The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry | Goblinshead | A comprehensive guide to 4,100 castles, towers, historic houses, stately homes and family lands
The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry | Goblinshead | A comprehensive guide to 4,100 castles, towers, historic houses, stately homes and family lands
The Castles of Scotland
The Castles of Scotland 

Drochil Castle

Borders: About 6 miles north-west of Peebles, on minor road west of B7059 about 0.25 miles north of junction with A72, west of the Lyne Water.

 

Ruin or site   NT 162434   OS: 72   EH46 7DD

 

B&B near ruin: Drochil Castle Farmhouse   Web: www.drochilcastle.co.uk

Drochil Castle, a large and sophisticated but overgrown and ruinous old tower house, built by James Douglas, Earl of Morton as his home although he was soon executed, and standing in woods near Peebles in the Borders in southern Scotland. Drochil Castle (Chambers, 1864)

Drochil Castle is a large ruined 16th-century Z-plan tower house of four storeys and a garret. It consists of an almost square double-gabled central block with two projecting towers, corbelled out to square above first-floor level, at opposite corners.

Drochil Castle, a large and sophisticated but overgrown and ruinous old tower house, built by James Douglas, Earl of Morton as his home although he was soon executed, and standing in woods near Peebles in the Borders in southern Scotland. Drochil Castle (MacGibbon and Ross)
Drochil Castle, a large and sophisticated but overgrown and ruinous old tower house, built by James Douglas, Earl of Morton as his home although he was soon executed, and standing in woods near Peebles in the Borders in southern Scotland. Drochil Castle (MacGibbon and Ross)

The basement is barrel-vaulted, and contained the kitchen and cellars. Passages ran the length of the building on each floor, from which individual chambers were reached – rather than each chamber opening into the next. A turnpike stair rose at one end of the passage. The hall was on the first floor with an adjoining private chamber, while many rooms occupied the floors above.

Plans of Drochil Castle, a large and sophisticated but overgrown and ruinous old tower house, built by James Douglas, Earl of Morton as his home although he was soon executed, and standing in woods near Peebles in the Borders in southern Scotland. Drochil Castle: plan (MacGibbon and Ross)

Drochil Castle is prominently marked on Blaeu’s map of Tweeddale as ‘Drocchill’.
  The castle was built in the 1570s by James Douglas, Earl of Morton, who also owned Aberdour Castle in Fife. Morton was made Chancellor of Scotland in 1563, but was dismissed for his part in the murder of Rizzio, Mary’s secretary. He was Regent from 1572-8, but in 1581 was tried and executed by the Maiden – the Scottish guillotine – for his alleged part in the murder of Darnley, Mary’s husband. Drochil was abandoned about 1630, and the property was sold to the Douglas Duke of Queensberry in 1686.

Drochil Castle, a large and sophisticated but overgrown and ruinous old tower house, built by James Douglas, Earl of Morton as his home although he was soon executed, and standing in woods near Peebles in the Borders in southern Scotland. Drochil Castle (Billings)

Drochil remains an impressive ruin, although screened by trees.

New sixth edition in preparation: more than 1,500 additional sites, hundreds more illustrations, comprehensive online maps and indexes, and much much more.

Due for 2024, and still a huge amount of work to do … more info to follow soon.

Check any and all opening and access information with the sites themselves…

Contact

Goblinshead

Cockenzie House
22 Edinburgh Road
Cockenzie

EH32 0HY

 

Email: info@thecastlesofscotland.co.uk

 

Or use our contact form.

Spring is here, Red tulips from Cockenzie House Spring is here…
Print | Sitemap
© Martin Coventry