Morton Castle
The ancient seat of the Douglases of Drumlanrig
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This castle is on a quiet country road a few miles north of Carronbridge on the
A76 Kilmarnock to Dumfries road.
It's not that far from Drumlanrig Castle which is less than three miles to the west but is a little tricky to find and the last stretch of road up to it is pretty rough. There's a good chance that visitors will get the place to themselves.
In the 1500s it was occupied by the Douglases of Drumlanrig but then burnt in 1588 by James VI as part of an anti-Catholic campaign against Lord Maxwell, the Earl of Morton. That was a few years before the Union of the Crowns in 1603.
This is a replacement castle - actually more of a hall-house - built in the 1400s to replace an earlier version that may date back to the 1260s. Around 1300 is a fair estimate.
Morton Castle is in the care of Historic Scotland. Entry and the limited parking are both free and there are no other facilities.
It's not that far from Drumlanrig Castle which is less than three miles to the west but is a little tricky to find and the last stretch of road up to it is pretty rough. There's a good chance that visitors will get the place to themselves.
In the 1500s it was occupied by the Douglases of Drumlanrig but then burnt in 1588 by James VI as part of an anti-Catholic campaign against Lord Maxwell, the Earl of Morton. That was a few years before the Union of the Crowns in 1603.
This is a replacement castle - actually more of a hall-house - built in the 1400s to replace an earlier version that may date back to the 1260s. Around 1300 is a fair estimate.
Morton Castle is in the care of Historic Scotland. Entry and the limited parking are both free and there are no other facilities.
