MacLellan's Castle is also situated in the oldest part of Kirkcudbright. Dating to the late 1500s, it may well be one of the town's oldest buildings. It was built on the site of the convent of Greyfriars, after Henry VIII had dissolved the monasteries, by Sir Thomas MacLellan of Bombie who was the Provost (that is, the mayor) of Kirkcudbright. By this stage, such towers had minimal fortifications and it was designed more as a comfortable, domestic home. Sir Thomas and his wife moved in in 1582 and later entertained King James VI there. The family's prosperity did not last and by 1742 the castle was empty.
Like all the properties we saw that were under the care of Historic Scotland, internal access was banned due to unsafe masonry, though in this case there were actually workmen on site inspecting the walls.
The town's war memorial sits in front of the castle. Erected in 1921, designed by George Henry Paulin, it shows a seated warrior with a sword and shield, with a sleeping child on his knee - rather touching really.
Back at the riverside and exploring upstream, after passing under the bridge - and holding my nose past the fish factory (!) - the town quickly merged into rolling countryside, green and pleasant:
I am awestruck that people are going about their lives right under the nose of ancient buildings...all over the place apparently. You do have the history for it!
ReplyDeleteQuite a ruin.
ReplyDeleteThat war memorial is quite unusual.
ReplyDeleteIm just now catching up with you and your travels. You have taken some wonderful pictures--that deep recessed window is a beauty. And I love seeing the ruinous castles. I too like to imagine what life would have been like when they were whole. And Kircudbright! It was the setting of one of Dorothy L. Sayers's mysteries (Five Red Herrings, I think) I'm delighted to get a glimpse of it and to know how it's pronounced,
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