the current farm of Snelsetter. Interestingly the end of this building looks very tower-like, and a photo in sales particulars reveals it to have massively thick walls. Could part of the old castle have been incorporated into the mill?

Snelsetter is still shown as what looks like a tower house on John Thomson’s map of 1832, however it seems that by this time the castle was in ruins, as it is mentioned as such in an account from 1868.

A stone gate pier (at ND 33602 89316), recently restored, is said to have belonged to Snelsetter Castle, although whether or not it is in its original position is unclear. It is thought to date from the 18th century, so is probably related to the development of the estate in the 1750s rather than the old castle.

In 1995 the mill was converted into a residential property.

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Alternative names for Snelsetter Castle

Saelster; Snelseter; Snelsetten; Snelsetter House; Snelster; Snelstet; The House of Walls; Wase; Ways

Where is Snelsetter Castle?

Snelsetter Castle is in the parish of Walls and Flotta and the county of Orkney.

Grid reference: ND 32153 88871

Lat / long: 58.78253, -3.17429

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OS Map for Snelsetter Castle

OS map 462
Orkney – Hoy, South Walls & Flotta
OS Explorer map 462


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Directions to Snelsetter Castle

Enter a starting point

Weather at Snelsetter Castle

16°C
max 16°C / min 15°C
19km/h SSE
1013mb
85%
24%
03:02 21:23

Few clouds
Weather observed at Orphir at 17:07
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References (books)

Kirkwall in the Orkneys
Buckham Hugh Hossack
Kirkwall, 1900
New Statistical Account of Scotland
Various
Edinburgh, 1845
Summers and winters in the Orkneys
Daniel Gorrie
London, 1869
The Moodie Book
Melville Henry Massue
London, 1906

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore
  • Ancestry UK

Castles near Snelsetter Castle

Castle Mestag

12.7km away

Smiddybanks (possible) (site of)

13.2km away

Halcro Castle (site of)

14.5km away

Castle of Mey

15.3km away

Castle Grimness (site of)

16.1km away

Brough Castle

17.6km away

Brabster Castle

19.4km away

Bu Of Cairston Castle

21.2km away

Freswick Castle

22.5km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Snelsetter Castle

Burrowston (possible) broch

1.4km away

Green Hill of Hestigeo broch

1.5km away

Green Hill of Scarton broch

1.9km away

Outer Green Hill broch

2.1km away

Green Hill broch

2.2km away

The Skeo broch

3.7km away

Green Hill broch, cists

15.7km away

Scarfskerry broch

16.1km away

Canisbay (site of) broch

16.2km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Snelsetter Castle

Flotta Class III cross slab

6.1km away

St Peter’s Church Class I symbol stone

14.9km away

Orphir 1 Class I symbol stone

15.6km away

Orphir 2 Class I symbol stone

15.6km away

Graemeshall Class III cross slab

22.1km away

Craig of Hattel Class I symbol stone

24.0km away

Greens Class I symbol stone

26.2km away

Burness (possible) Class I symbol stone

27.4km away

Knowe of Burrian Class I symbol stone

27.9km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Snelsetter Castle

Burghead fort

121.5km away

Gaulcross hoard

126.6km away

Torvean silver chain

159.3km away

St. Ninian's Isle hoard

169.2km away

Parkhill silver chain

183.2km away

Nigg silver chain

195.8km away

Dunnicaer fort

211.1km away

Norrie's Law hoard

281.4km away

Traprain Law silver chain

314.7km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Snelsetter Castle

Houton Bay Lodge
hotelOrphir
14.9km away
Rackwick SYHA Hostel
hostelHoy
16.2km away
Hoy SYHA Hostel
hostelHoy
17.0km away
Seaview Hotel
hotelJohn O' Groats
17.2km away
Dunnet Head Cottage
self-catering cottage, bed and breakfastBrough
18.2km away
The Stromness Hotel
hotelStromness
20.3km away
St Clair Arms Hotel
hotelThurso
24.5km away
Kirkwall SYHA Hostel
hostelKirkwall
24.5km away
Greenland House
hotelThurso
24.6km away
The Castletown Hotel
hotelCastletown
24.6km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Snelsetter Castle

The Storehouse
caféJohn O'Groats
16.6km away
Holborn Hotel
hotel, barThurso
29.0km away
Red Pepper Restaurant
restaurantThurso
29.0km away
Royal Hotel Thurso
hotel, restaurant, barThurso
29.0km away
Ackergill Tower
hotel, restaurant, barWick
34.3km away
Royal Golf Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barDornoch
111.7km away
The Eagle
hotel, restaurant, barDornoch
111.8km away
Dornoch Castle Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barDornoch
111.9km away
Railway Hotel
hotel, barTain
119.2km away
Royal Hotel Tain
hotel, bar, restaurantTain
119.3km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 21st of February 2013 at 6:36 pm. Updated on the 19th of March 2013 at 12:28 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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