Scottish Castles

Local information

Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway

Location: Thornhill, DG3 4AQ (map and directions)

Drumlanrig Castle is a large country house near the ruins of Morton Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, near the village of Thornhill. The approach to this ‘Pink Palace’ castle is magnificent, with a wide avenue leading to the front of the house, and the interior includes grand reception rooms, parlours, impressive staircases and a stableyard. The exterior is made of pink sandstone, making it visible for miles in the Nith Valley.

Drumlanrig Castle © disabledholidayinfo.org.uk

History of Drumlanrig Castle

Though it is called a castle, Drumlanrig is a baroque country house which had no military function since its construction between 1684 and 1691, at the time for the 1st Duke of Queensberry, William Douglas, to distinguish the Douglas family’s status as one of the most powerful in Scotland.

Drumlanrig is now the private residence of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, as well as home to an impressive art collection, the internationally renowned Buccleuch Art Collection, which includes Rembrandt’s The Old Woman Reading.

Map and directions

Other castles in Dumfries & Galloway