Scottish Castles

Local information

Orchardton Tower, Dumfries and Galloway

Location: 6m SE of Castle Douglas on the A711 (map and directions)

Orchardton Tower is a charming ruined tower house located 4 miles south of Dalbeattie, in Dumfries and Galloway. The tower is 11m high and 9m in diameter, and served as the living quarters, while the land would have been home to livestock, and cellars and a bakehouse would have also been present on the property.

Orchardton Tower - Wikimedia Commons

History of Orchardton Tower

The tower was built by John Cairns in 1456 and it remained in his family for a century. In 1555 Orchardton Tower was passed on to the Crown due to a family dispute of ownership of the property. 1n 1615 Sir Robert Maxwell, 1st Baronet of Orchardton, relocated to Orchardton, where his family lived until 1765, and in 1765 the 7th Baronet of Orchardton went bankrupt after building a second mansion two miles away, and in 1785 Orchardton Tower was sold to Liverpool merchant James Douglas. The estate changed hands two more times before falling into ruin. Orchardton Tower is now in the care of Historic Scotland.

Map and directions

Other castles in Dumfries & Galloway