Caerlaverock Castle

Yesterday my wife was attending a writers' conference in Dumfrries at the Robert Burns Centre. Because it was an early start for her we drove down on the Friday and stayed over at the Best Western.

After dropping her off I headed to Caerlaverock Castle.

This is an impressive moated castle, which stood as a mighty fortress close to the border with England. The Romans had built a fort near here too.

It was around the year 1220 that the Scottish King, Alexander II granted this land to his trusted chamberlain Sir John De Maccuswell.

This Castle, a defence against England stayed in the hands of the Maxwell Family for the next 400 years.

The castle was besieged and captured a number of times, once even by King Edward I

Its demise came in 1640 when the castle was captured by those against King Charles, whom Maxwell supported.

The castle was stripped and the great curtain wall demolished leaving the building useless as a defensive structure.


http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults/propertyabout.htm?PropID=PL_047&PropName=Caerlaverock Castle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caerlaverock_Castle

http://www.caerlaverockestate.co.uk/caerlaverock-castle.php