Description

The monument comprises the remains of MacLellan's Castle, surviving as a well preserved ruined tower house. The monument is in the care of Historic Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. It now stands at the end of St Cuthbert's Street, close to the harbour in Kirkcudbright. The reason for this rescheduling is that no adequate documentation can be traced from the time of the original scheduling in 1921.

MacLellan's Castle stands within the older precinct of the convent of Greyfriars. The friary site was ruinous when granted to Sir Thomas MacLellan by Regent Moray in 1566. Sir Thomas sold the church to the burgh for parochial use, while he reserved the remainder of the site and the stones for his new residence. Construction began in 1581 and was probably completed in the following year. The castle was built on a grand scale with an outer barmkin (courtyard) and a 'handsome gate', now lost. It was designed to impress, rather than to be a practical fortress, despite the generous provision of gun loops and shot-holes. There is a magnificent Renaissance-style armorial panel over the entrance with a matching window surround in the adjacent wing. The panel bears Sir Thomas's initials together with those of his second wife, Grizel Maxwell.

The castle comprises an extended L-plan main block, facing NW, together with a large rectangular tower projecting from the SE corner. In addition, there is a double projection in the re-entrant angle for the main entrance. This contains the door and main stair, with additional accommodation above, capped by a belvedere at roof level. The main block comprises three storeys and an attic, while the SE corner tower rises for a further storey, but without turrets.

There is a series of vaulted storage rooms in the basement, connected by passages to a large kitchen in the N wing. There is a secondary entrance directly into the SE wing. There are no corridors on the upper floors, but there are three wheel stairs. The principal chambers are planned so that these could be reached without corridors, or having to traverse other rooms. The great hall is central to the first floor, equipped with a vast fireplace, behind which is a 'laird's lug', connecting with a private chamber beyond. On the floor above, a room of similar size to the great hall served as the withdrawing room.

The castle has been ruinous since 1752. It was brought into state care in 1912.

The area to be scheduling is sub-rectangular on plan, with maximum dimensions of 57m WNW-ESE by 38m NNE-SSW, to include the standing castle together with the associated grounds, within which associated archaeological remains might be expected to survive. The area is enclosed by a boundary wall. The area is the same as that of the property in the care of Historic Scotland. The modern boundary wall is excluded from the scheduling, together with the top 30cm of all paths.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as an outstanding example of late 16th-century castellated architecture, built as a clear expression of the owner's wealth and authority. The standing remains, together with the buried archaeology of the surrounding barmkin, have the potential to provide important information about the development of late medieval defensive and domestic architecture. Built on a scale more like an urban palace than a town house, the relationship to the earlier castle of the Maxwell's in the centre of Dumfries is an important consideration. The castle has the potential to inform an understanding of the last days of castle building, when concepts of comfort and space were beginning to transcend those of security and defence. The national importance if further underlined by the castle's status as a property in the care of Historic Scotland.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NX65SE28.

References:

Childe V G and Simpson W D 1954, ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO ANCIENT MONUMENTS IN THE OWNERSHIP OR GUARDIANSHIP OF THE MINISTRY OF WORKS, Vol. 6: Scotland, Edinburgh, 96, 2nd edition.

Grove D 2003, MACLELLAN'S CASTLE, Historic Scotland Souvenir Guide, Edinburgh, 2nd edition.

MacCrimmon D 1924, THE CASTLES OF GALLOWAY, Newton Stewart, 107.

MacGibbon D and Ross T 1887-92, THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES, 5v, Edinburgh, Vol. 2, 149-56.

Maxwell-Irving A M T 2000, THE BORDER TOWERS OF SCOTLAND: THEIR HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE: THE WEST MARCH, [S.l.], 202-207.

RCAHMS 1914, FIFTH REPORT AND INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIONS IN GALLOWAY, II, COUNTY OF THE STEWARTRY OF KIRKCUDBRIGHT, Edinburgh, HMSO, lii; 110-13, No. 218.

Stell G P 1986, EXPLORING SCOTLAND'S HERITAGE: DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY, Exploring Scotland's heritage series, Edinburgh, 56, No.13.

Stell G 1996, EXPLORING SCOTLAND'S HERITAGE: DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY, Exploring Scotland's Heritage series, Edinburgh, 75-7, 2nd edition.

Truckell A E and Williams J 1967, ?Mediaeval pottery in Dumfriesshire and Galloway?, TRANS DUMFRIESSHIRE GALLOWAY NATUR HIST ANTIQ SOC, 3rd Ser, 44, 1966-7, 172.
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MacLellan's Castle
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Source: Historic Environment Scotland