Dunskey Castle
Encyclopedia
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
, located 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south of the village of Portpatrick
Portpatrick
Portpatrick is a village hanging on to the extreme south-westerly tip of mainland Scotland, cut into a cleft in steep cliffs.Dating back historically some 500 years, and built adjacent to the ruins of nearby Dunskey Castle, its position on the Rhins of Galloway affords visitors views of the...
, Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, on the south-west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The three-storey L-plan structure is sited on a promontory, with a rock-cut ditch, 15 metres (49.2 ft) wide by 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) deep, defending the only access, from the north-east. The castle measures 30 by, with walls 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) thick, although the building is now a roofless shell. The north-east wing is of a later date, and the foundations of a south range are visible. Near the castle are the remains of a watchtower, 7 metres (23 ft) square, built on the cliff edge.
A medieval fortification on the site was destroyed in 1489 by Sir Alexander M'Culloch of Myrtoun. The present Dunskey Castle was built by the Adairs of Kinhilt, who also possessed the Castle of St. John
Castle of St. John
The Castle of St. John is an early 16th century L-plan tower house in the centre of Stranraer, in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. It was built by the Adairs of Kilhilt. It has been used as a home, a court, a prison, and as a military garrison during the "Killing Times" of Covenanter...
in nearby Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
, around 1510. In 1620, it was acquired by Hugh Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery, who extended the building. In 1648 it passed to the Blair family, but was ruined by 1684. The current owners have restricted public access to the castle, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
and a Category A listed building.
