Keith Inch

Not to be confused with "Inchkeith", in the Firth of Forth

Keith Inch is the easternmost point of mainland Scotland.

It is located in Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, forming the north point of Peterhead Bay at 57°30′10″N 1°45′51″W / 57.50278°N 1.76417°W.

Formerly an island, it now forms part of Peterhead Harbour. "Inch" is a common Scottish word for an island, e.g. Inchcolm, Inchkenneth, and na h-Innse Gall (Hebrides) and derives from the Scottish Gaelic, innis.

It was used in the whaling industry, and boil yards were here; the remains of a whale bone arch can be seen.

Castle of Keith Inch

On the island of Keith Inch once stood a castle built by George 5th Earl Marischal of Scotland. The castle is thought to have been modelled on Kronborg Castle[note 1](immortalised by Shakespeare as Hamlet's Castle). In 1644 about 500 of Cromwell’s English soldiers reigned terror in the Peterhead. They were encamped on Keith Inch with their headquarters in the castle.

Notes

  1. ↑ The ancient castle of Keith Inch was built by George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal of Scotland. The design based on another castle he saw in Denmark, when he went to bring back princess Anne of Denmark, who was married to James VI. On 20 August 1589, Anne (princess of Denmark) was married by proxy to James VI of Scotland at Kronborg Castle.

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