Caerlaverock Castle

Caerlaverock Castle, Britain’s only triangular castle, occupies a strategic location on the Scottish side of the Solway. There was once a British fort on the site, later a medieval one, before the forerunner of the present ruin was built in a drier location a few yards away in the 1270s. It was, famously, besieged by the English in 1300 and 1312 and by the Scots in 1356. The Maxwells, Earls of Nithsdale, owned the castle for 400 years. In 1634 a grand residence, known as ‘the Nithsdale Lodging’ was built within its old walls, only for the whole place to be destroyed by Presbyterian Covenanters in 1640. These days, it has a romantic look until closer inspection reveals the remains of the formidable medieval defences and the sadder remains of the Renaissance house inside. Caerlaverock Castle is also adjacent to a wetlands nature reserve and boasts a colony of rare Natterjack toads, as well as the site of the earlier castle. It is about 6 miles south of Dumfries off the B725. Follow the A75 west from the M6/M74.