Accessing Scotland's Past Project
Event ID 560847
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Accessing Scotland's Past Project
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/560847
Littledean Tower lies close to the site of an old ford across the River Tweed, and is provided with excellent natural defences to the north and west.
Occupying the site of an earlier fort of probable prehistoric date, it consists of the ruins of a four-storeyed tower-house of sixteenth-century date, which shows clear evidence of two phases of building.
The main feature of the second phase has been a substantial and unusual D-shaped tower, a bastion-like addition which was clearly built to increase its defensive capabilities, perhaps in response to an English raid in 1544. The lower floors of this addition are bristling with numerous gunloops, which would have enabled the defenders to cover all angles of the approach in the event of an attack.
The 'tower and fortalice' of Littledean was associated with the Kers of Littledean, and became the centre of their barony of Maxton. It appears to have formed their principal residence until the eighteenth century. Local tradition states that the site was abandoned in favour of nearby Nenthorn when the head of the household was gored to death by a prize bull.
Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project
