Hermitage Castle

Hermitage Castle Details

Hermitage Castle, a ruined C13 de Soulis castle extended by Douglases C14, held by Hepburns C16. Ruined by C18.

  • Closest To: n/a
  • Access: Free Public Access
  • Grid Reference: NY497960

Hermitage Castle is a tower house built within earthworks which was extended to form an impressive extended tower complex guarding the upland invasion route through Liddesdale. The earthworks may have been erected by the Dacre family, although the de soulis family is more likely. It was certainly the latter who would have erected the earliest stone structures here. They were forfeited following an assassination attempt on Robert the Bruce.

Eventually granted to the Douglases, the Hermitage was much reconstructed and modified. The original rectangular tower was strengthened by the addition of four large square corner towers, and two of these were then joined with a gallery to give a far more warlike appearance. It remained with the Black Douglas branch of the family until their destruction in the 1450s, then the earls of Angus, who exchanged it for other properties with the earls of Bothwell. When Bothwell was forfeited, it was granted to the Scott laird of Buccleuch, but when James VI became king of England it lost all function as it was a purely military structure, designed to dominate an invasion route and act as a regional HQ for the wardens of the march – and it was abandoned. Partly restored in the 19th century, it is now managed by historic Environment Scotland and open for a fee.

Official Historic Scotland page

HES Canmore database entry

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