Clan Douglas Castles

If you've read our Douglas clan of the month blog, you might already be familiar with Douglas Castle in South Lanarkshire found just north-east of the village of Douglas. Let me delve a bit further into the story behind the castle and why it formed a crucial part of the history of the clan.

Built in the late 13th century, Douglas Castle served as a stronghold to the Douglas family up until the 19th century. In the early tenure, during the Wars of Independence, it was captured and occupied by the English under Lord Clifford. However, Sir James Douglas came to the rescue and successfully recaptured the Douglas family seat by storming the castle on Palm Sunday. During this vicious attack, Sir James Douglas had the garrison killed and thrown into a cellar. Just another reason why he was referred to as "The Black Douglas".

With their territories being situated in the Scottish Lowlands, this Douglas stronghold was always at risk of being under siege from the English and this was the case in 1455. James II led his army against James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, defeating him at the battle of Arkinholm. Consequently, Douglas Castle was sacked and the family's lands and titles had to be forfeited.

For many centuries to come, Douglas Castle was besieged, destroyed, burnt down and re-built on a number of occasions, causing mixed fortunes for the clan. Today, a corner of the 17th century tower still remains but that is all. Situated just outside the town of Douglas, the ruins of the castle are certainly worth a visit if you are keen to explore the history of the clan and feel the atmosphere of days gone by. New Lanark World Heritage Site is also close to Douglas if you want to make a day of it and you can walk from the centre of Glasgow to the site on the Clyde Walkway.

Berwick Castle

Now let me tell you about a castle with so much history, which stands tall upon my home town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. The dominant location of the castle provided it with a naturally strong defensive position, giving excellent views across both the River Tweed and North Sea. Did you know that the town of Berwick, filled with history and tradition, has changed hands between England and Scotland 13 times?

Berwick Castle played an important role throughout Clan Douglas history, none more so than during the Scottish Wars of Independence. The castle found itself at the heart of quite a monumental event, the Capture of Berwick, 1318, whereby Sir James Douglas, Lord of Douglas, seized control of the town and castle from the English. It wasn't the first, nor the last time that the town would change hands between the two countries...

As you take a walk along the beautiful river tweed, with the view of Berwick's famous three bridges (The Royal Tweed Bridge built in 1611 under the supervision of Robert Stephenson, The Old Bridge (1925) with it's 15 span sandstone arches and The Royal Border Bridge (1850)), you will come across the ruins of the castle. Discover the dangerous dungeons, alongside the famous "Break-y neck steps", which were a defensive focal point added by King Edward I in 1296. Whether you decide to climb them or not, that's completely up to you!

Threave Castle

Situated on an island in the River Dee, Threave Castle was built by Sir Archibald Douglas, son of Sir James Douglas, in 1369. Although he became Lord of Galloway shortly before building the tower, Arichbald Douglas was better known as Archibald the Grim, a nickname that he had inherited from his father's aggressive temperament. Archibald continued to battle with the English and eventually forced them out of Lochmaben Castle with some terrifying attacks, another reason believed to be behind the gruesome nickname!

In 1455, King James II laid siege to Threave Castle for more than three months. Although the siege was a brutal one, the final surrender of the castle was more down to bribery than military defeat. As a result, the castle, along with the lordship of Galloway, was passed to the Crown.

As seen above, the remains of the castle are located on an island in the River Dee, signifying the strong defensible position upon which the castle stood. Even though the original tower was around 100 feet tall, the surrounding buildings have now been demolished, leaving the castle a beautiful sight to be seen near the west coast of Scotland.

Drumlanrig Castle

This famous building was built in the late 17th century by William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry. It served a prominent part of Douglas family, who were Earls of Douglas and went on to become Earls (and later Dukes) of Queensberry.

It is not just the fascinating exterior of Drumlanrig Castle that is of significance. When the stronghold was built, the location was really taken into consideration! It controls routes from the north and north east into Nithsdale, whereby the Earls of Douglas had built a stronghold around 1430.

Did you know the Drumlanrig Castle was used as the Duke of Sandringham's estate in the TV series, Outlander? If you've ever watched the gripping series, you'll know that they love a spectacular location and Drumlanrig certainly fits the criteria! Appearing in the "Vengeance is Mine" episode, the castle was used as the Duke of Sandringham's estate, whilst the British Army had set up camp in the grounds.

Whether you want to immerse yourself in Douglas history, explore the world famous Buccleuch collection or simply just appreciate the castle gardens, then Drumlanrig Castle is certainly worth a visit! We were even lucky enough to have a chat with Drumlanrig's Castle Manager, check out the interview here.

Quite possibly the oldest standing masonry castle in Scotland, Aberdour Castle is believed to have been built in the mid-12th century by Sir Alan Mortimer. Robert the Bruce granted the stronghold to his nephew, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, after he served him well during the Wars of Independence. I could think of worse things to receive as a gesture of good will!

Over time, the castle has told a beautiful story about the changes in architectural attitudes. Fine walled with terraced gardens, it remains quite the place to visit and by doing so, you will discover the exceptional history of one of Scotland's oldest standing castles. Don't miss the beehive-shaped dovecot which was built at the end of the sixteenth century to ensure the residents had a plentiful supply of meat, and today still contains over 600 stone nesting boxes.

Tantallon Castle

The fascinating Tantallon Castle served as a stronghold to the Douglases from 1374 to 1699. The castle differed slightly from other Douglas stronghold due to its unusual location right by the sea and as a result, needed formidable defences. You don't see many castles this close to the sea!

In the early 16th century, James V constructed a major upgrade of the castle's defences. One of these required defences included a sea gate, designed to protect the castle from the sea in times of trouble.

What is quite spectacular about Tantallon Castle is the sheer size of it. As well as proving to be a dominant structure on the East Lothian coastline, the castle features a breath-taking sandstone curtain wall (a defensive wall between two towers of a castle), measuring 13ft in thickness and 50ft tall! Tantallon remains in its current state after it was attacked in 1651 by Oliver Cromwell (unsurprisingly, he still failed to bring down the curtain wall!).

If you're ever visiting Edinburgh, then Tantallon Castle serves as fantastic day trip and can even be served with some delicious fish and chips from the nearby town of North Berwick.

Loch Leven Castle

Loch Leven is a beautiful part of Fife that I've actually visited on numerous occasions. The views on the trail surrounding the loch are simply stunning and are accompanied by some lovely coffee shops. Loch Leven Castle stands proudly in the heart of the loch, with its historical story to tell.

Believed to have been built around 1300, Loch Leven Castle was a prominent location of military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence and was given to the Douglas family in 1372.

The castle is commonly known for its association with Mary, Queen of Scots, where she visited many times during her reign. Famously, in 1567, she was imprisoned there for nearly half a year after her surrender at The Battle of Carberry Hill.

Dalkeith Palace is situated not far from Edinburgh in the magnificent Dalkeith Country Park. The castle originally belonged to the Grahams during the 12th century but was passed by marriage to the Douglases in the mid-14th century.

In the 15th century, the castle was given an upgrade, forming an L-plan keep with a curtain wall. This certainly added to it's already incredible structure! Fast forward in time to the mid-16th century, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, was captured by the English while defending Dalkeith Palace against them and was taken south of the border as hostage but was later released in 1550.

Richard Montagu Douglas Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch, and his family currently own the palace. Interestingly, they also own Drumlanrig Castle, which I explored earlier on in the blog!