The Castles of Clan Johnstone

Clan Johnstone’s power and influence can be seen clearly in their grand homes and their command over the wild landscapes they lived among. Join us as we explore these magnificent settings and get to know more about the lives of the fearsome Johnstones. 

We think it only makes sense to start with the hereditary clan seat, Lochwood Tower, which is located in upper Annandale, just southwest of Moffat in Dumfriesshire. 

It's believed that the Johnstones held Lochwood as their main stronghold from the 14th century, although the early history of the castle remains quite mysterious. The first time we know that the tower was referenced by name took place in November 1476, when John Johnstone signed a document transferring the ownership of the lands of Wamphray to his son. He signed the deed as being from ‘Lochwod.’ From here on out, the castle began to appear frequently, and was often mentioned in connection to border disputes. 

One particularly dramatic dispute came to a head in 1547, when the English managed to capture the tower. They seemed to have been impressed by Lochwood’s riches and provisions, exclaiming that it was ‘well purveyed with salted beef, malt, barley, oatmeal, butter and cheese.’ 

Luckily, the Johnstones reclaimed their home in 1550, and continued to live at the castle until the late 1600s. By this point, Lochwood had become outmoded, and its owner, the Earl of Annandale, spent most of his time in Edinburgh instead of at the old clan seat. 

Lochwood Castle by Colin Smith

It's thought that after the Johnstones abandoned Lochwood as a place of residence, local farmers likely raided the site for building materials. As a result, Lochwood now stands largely in ruins, making it hard to imagine how striking it must have looked in its heyday. 

Fortunately, we have a number of contemporary descriptions to help us picture it. In 1537, an English soldier named Sir Thomas Carleton described Lochwood as a ‘fair large tower with a barnekin (surrounding stone wall), hall, kitchen and stables all within the barnekin.’ 

It's also said that James V, on riding up to Lochwood, cried out ‘he who built it must have been a knave in his heart!’ This suggests that there were likely several impressive defensive elements to the site. 

During the 1980s, the Johnstone Clan Chief cleared away the rubble from the ruins, restored the two-chambered vaulted basements, and cemented the remaining walls firmly in place. While doing this, he also found various fascinating artefacts, including the original iron gate to Lochwood! 

While the ruins are still not safe to visit close up, the chief’s work has made them far easier to see from the road. If you find yourself in the area, make sure to keep an eye out and see if you can spot what’s left of the Johnstone’s historic clan seat. 

After the family left Lochwood, they needed to find a new seat, and Raehills House fit the bill perfectly! Raehills is a magnificent mansion located near the town of Johnstonebridge in Dumfries and Galloway. 

William Johnstone, the 1st Marquess of Annandale, came into possession of the lands of Raehills in the early 18th century, then George Vanden-Bempde, 3rd Marquess of Annandale, commissioned the architect Alexander Stevens to build Raehills House in 1786.

Raehills House by Chris Newman

Stevens designed the house to have all-round battlement reinforcement and roofs made of sturdy slate. The east front boasts a colonnade which extends along the length of the whole building, supporting a balcony and leading onto a terrace. 

After George’s death, the house passed on to James Hope-Johnstone, who made some improvements of his own, building the idyllic surrounding gardens and parks. 

Raehills has long been recognised for its historic worth. In 1971, it was included in the Scottish monuments list at category B, before being upgraded to category A in 1988. It still serves as Clan Johnstone’s seat to this day and is the current Earl’s family home. While this means it is not open to the public, it does sit in the middle of Annandale Estates, which contain several beautiful walking paths. This scenic stretch of countryside is blessed with grand oak trees, grassy ferns and mosses, numerous singing birds, and even swathes of bluebells during the spring! 

It sounds like the perfect place to take a peaceful moment and think of your Johnstone ancestors. 

Our final site of the day is a bit more unusual, but equally scenic!

The Devil’s Beef Tub, or Maquis of Annandale’s Beef Tub, is located 5 miles to the north of Moffat on the road to Edinburgh. It is a 150-metre-deep valley that lies between 4 hills, Great Hill, Peat Know, Annandale Hill, and Ericstane Hill. The tranquil Annan River flows calmly through the landscape, creating a tranquil atmosphere not entirely befitting of the area’s violent past! 

Devil's Beef Tub by Scothill

The odd name gives you a bit of a clue about what the valley was once used for. During the turbulent reiver period in Scottish history, from around 1300 to 1600, many border clans, but principally Clan Johnstone, would steal livestock from their English neighbours. They would then hide the animals in the ‘tub’ overnight, until they were ready to bring them back to their own strongholds. The valley became so notorious that Sir Walter Scott wrote about it in his novel, Redgauntlet, sinisterly stating:

“It looks as if four hills were laying their heads together, to shut out daylight from the dark hollow space between them. A damned deep, black, blackguard-looking abyss of a hole it is.” 

Today, the site is just as striking, though slightly less sinister. It is surrounded by stunning native woodlands and heather moors and is rich with local wildlife. It is a popular place for walkers to go to enjoy a day of beauty and tranquillity. There are even several popular campsites nearby, so perhaps you could take an overnight trip to really connect with your clan forebearers and imagine how they must have felt hiding in the dark with the spoils of their raids! 

Thank you for coming along with us to learn more about the lands Clan Johnstone once called home. We hope it has made you feel closer to your ancestors and brought you a deeper understanding of their day-to-day lives. Please do get in touch if you have been to or plan to go to any of these fascinating spots! We’d love to hear about your experiences. 

 

If you’d like to learn more about the mighty Johnstones, head over to our Clan Johnstone page and keep an eye out for the rest of our content over November, as we will be focusing on this fascinating family for the whole month! 

Image Sources:

Lochwood Castle. The scant remains must have once been open to the public as there is a blue board with historical information. Now it is overgrown with weeds and fenced off from the minor road by Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0

Raehills House North Side Raehills (1782 & 1829-34) is unusual in having Egyptian revival and battlemented details. A colonnade runs above the terrace by Chris Newman, CC BY-SA 2.0

View of the Devil's Beef Tub looking west from Hartfell in the Moffat Hills, Southern Uplands, Scotland with Lowther Hills in the background by Scothill - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0