Drumcoltran Tower

Drumcoltran tower is a well preserved tower house which retains its roof and is accessible to the public. This is despite it being housed immediately adjacent to a working farm – access to the tower is separated by a judiciously placed fence. Rectangular in plan with a small projecting wing to house the staircase, the tower has rounded corners and was once the seat of the Barony of Kirkgunzeon.

The lands of Kirkgunzeon had been held by Holm Cultran Abbey for about 150 years when Robert the Bruce reclaimed them for the Scottish crown. They were subsequently granted to Sir John Herries of Terregles by King David II in 1367, and remained within the family until the death of the third Lord Herries in 1543, leaving three co-heiress daughters. The eldest married the second son of Robert Lord Maxwell in 1549, but during the negotiations for the partition of the Herries estates, the lands of Drumcoltran were already held separately, by Edward Maxwell of Hills. Edward Maxwell was the builder of the tower, and his descendants remained at Drumcoltran until 1679, when the daughters of the last Maxwell laird broke up the estate, which was heavily mortgaged after the Civil War. It was purchased by the Irving family, who retained ownership until 1799, and carried out many alterations internally. Subsequently resold several times, the tower remained occupied until 1900 by farm  workers and then as a store before being taken into state care in 1951. Today it is free to enter, but opening times can vary.

Official Historic Scotland page

HES Canmore database entry