Few Border strongholds trace the whole arc of the medieval Anglo-Scottish wars as directly as Lochmaben, held in turn by the Bruces of Annandale, the English crown of Edward I, and the Stewart kings.
Lochmaben Castle stands at the southern tip of Castle Loch, a ruined stronghold whose long career mirrors the tug-of-war for the Anglo-Scottish border. The site began around 1160 as a motte-and-bailey (an earthen castle mound with a walled courtyard) raised by the Bruce family, lords of Annandale, but the stone castle whose remains survive today was begun by Edward I of England about 1300, part of his grip on southern Scotland. Its position made it a prize, and it changed hands repeatedly: in 1384 Archibald Douglas took and levelled it after a nine-day siege, and it was later rebuilt during the reign of James IV, between 1488 and 1513. As a royal castle it drew the Stewart monarchs — James IV played cards here in 1504, James V watched from nearby before the rout at Solway Moss in 1542, and Mary, Queen of Scots arrived with Lord Darnley in 1565 following the Chaseabout Raid. Further sieges came, and in 1588 the forces of James VI hanged its keeper. By the early seventeenth century its fighting days were done; the £1,600 set aside for repairs in 1624 was never spent, and the castle slid into ruin. It survives today as a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
What to look for
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The ruined masonry of the stone castle begun by Edward I around 1300, at the loch's southern end
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Traces of the moat and water defences that made it a formidable Border stronghold
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Its commanding position on Castle Loch, chosen to control the lordship of Annandale
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The wider site where the earlier Bruce motte-and-bailey first stood, seat of the lords of Annandale
Plan your visit
- Location
- General area near Dumfries and Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway
This is a sensitive or fragile site, so we show only its general area. Please check official heritage sources for access before visiting, and take care not to disturb it.
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