21 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Dumfries and Galloway

An eighteenth century house with a twentieth century garden by the Artist E A Hornel, who lived here from 1901-33. He was interested in oriental art and the garden reflects this taste. Since 1997 it has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and is maintained as "a living museum of Hornel’s life and work". The house is a category A listed building, and the gardens are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

Buittle Castle, also known historically as Botle or Botel Castle, is a ruined castle in Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is located in the valley of the River Urr, 1 kilometre west of Dalbeattie. The castle is within the parish of Buittle, in the traditional county of Kirkcudbrightshire and is a scheduled ancient monument. The ruins remained in the possession of the Maxwells of Munches until 1984 when they were gifted to Balliol College, Oxford by Peter Maxwell QC of Munches himself a Balliol

Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle first built in the 13th century. It is located on the southern coast of Scotland. With its moat, twin towered gatehouse and imposing battlements, this awe-inspiring castle is the epitome of the medieval stronghold and one of the finest castles in Scotland. The castle, which is protected as a scheduled monument, is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, and is a popular tourist attraction.

Cardoness Castle was built in the later 1400s as the fortified residence of the McCullochs and is a fine example of a Scottish tower house castle. It was originally owned by the MacCullochs of Myreton. They abandoned the castle in the late 17th century, following the execution of Sir Godfrey McCulloch for the murder of a Clan Gordon neighbour. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, and is a scheduled monumen

Carsluith Castle was built by James Lindsay of Fairgirth but later passed into the hands of the Brown (Broun) family who owned it for two hundred years. Explore the well-preserved ruins of a delightful 16th-century tower house and take a look into the life of Scotland’s landed gentry after the Protestant Reformation of 1560.

75 acres of spectacularly designed loch-side landscape, create a romantic garden paradise with quite literally something for everyone to enjoy – regardless of age. The gardens are the main reason for a visit and the ruins of Castle Kennedy really just serve as an impressively large ornament around which the gardens are sculptured.

The Castle of St John sits in a prominent position in the centre of Stranraer. Built in the sixteenth century this is a particularly fine example of the type of tower house built and used by Scottish Lairds in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It has been used as a home, a court, a police station and as a military garrison during the "Killing Times" of Covenanter persecution in the 1680s. During the Victorian era, the castle was modified to serve as a prison, and it was used as an ARP bas

Drumlanrig Castle is situated on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The category A listed castle is the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry It is less well known and less visited than it deserves to be. The castle itself offers one of the best and most interesting visitor experiences you are likely to find anywhere, and the extensive and very varied formal and informal gardens are well worth a visit in their own right, or a return visit

A complete Cistercian monastery in Scotland and features some of the best Gothic architecture in the country. The abbey was founded in 1142 by Fergus. Dundrennan is noted for the purity and restraint of its architecture, reflecting the austere Cistercian ideal. It is also built from very hard-weathering grey sandstone, so the original architectural forms and mouldings are well preserved.

Dunskey Castle is a ruined, 12th century tower house or castle, located 0.5 miles south of the village of Portpatrick, Rhinns, Wigtownshire, on the south-west coast of Scotland. A sprawling sanctuary, home to an Edwardian castle, luxurious lodges and panoramic views of the land and sea, it’s the perfect environment for both large group getaways and small intimate gatherings.

Gilnockie Tower is a stunning example of a 16th century Scottish pele tower. Built some 500 years ago, it was home to Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, a notorious Border Reiver. In 1530 this powerful chieftain was hanged by a Scottish king, his story romanticised by Walter Scott. The tower was rebuilt, but was damaged again by English raids in the 1540s, only to be rebuilt again with a new parapet walk, and a beacon stance on the gable.

The Harbour Cottage Trust was established in the former 'Harbour Inn' in 1957 and acquired a small collection. The building is now run as a gallery hired out to individual artists and exhibitors. The ‘gallery-run’ Summer and Autumn Exhibitions feature mainly local professional and amateur artists by invitation. An annual ‘Open’ Exhibition, aimed at encouraging and supporting new and developing artists, takes place early Summer and is open to any artist over the age of 16 wherever they live.

Kenmure Castle has been a roofless shell since at least 1960. The castle was originally of the 'courtyard' plan consisting of west and south ranges, three storeys and an attic in height, with a high enclosing wall on the north and east and an arched gateway in the north wall. The site was occupied from the Middle Ages, and the house incorporates part of a 17th-century castle. It was the seat of the Gordon family of Lochinvar, later raised to the peerage as Viscounts of Kenmure. The ruin is a sc

Lochmaben Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Lochmaben, the feudal Lordship of Annandale, and the united county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was built by Edward I in the 13th and 14th centuries, and later rebuilt during the reign of James IV of Scotland. An earlier motte-and-bailey castle was built south of the current castle in c. 1160 by the Bruce family, Lords of Annandale.

MacLellan's Castle in the town of Kirkcudbright, in Galloway, Scotland, was built in the late 16th century. It stands in the centre of Kirkcudbright, on the south side of the River Dee which flows into the Solway Firth. The L-plan castle was the residence of the MacLellan family from whom it derived its name. The family sold the castle in 1752, and from 1782 to 1912 it was held by the Earls of Selkirk. Today, the site is curated by Historic Environment Scotland.

Morton Castle is located by an artificial loch in the hills above Nithsdale, in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. It lies 2.5 miles north-east of Thornhill, and once formed part of a chain of castles along the strategically important Nith Valley, which runs from the Solway Firth north to the Clyde Valley. Architecturally the castle bears some resemblance to Caerlaverock Castle, being triangular in plan, with similar twin gatehouses at the south-west corner.

Orchardton Tower is an unusual free-standing round tower, the only one of its type in Scotland. It operated as a fortified residence for a nobleman named John Cairns, who may have acquired the land after James II’s overthrow of the Douglases in 1455. is remarkable as the only cylindrical tower house in Scotland. Orchardton Tower is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

This was the family home built by Robert Burns in 1788 for his bride Jean Armour. Set picturesquely on the banks of the River Nith, Burns could not have chosen a more idyllic spot. The complex is a museum in the farm Robert Burns built, lived in and farmed from 1788 until 1791.

Scotland’s national bard spent his last years in this simple sandstone house that is a key pilgrimage site for Burns' enthusiast from around the world. Over the years it has attracted many famous visitors including the poets Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats. View original manuscripts and some of Burns’ personal belongings. See his desk and chair in the study where he created some of his finest works.

A majestic and beautiful historical castle situated on an island in the middle of the River Dee, this formidable castle is only reachable by boat. This massive tower house was built in the late 14th century by Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway. It became the stronghold of the Black Douglases and still today, round its base you can see the artillery fortification, an innovative defence years ahead of its time