Cardoness Castle: A Late Medieval Scottish Tower House

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.historicenvironment.scot

Country: United Kingdom

Civilization: Medieval European

Site type: Military

Remains: Castle

History

Cardoness Castle stands near Gatehouse of Fleet in Scotland, constructed by the MacCulloch family during the late 15th century. Its origins lie within the medieval Scottish landscape shaped by shifting land ownership and local power struggles.

The surrounding lands of Cardoness initially came under the control of David fitz Teri, a lord from the Cumbrian region, who was granted these territories by King Malcolm IV around 1170. David built a motte-and-bailey castle at nearby Boreland, establishing an early fortification in the area. Documents from the early 13th century reveal the Cardoness family name involved in a dispute over dowry with Dundrennan Abbey, demonstrating the local importance of the estate. In 1277, a Bertram de Kerdenes appeared as a witness to a royal charter, further linking the site to regional medieval affairs.

By the mid-15th century, the MacCulloch family of Myreton had acquired Cardoness, probably through marriage, and they erected the tower house that remains today. The MacCullochs were known for frequent conflicts with the neighboring Gordons, rivalries that occasionally turned violent. The tension culminated in 1690 when Sir Godfrey MacCulloch was responsible for the murder of William Gordon, leading to his execution seven years later.

During the 16th century, Cardoness Castle drew the attention of English intelligence, with a spy in the 1560s reporting the castle’s military capacity. He noted that the site could be captured unexpectedly with a force of 200 men and held by 100, as part of military planning that ultimately did not take place. After the late 1600s, the castle was abandoned and passed through several prominent families—including the Gordons, Maxwells, Stewarts, and Murray-Baillies—before it came under state protection in the early 20th century.

Remains

Cardoness Castle is a well-preserved example of a six-storey tower house set on a rocky outcrop. Its design reflects the defensive needs and domestic arrangements typical of Scottish tower houses in the late medieval period. The structure was once surrounded by the waters of the Solway Firth at high tide, a natural defensive feature until changes in the coastline after 1824.

The tower’s thick stone walls, measuring roughly 2.5 meters, were built to resist attack and endure the use of early firearms. This is seen in the inverted keyhole-shaped gun loops built into the walls, narrow openings allowing muskets to be fired while providing protection for the defenders. Access to the tower is gained through a single south-facing entrance, where an oak door and iron gate secure the passage. Above this entry is a murder hole—a vertical opening used to defend the doorway—while a guardroom lies immediately to the left.

The lower floors were designed mainly for storage and included two vaulted cellars with separate entrances, once divided by a partition wall that no longer survives. Within the east wall of the lower sections, a prison pit was carved into the stone, indicating the tower’s role in local justice or imprisonment. The main hall occupied the second floor, a space used for gatherings and meals, while the upper floors contained private living quarters for the lord and lady of the castle.

Outside the tower to the south lies a courtyard surrounded by several ancillary buildings. These outbuildings, believed to have served as kitchens, stables, and storage areas, were reconstructed during restoration efforts in the 1920s. Notably, the tower lacks a battlemented parapet, a defensive wall along the top edge, which may have been removed during renovations to the upper floors in the 16th century.

Today, the castle remains in good condition, revealing much about the construction methods and defensive features of late medieval Scottish noble residences, and is managed as a historic monument.