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Publication Account

Date 1985

Event ID 1016569

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016569

Until 1935 Loch Doon Castle stood on an island in the centre of the loch, but in that year, following the decision to raise the level of the water, it was dismantled and partially reconstructed in its present position. Before demolition, the castle consisted of two elements, an early curtain wall and a later tower; the tower was not reconstructed in order to leave the more interesting early castle unencumbered.

Unlike the majority of the castles described in this volume, Loch Doon does not dominate the centre of a rich agIicultural estate but is tucked away in a remote glen with its isolation exaggerated by its island setting. It belongs to a group of early stone castles, dating to the 13th century, known as castles of enclosure or curtain wall castles. The plincipal defence comprises a stout outer wall, which does not enclose a keep or donjon, the internal buildings being erected against the inner tace of the curtain wall. Loch Doon Castle stands out as unusual in this group as it is polygonal, having eleven uneven sides, but it is likely that the shape was in part determined by the irregular nature of the surface of the island. The quality of the masonry is paIticularly high, being of fine ashlar with frequent use made of checked or rebated joints. Part of the interest of the castle lies in the completeness of some of the minor architectural detail (particularly the entrances), which were doubtless spared from the ravages of the stone-robber by the inaccessability of the island site. The pIincipal entrance to the castle was through a simple pointed archway protected by a portcullis and double-leaved doors which were kept closed by two draw-bars that run into the walls on either side of the gateway. A small postern date is also well-preserved, and like the main gate, was secured by a drawbar.

Little is known of the history of the castle; the first reference to the site, presumably to the early castle, occurs in 1306 when it is descIibed as a seat of the Earls of CarIick. DuIing the reign of James V (1513-42), the castle is reported to have been burnt, and it is likely that the square tower was erected as part of the subsequent programme of reconstruction.

Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: The Clyde Estuary and Central Region’, (1985).

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