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241:. John Cairns built Orchardton Tower soon after. Circular towers such as this were common during the thirteenth century, but had largely been replaced by square and rectangular tower houses by the 1400s: Orchardton Tower is thus unique in being built around 200 years after such towers had gone out of fashion. The fact that round towers are common in Ireland has led to speculation of Irish influence at Orchardton, however no specific link has been found.
824:
808:
314:, which would have sheltered livestock and provided cellars, a bakehouse, and probably a hall built on an upper level. The tower itself was reserved for living quarters, and was accessed via a stair, possibly moveable, from the barmkin up to a first floor doorway. The present entrance, on the north of the tower, was constructed in the 17th or 18th century. A new door was formed from an existing window and a permanent stone stair constructed.
814:
79:
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Using stones from the original castle that adjoined
Orchardton Tower, Robert Maxwell completed construction of a new, more comfortable manor house (now called Orchardton Castle) a few miles away. He was bankrupted by his financial dealings, and in 1785 the estate was sold to the Douglas family. It is
287:
Robert returned to France for a time, before deciding to declare himself a
Protestant in order to claim his rightful inheritance. In 1753 he resigned his commission and returned to Scotland to begin a long lawsuit, which ended in 1771 when he was confirmed as Sir Robert Maxwell, 7th Bt. These events
317:
The tower is 11m, in height, and around 9m in diameter, tapering slightly to the top. A corbelled parapet forms the top of the walls, with a gabled caphouse covering the spiral stair, which is within the 1.8m thick wall. Inside, a vaulted cellar occupies the ground floor. Above this was a main room
256:
in 1527. On
William's death in 1558 the estate was partitioned between his three daughters. One heiress, Margaret Cairns, Lady Orchardton, after marrying Edward Maxwell became involved in a feud between the Maxwells and the Johnstons, and in 1591 went to stay with her son Alexander Kirkpatrick. He
276:. Mungo Maxwell (b. 1700) was illegally disinherited by his half brothers on religious grounds. His son, another Robert Maxwell, was raised in France, and obtained a commission in the French Army. Following service in France, he took part in the
233:, which was destroyed in 1573. His heir, another John Cairns who was his nephew's son, was granted the lands of 'Irisbuitle', or Orchardton, in 1456. The grant of former Douglas lands was possibly in return for Cairns' support for
284:
and taken prisoner, where his commission was discovered and he was consequently spared execution; as a foreign soldier, he was treated as a prisoner of war rather than a traitor.
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261:. The part of Orchardton including the castle was sold in 1616 to Robert Maxwell, who had earlier bought the other portions of the estate. Maxwell was a nephew of
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The Cairns family, who built
Orchardton, were associated with the area from the early 15th century. Alexander Cairns was
137:
419:, Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 3rd Series, Vol. XV, 1928/29 (
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886:
229:. John Cairns was also a military engineer, and was responsible for designing the impressive King David's Tower at
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John Cairns' grandson
William was present, in support of his relatives Agnew and Lochinvar, at the murder of
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parish. It is remarkable as the only cylindrical tower house in
Scotland. Orchardton Tower is in the care of
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322:. Above this would have been two further rooms, although the wooden floors have collapsed.
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Maxwell's descendants were divided along with the rest of the country during the
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The round tower was located at the north east corner of a fortified yard or
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with fireplace, deep windows with seats, and a carved lavabo or
813:
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tried to secure her income and imprisoned her in a chamber at
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unlikely that the castle was lived in after this time.
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until his death in 1422. His brother, John Cairns, was
877:
Historic
Scotland properties in Dumfries and Galloway
185:. It is located four miles (six kilometres) south of
892:
Category A listed buildings in
Dumfries and Galloway
867:
Scheduled
Ancient Monuments in Dumfries and Galloway
483:
417:Orchardton Tower, Parish of Buittle, Kirkcudbright
848:
410:The Buildings of Scotland: Dumfries and Galloway
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60:Orchardton Tower viewed from the south-east
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462:
189:, and one mile (two kilometres) south of
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849:
388:, vol. 4 (Edinburgh, 1881), pp. 621-2.
