Cairston

Cairston
Cattle at Cairston, with the Bay of Ireland, and the hills south-east of Stenness, beyond
Cairston
Location within Orkney
OS grid referenceHY268105
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSTROMNESS
Postcode districtKW16
Dialling code01856
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Cairston is a village on Mainland, in Orkney, Scotland. The settlement is within the parish of Stromness.[1]

Within the village is located the Castle of Cairston which is said to have belonged to the House of Gordons, and may have been built in 1152, as contested in a Saga.[2]

The property's north-west corner underwent renovation in the 16th century in order to form a mansion house. In present day, the site is ruinous, overgrown and used for aggriculture.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Details of Parish of Stromness". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Bu Of Cairston Castle | Castle in Stromness, Orkney | Stravaiging around Scotland". www.stravaiging.com. Retrieved 11 January 2026.