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Canisbay Kirk / Church is 2 and a half miles
west of John O Groats, 17 miles east of
Thurso,
next to the main A836 road, on the far north
coast of Scotland.
The Kirk was built from the 1200s, most
visited to view the Grave Stone of John O Groat
just inside the front door, and the Grave of
James Sinclair,12th Earl of Caithness, at the
north side of the Kirk. Postcode: KW1 4YJ.
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The Queen Mother worshiped here when she was
staying at the Castle of Mey that she owned
from 1952 - 2002.
The Castle of Mey was built for George
Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness in the mid
1500s, 4 miles east of Canisbay Kirk.
Canisbay Kirk History
600s - a Chapel dedicated to St Drostan is
thought to have been on this spot.
1200s - the original Canisbay Kirk was built
here.
1455 - William Sinclair became the 1st Earl
of Caithness, with the Earls having vast lands
and wealth in the Caithness area, also other
areas in Scotland such as at Rosslyn Castle and
Chapel by Edinburgh, and Kirkaldy
Castle in Fife.
1400s late - Jan de Groot, a Dutchman, began
running a Sail Ferry between this area and the
Orkney Islands.
1500s - Jan de Groot died with him being
buried at Canisbay Kirk.
1566 - Barrogill Castle, later named the
Castle of Mey, was built for George Sinclair,
4th Earl of Caithness, 4 miles east of Canisbay
Kirk.
1600s - Canisbay Kirk was rebuilt with
little of the original Church left.
Jan de Groot's grave was found around that
time. His Grave Stone is now just inside the
front door, not sure where his grave is.
1792 - the Sinclair's began removing farmers
from their lands in Caithness to make way for
large scale Sheep Farming. This had began in
Argyll in the early 1700s, then in the
Highlands around the 1750s.
1823 - Sir James Sinclair, 12th Earl of
Caithness, died at Barrogill Castle, buried
here at Canisbay Kirk, he was the last Sinclair
Earl to live in Caithness.
1952 - the Queen Mother bought Barrogill
Castle, renaming it Castle of Mey to use as a
Holiday Home. The Queen Mother and Royals
visiting the Castle, used Canisbay Kirk for
worship.
2002 - the Queen Mother died. The Castle of
Mey can now be visited throughout the
summer.
Where the Earls of Caithness are said to be
buried:
1st earl - Rosslyn Chapel
2nd - Flodden Battlefield northeast
England
3rd - Orkney Islands at a Battlesite
4th - heart at Wick, body at Rosslyn
Chapel
5th - Wick old Kirk of St Fergus
6th - Wick old Kirk of St Fergus
7th - Thurso Old St Peter's Church
8th - Cannongate Kirk Edinburgh
9th - Thurso Old St Peter's Church
10th - Holyrood Abbey Edinburgh
11th - London St. Marylebone Church
12th - Canisbay Kirk by John O Groats
13th - Holyrood Abbey Edinburgh
14th - Holyrood Abbey Edinburgh
15th - Holyrood Abbey Edinburgh
16th - St Machars Cathedral Aberdeen
17th - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Los
Angeles
18th - Logi Buchan Church Aberdeenshire
19th - Crathie Kirk at Balmoral Castle
Aberdeenshire
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