Showing posts with label Thornhill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thornhill. Show all posts

Tuesday 28 December 2021

Skulferatu #54 - Morton Castle, Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway

 

Morton Castle is not the easiest place to find, which despite being a pain in the arse, actually adds to its charm and also to a sense of it being in a more remote and undiscovered location.  On our trip there our Sat Nav took us to a row of houses and told us we had reached our destination.  We were in fact still a couple of kilometres away, and it wasn’t until driving a bit further on and having checked the various map apps on our phones that we managed to find where we wanted to go.  A narrow, winding, single track road then led us to a small parking area.  From there it was a short walk down the path of the Morton Heritage and Nature Trail to the ruins of the castle. 

 

A photograph of the ruins of Morton Castle standing on a hill above Morton Loch.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
The ruins of Morton Castle above Morton Loch

 

The ruins of Morton Castle stand on the south west slopes of the Lowther Hills and overlook Morton Loch.  The castle was originally a two storeyed hall block with a four storey turreted gatehouse at the west end of the building and an angle tower at the east end.  The lower storey of the building would have consisted of a kitchen, a storage area, and a lower hall, while the first floor would have housed the great hall.  The private chambers of the lord of the castle and his family would have been in the tower at the east of the building.

 

A view of the ruins of Morton Castle in the distance, surrounded by a grassed area.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
The ruins of Morton Castle

 

A photo of the ruined western tower of Morton Castle with a tree at the side of it and hills in the background.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Western Tower of Morton Castle

 

A photo showing the stone outer wall of Morton Castle leading along to a tower.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View along walls of Morton Castle to the western tower

 

A photo of a wooden doorway and a ruined wall with two empty windows above the door.  This is one of the outer walls of Morton Castle.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Doorway into the rear wall of the castle

 

A view of a body of water surrounded by grass and a wooded area.  This being a view from the entrance into Morton Castle.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View of Morton Loch from the castle

 

Sketch of the ruins of Morton Castle circa 1886 - taken from the book The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland from the Twelfth to the Eighteenth Century by David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross, published in 1886
Sketch of the ruins of Morton Castle circa 1886 (MacGibbon and Ross)

 

The site on which the castle sits is thought to have been where a stronghold was built by Dunegal, Lord of Nithsdale in the Twelfth Century.  These lands were later granted to Thomas Randolph, the nephew of King Robert I.  The castle itself is believed to have been built in the early Fourteenth Century and was mentioned in 1357 in a treaty with England to release King David II from captivity.  The treaty called for the demolition of several castles in South West Scotland, Morton Castle being one of them.  It is unclear how much of the castle was demolished at that time. 

 

A photo showing the interior walls of the ruins of Morton Castle.  The floor of the castle is an area of cut grass.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Interior of the castle facing towards the eastern tower

 

A photo showing a ruined wall - it is curved and in it are doorways and windows.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Ruins of the Eastern Tower

 

A photo showing a view through a hole in the shape of a spade in a wooden door in the eastern tower of Morton Castle.  It shows some trees and a body of water.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View out of the doorway in the eastern tower

 

A photograph of a view over Morton Loch showing trees in the foreground and hills in the background.  This being a view from the eastern tower of Morton Castle.  Photograph by Edie Lettice for the Skulferatu Project.
View from eastern tower of castle over Morton Loch

 

A photograph showing graffiti carved into the wood of one of the castle doors.  It is mainly initials and dates.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Graffiti on one of the castle doors

 

In 1372 the castle and the lands around it were passed through marriage to the Douglas family, who later became Earls of Morton.  It is believed that parts of the castle were rebuilt in the early Fifteenth Century.  The castle was then leased out to another branch of the Douglas family, though does not seem to have been their primary residence and may have been used mainly as a hunting lodge.  It appears that it later fell into disuse and by 1714 was abandoned.  Much of the stone was then taken away and used for constructing farm buildings.  The castle was acquired by the Duke of Queensberry and was later passed down to the Dukes of Buccleuch.  It then passed into state care under a guardianship agreement in 1975.

 

I left the Skulferatu that accompanied me on my trip in a crack in one of the outside walls of the castle.

 

A photo of a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 54) being held up.  The ruins of Morton Castle are in the background.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #54

 

A photo showing a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 54) in a crack in the outside wall of Morton Castle.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #54 in crack in exterior wall of the castle

 

A photo showing a close up of a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 54) in a crack in the outside wall of Morton Castle.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #54 in crack in exterior wall of the castle

 

TomTom Map showing location of Skulferatu #54
Map showing location of Skulferatu #54

 

The coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are –

 

Latitude 55.274466

Longitude -3.747266

 

I used the following sources for information on Morton Castle –

 

Historic Environment Scotland – Statement of Significance Morton Castle

Morton Castle Statement of Significance

 

Canmore – Morton Castle

Morton Castle | Canmore

 

Information Boards at Site

 

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland from the Twelfth to the Eighteenth Century

By David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross

1886