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403:The Castles of Scotland (3rd Edition)
13:
435:The Castles of South West Scotland
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38:, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
14:
903:
441:
862:Castles in Dumfries and Galloway
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833:
822:
812:
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485:Castles in Dumfries and Galloway
288:were used as inspiration by Sir
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54:
16:For the 19th-century house, see
447:Historic Environment Scotland:
367:. Historic Environment Scotland
379:
357:
332:
1:
857:Castles in Kirkcudbrightshire
386:Register of the Privy Council
340:Historic Environment Scotland
325:
199:Historic Environment Scotland
344:"Orchardton Tower (SM90233)"
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265:, and in 1663 was created a
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219:Lincluden Collegiate Church
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908:
437:, Folly Publications, 1993
430:, Constable & Co. 1986
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203:Scheduled Ancient Monument
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246:Thomas McLellan of Bombie
225:, or customs officer, in
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133:
96:
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53:
32:
27:
887:Tower houses in Scotland
819:Architecture portal
428:The Castles of Scotland
278:Jacobite rising of 1745
118:54.876389°N 3.843889°W
179:Dumfries and Galloway
629:Old Lochmaben Castle
619:Kirkcudbright Castle
280:. He was wounded at
250:St. Giles' Cathedral
123:54.876389; -3.843889
829:Scotland portal
539:Caerlaverock Castle
509:Auchenskeoch Castle
405:, Goblinshead, 2001
114: /
872:Towers in Scotland
719:Auchenrivock Tower
684:Torthorwald Castle
649:MacLellan's Castle
564:Castle of St. John
365:"Orchardton Tower"
175:Kirkcudbrightshire
152:Later 15th century
844:
843:
744:Drumcoltran Tower
579:Drumlanrig Castle
574:Cruggleton Castle
426:Lindsay, Maurice
421:Available on line
401:Coventry, Martin
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18:Orchardton Castle
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779:Repentance Tower
774:Orchardton Tower
749:Earlstoun Castle
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634:Lochmaben Castle
604:Galdenoch Castle
569:Closeburn Castle
554:Comlongon Castle
549:Carsluith Castle
544:Cardoness Castle
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239:Earls of Douglas
231:Edinburgh Castle
167:Orchardton Tower
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85:Orchardton Tower
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769:Lochhouse Tower
754:Gilnockie Tower
729:Balmangan Tower
724:Amisfield Tower
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669:Sanquhar Castle
644:Lochwood Castle
624:Lochinch Castle
594:Edingham Castle
584:Dumfries Castle
529:Barscobe Castle
519:Barclosh Castle
487:
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412:, Penguin, 1996
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396:Further reading
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679:Tibbers Castle
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664:Plunton Castle
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639:Lochnaw Castle
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614:Kenmure Castle
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559:Castle of Park
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534:Buittle Castle
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42:grid reference
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659:Newbie Castle
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654:Morton Castle
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609:Hoddom Castle
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599:Friar's Carse
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504:Auchen Castle
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449:Visitor guide
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433:Salter, Mike
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157:Built by
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882:Round towers
789:Sorbie Tower
773:
707:Tower houses
499:Annan Castle
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427:
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385:
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369:. Retrieved
359:
347:. Retrieved
334:
316:
309:
300:
293:
290:Walter Scott
286:
271:
263:Lord Maxwell
243:
212:
169:is a ruined
166:
165:
144:Site history
22:
784:Rusco Tower
759:Hills Tower
349:25 February
274:Reformation
259:Kirkmichael
171:tower house
160:John Cairns
138:Tower house
121: /
97:Coordinates
851:Categories
764:Isle Tower
326:References
248:, outside
227:Linlithgow
187:Dalbeattie
106:54°52′35″N
306:The tower
254:Edinburgh
191:Palnackie
109:3°50′38″W
36:Palnackie
371:16 April
282:Culloden
235:James II
223:Custumar
183:Scotland
46:NX817551
492:Castles
320:piscina
312:barmkin
267:baronet
215:Provost
209:History
195:Buittle
201:as a
193:, in
149:Built
34:Near
373:2018
351:2019
134:Type
217:of
181:,
173:in
40:GB
853::
423:).
342:.
298:.
269:.
252:,
205:.
177:,
477:e
470:t
463:v
375:.
353:.
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
