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Drochil Castle today

Scotland · Ruin

Drochil Castle

Drochil Castle is a late-16th-century, unfinished stone castle in the Scottish Borders of Scotland, begun by James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton. Construction was never completed and the building survives as a multi-storey ruin owned by the Buccleuch family and protected as a scheduled monument.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1581

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1581

What Drochil Castle looked like in its prime.

A tall rectangular four-storey block with an additional garret, built of rough dark whinstone rubble dressed with red sandstone around openings and corners. Two round towers about 25 feet in diameter project from diagonally opposite corners, each pierced by small gunloop openings. The roof is absent and many window openings are voids; the outer walls are thick and irregular, set on a grassy slope with trees and the Lyne Water below.

Its story

The story of Drochil Castle.

James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton and Regent of Scotland, began building Drochil Castle above the Lyne Water in 1578, intending to retire there from worldly business. Three years later he was executed by King James VI; the castle was no more than half built at his death and was never finished.

What Morton left was as much palace as castle, a four-storey "double-tenement" of exceptional interest, with a wide central corridor running the length of every storey and suites of apartments opening off either side. Round towers 25 feet across stand at two diagonally opposite corners, each pierced by gunloops, and the first-floor great hall measured 50 by 22 feet.

In 1686 the castle was purchased by William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry, and the ruins are still owned by his descendant the Duke of Buccleuch. The outer walls are whinstone rubble quarried at Broomlee Hill, dressed with red sandstone; in the early 19th century stone was taken to build the adjacent farm. The ruin is protected as a scheduled monument.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1581.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Drochil Castle, including 4 interiors: central longitudinal corridor, great hall (first floor), garret (attic) level and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach from Lyne Water slopeSouthwest round tower exteriorNortheast round tower exteriorCentral longitudinal corridorGreat Hall (first floor)Garret (attic) levelApartment off the corridorWall material detail

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Whose castle

Clans who held Drochil Castle.

The families that held Drochil Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Douglas

    Begun by James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, in 1578; bought in 1686 by William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry, and still owned by his descendant the Duke of Buccleuch.

From the archive

Drochil Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Fig. 681. — Drochil Castle. Corbels at South-West Tower., Drochil Castle

Fig. 681. — Drochil Castle. Corbels at South-West Tower.

1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 2 (1887)

Public domain

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Drochil Castle.

Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin, ScotlandChurchRosslyn Chapel, Roslin23 km awayTynecastle Park, ScotlandStadiumTynecastle Park30 km awayMurrayfield Stadium, ScotlandStadiumMurrayfield Stadium30 km away

Questions about Drochil Castle

What is the history of Drochil Castle?

Drochil Castle has a late-16th-century history shaped by an unfinished building project. James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, began it above the Lyne Water in 1578 as a place to retire from worldly business. He was executed three years later, when the castle was no more than half built, and it was never finished. William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry, purchased it in 1686.

What is inside Drochil Castle?

Drochil Castle contains a wide central corridor, a first-floor Great Hall and suites of apartments opening off the corridor. The corridor ran through the building from end to end on every storey. The castle also had a garret level, and the first-floor Great Hall measured 50 by 22 feet.

Who owns Drochil Castle now?

Drochil Castle is still owned by the Duke of Buccleuch, a descendant of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry. William Douglas purchased the castle in 1686. The ruins are protected as a scheduled monument.

Why was Drochil Castle built, and what was Drochil Castle used for?

Drochil Castle was built as a residence for James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, who intended to retire there from worldly business. Its design was as much a palace as a castle, with a central corridor and suites of apartments. Although it had round towers pierced by gunloops, the material does not describe a later change of purpose.

Where is Drochil Castle?

Drochil Castle is above the Lyne Water in the Scottish Borders, 10 kilometres north-west of Peebles and 8 kilometres south of West Linton. It stands on a grassy slope, with trees and the Lyne Water below.

When was Drochil Castle built?

Drochil Castle was begun in the late 16th century, in 1578. Its first-raised year is not recorded, but construction began under James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, and the castle was still no more than half built when he died three years later.

Which family or clan held Drochil Castle?

Drochil Castle was held by the Douglas family. James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, began building it in 1578, and William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry, bought it in 1686. It remains owned by the Duke of Buccleuch, his descendant.

What did Drochil Castle look like in its prime?

Drochil Castle was a tall rectangular four-storey block with an additional garret. It was built from rough dark whinstone rubble, dressed with red sandstone around openings and corners, and had two round towers about 25 feet in diameter at diagonally opposite corners. Each tower had small gunloop openings.

Is Drochil Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Drochil Castle survives as a multi-storey ruin. Its roof is absent and many window openings are voids, while the outer walls remain standing. The building was never completed, and stone was taken from the walls in the early 19th century to build the adjacent farm.

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