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 

Sanquhar Castle

Dumfriesshire: About 0.25 miles south of Sanquhar, on minor roads south of  A76, just east of River Nith at meeting with Euchan Water, at Sanquhar Castle.

 

Ruin or site   NS 786092   OS: 78   DG4 6LF

 

OPEN: Open all year: ruins are in a poor state of repair and great care should be taken.

Sanquhar Castle, a very ruinous old but once important stronghold of the powerful Crichton family and then the Douglases, in a scenic spot near the burgh of Sanquhar in Nithsdale in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. Sanquhar Castle (old postcard)

Sanquhar Castle is a ruined 13th-century castle with later work, consisting of an altered tower and ranges of buildings around a courtyard. A four-storey tower stands at one corner. A ruined hall block and later wing, with a gateway passage and a semi-circular tower, also survive. The rest of the castle is very ruined.

Sanquhar Castle, a very ruinous old but once important stronghold of the powerful Crichton family and then the Douglases, in a scenic spot near the burgh of Sanquhar in Nithsdale in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. Sanquhar Castle (Grose, 1790)
Sanquhar Castle, a very ruinous old but once important stronghold of the powerful Crichton family and then the Douglases, in a scenic spot near the burgh of Sanquhar in Nithsdale in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. Sanquhar Castle (Grose, 1790)
Plan, Sanquhar Castle, a very ruinous old but once important stronghold of the powerful Crichton family and then the Douglases, in a scenic spot near the burgh of Sanquhar in Nithsdale in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. Sanquhar Castle: plan (RCAHMCS, 1920)

‘Castel of Sanchare’ is marked on Pont’s map of Nithsdale, and is depicted as a large castle with towers in a courtyard. It is also marked on Blaeu.
  The lands originally belonged to the Edgars, one of whom was Sheriff of Dumfries, then the Ross family, but passed by marriage to the Crichtons in the 14th century. Both William Wallace and Robert the Bruce are said to have visited.

Sanquhar Castle, a very ruinous old but once important stronghold of the powerful Crichton family and then the Douglases, in a scenic spot near the burgh of Sanquhar in Nithsdale in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. Sanquhar Castle (MacGibbon and Ross)

William Crichton of Sanquhar was stabbed to death by Robert Semple in 1550 in Edinburgh. Robert, 8th of Sanquhar, was executed for his part in the assassination of John Turner, and was hanged with a silken rope. Mary, Queen of Scots, apparently visited in 1568 after Langside, as did James VI in 1617. The Crichtons were made Earls of Dumfries (see Dumfries House) in 1633, but in 1639 sold the property to Sir William Douglas of Drumlanrig.

Sanquhar Castle, a very ruinous old but once important stronghold of the powerful Crichton family and then the Douglases, in a scenic spot near the burgh of Sanquhar in Nithsdale in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. Sanquhar Castle (RCAHMCS, 1920)

 In 1669 William Douglas of Drumlanrig had a ratification for the lordship and barony of Sanquhar, with the castle, tower, fortalice and manor place and was made Duke of Queensberry in 1684 while High Lord Treasurer of Scotland. He had Drumlanrig Castle rebuilt, but only spent one night in his new mansion, decided he did not like it, and moved back to Sanquhar.

Sanquhar Castle, a very ruinous old but once important stronghold of the powerful Crichton family and then the Douglases, in a scenic spot near the burgh of Sanquhar in Nithsdale in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. Sanquhar Castle (old postcard)

The family moved to Drumlanrig after his death, and Sanquhar was abandoned to become ruinous. The 3rd Marquess of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, began rebuilding Sanquhar in 1896, but this was abandoned on his death in 1900.

Sanquhar Castle, a very ruinous old but once important stronghold of the powerful Crichton family and then the Douglases, in a scenic spot near the burgh of Sanquhar in Nithsdale in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. Sanquhar Castle (RCAHMCS, 1920)

Two ghosts reputedly haunt the castle. The ‘White Lady’ is said to be the spirit of a young golden-haired woman, Marion of Dalpeddar, who is said to have disappeared in 1590. A skeleton of a girl was reportedly found during excavations in 1875-6. This is obviously linked to the ghost story at Dalpeddar [NS 820072].
  Another ghost is said to be that of John Wilson, who was wrongly hanged by the Crichtons, and manifests itself with groans and the rattling of chains.

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.

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