MacLellan's Castle, a substantial ruin in Kirkcudbright, Scotland



This evening, I am posting information on a ruin in Kirkcudbright, southern Scotland which is variously known as Maclellan's House, Kirkcudbright Castle or MacLellan's Castle.

To the extent that a castle has a purely military function the nomenclature 'castle' is a misnomer because the building was actually a high status dwelling, albeit with defence in mind. Note that, as a defensive measure, window slots at ground floor level (first floor U.S.) are very small with limited provision for doors.

The castle was built in the 16th century when the countryside was becoming pacified. It was actually built by Sir Thomas MacLellan in 1582 on the site of the former convent of Greyfriars with such being dissolved in 1560 along with all other Catholic places of worship when Scotland switched to Protestantism.

From a structural perspective, the building consists of a modified L-shape with four storeys and two additional attics.It has been a ruin since 1752.

As will be evident from the images herein the building is currently undergoing repair/stabilisation work. It is cared for by government agency, Historic Environment Scotland.








Comments

  1. Yvonne@ 4mycatclan@gmail.comDecember 27, 2021 at 2:35 PM

    My gg grandfather was a McClellan and l have traced my MacLellan lineage to before the year 1000. My emigrating ancestor was Lord John Robert McClellan. I fallen in love with MacLellan castle. Is there anyway or any place to find out about any surviving MacLellan artifacts, as well as the castles care and management there?

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