Dundaff Castle
Castle In Stirling, Scotland
The scant remains of what was a 12th century Motte & Bailey castle overlooking the Carron Valley Reservoir which belonged to the nobleman John de Graham.
Dundaff Castle, also known as Sir John de Graham's Castle sits on the banks of the Carron Valley Reservoir. It was built in the 12th century by the Graham family. It makes for a great place to sit and relax next to the water overlooking the hills, unless of course you visit during Storm Kathleen as we did.
In 1235, the Earl of Dunbar was granted Dundaff and Strathcarron, which he exchanged shortly afterwards for land in Galloway which he had previously granted to Sir David de Graham. Graham's son Sir John de Graham was born in this area.
Sir John de Graham, was a renowned supporter of Scottish independence and fought alongside William Wallace in the Wars of Independence. He is known to have been fought in the Battle of Stirling Bridge and in 1298 he lost his life fighting alongside Wallace in the Battle of Falkirk.
It takes quite some imagination to picture what the castle looked like in its prime. Fortunately, there is an information board to assist with this.
The castle is built in a classic motte and bailey style, typical of this period in Scotland. The motte being the raised land/bank on which a stone or wooden keep was built. The bailey being the walled courtyard that surrounded the motte. The whole area was then surrounded by a ditch which would have contained water (a moat).
The castle was last occupied in 1362, when the then occupier Sir John de Graham of Dalkeith died.
If you are as crazy as us, you may want to visit the nearby Cairnoch Hill Trig Point.
Follow the above route, or find on OS Maps.
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How To Find Dundaff Castle
Where To Park For Dundaff Castle?
Lat / Long
56.04928, -4.11756
What three words
There is parking for a few cars on the track not far from the castle.
Contributed by Lorraine London
I have been a keen hill walker for many years and more recently enjoy trig bagging. When I'm not exploring Northumberland, County Durham and Yorkshire, I spend most of my holidays in bonny Scotland. Other than hills, I love investigating ruinous buildings and waterfalls. I have been a member of NT and EH for years, which also gives me access to Historic Environment Scotland places.
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