Loch Doon Castle

Castle In Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland

A castle on the banks of Loch Doon in East Ayrshire thought to have been built by Robert the Bruce.

Loch Doon Castle is a 13th-century medieval 11-sided castle that sits on the banks of Loch Doon in East Ayrshire, Scotland.

If you venture to the bonnie banks of Loch Doon, you can't miss this structure sitting at the roadside.

You may think, "What an odd place to build a castle!", and you would be right.

Loch Doon Castle originally sat on an island at the southern end of the loch, and would have enclosed several buildings.

In 1935, the curtain wall was relocated to its current position, to save it from rising water levels due to the Galloway Hydro-electric scheme.

The castle is believed to have been built by the Earl of Carrick, who happened to be Robert the Bruce during this period, or his father.

Robert inherited the title from his mother Marjorie, the Countess of Carrick, who married Robert's father Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale in 1271.

Before the castle was in the hands of the Carrick's, in 1206 it was owned by the Corrie (Currie) family.

The castle briefly fell to the English, but recaptured 1214. The structure as we see it today was built later in the 13th century in the hands of the Carrick family.

Robert's sister Christina was married to Sir Christopher Seton.

In 1306, during the Wars of Scottish Independence, he was defeated by the English at Methven and sought refuge here at the castle.

During the 14th century, the castle fell in and out of the hands of the Kennedy family.

Eventually, sometime between 1513 and 1542 the castle was destroyed, in an attempt to reduce the power of the barons of Galloway, during the reign of James V.

The island and some original stones can still be seen when there is a low water level. The original Portcullis Gates made of heavy wood and metal are still submerged in the loch.

In 1826 ancient canoes and battle axes were found on the island and are now housed at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow. Both the current castle and the site of the original castle on the island are designated Scheduled Ancient Monuments.