Drochil Castle is a ruined castle located in the
Scottish Borders, above the Lyne Water, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles)
northwest of Peebles and 8 kilometers (5.0 miles) south of West Linton.
The castle was originally built by James Douglas,
4th Earl of Morton, Regent of Scotland,, who started construction in
1578, three years before his execution by King James VI. The castle was
never completed and remained only partially built upon Morton's death.
Despite being unfinished, the castle is of significant historical
interest due to its unique design as a "double-tenement" with a central
corridor running through the building on every storey. This design
allowed for suites of apartments to be accessed from either side of the
corridor. The castle also features two round towers, each with two
gunloops, at opposite corners of the building. The great hall on the
first floor measured 50 by 22 feet (15.2 by 6.7 m).
Morton
intended to retire at Drochil Castle, which he designed as both a palace
and a castle. He sold the wool from his Drochil estates to a merchant
named John Provand, with tenants from Linton carting it to Edinburgh.
In 1686, the castle was purchased by William Douglas, 1st Duke of
Queensberry, and it remains owned by his descendant, the Duke of
Buccleuch. The outer walls of the castle consist of whinstone rubble,
quarried at Broomlee Hill, and dressed with red sandstone.
Unfortunately, in the early 19th century, some of the stones were taken
to build the adjacent farm. Despite this, the ruins of Drochil Castle
remain protected as a scheduled ancient monument.
A massive Z-plan castle in the Scottish Borders, Drochil Castle lies
between the Tarth and Lyne Waters, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Peebles.
The castle consists of
an almost square double-gabled central block with two projecting towers,
corbelled out to square above first-floor level, at opposite corners.
The basement is barrel-vaulted, and contained the kitchen and
cellars. Passages ran the length of the building on each floor, from
which individual chambers were reached – rather than each chamber
opening into the next. A turnpike stair rose at one end of the passage.
The hall was on the first floor with an adjoining private chamber, while
many rooms occupied the floors above.
Timeline
1570's ~ James Douglas, Earl of Morton builds Drochil Castle, seven years after he is made Chancellor of Scotland, but dismissed for his part in the murder of Rizzio, Queen Mary of Scots Secretary.
1572 ~ James Douglas is made regent of Scotland and rules for the next six years.
1581 ~ Following the murder of Lord Darnley, Queen Mary's unpopular husband, James Douglas is tried and executed by the Maiden - the Scottish equivalent of the French guillotine.
1630 ~ The castle is abandoned.
1686 ~ The castle is purchased by William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry, and the ruins are still owned by his descendant the Duke of Buccleuch
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