Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Kirkcudbright Castle

Kirkcudbright Castle

Scotland
HES SM2459
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Kirkcudbright Castle is a medieval fortified stronghold occupying a prominent position within the town of Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway. The castle dates primarily from the 15th and 16th centuries, though the site may have earlier defensive origins. The structure comprises a substantial stone tower house with associated defensive walls and outworks, characteristic of Scottish baronial fortifications of the period. The castle served as a seat of local power and authority, reflecting the strategic importance of Kirkcudbright as a coastal settlement in the Anglo-Scottish border region.

Kirkcudbright Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2459. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Kirkcudbright Castle?

Kirkcudbright Castle is a medieval fortified stronghold occupying a prominent position within the town of Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2459.

Who is responsible for protecting Kirkcudbright Castle?

Kirkcudbright Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM2459.

What other scheduled monuments are near Kirkcudbright Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Grange, cup and ring marked rocks (3.6 km), Cup marked rocks, 605m SSW, 555m S and 545m SSE of High Grange (4.3 km), Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of (4.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Kirkcudbright Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kirkcudbright Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Grange, cup and ring marked rocks
Cup and ring marked rocks3.6 km
Cup marked rocks, 605m SSW, 555m S and 545m SSE of High Grange
605m ssw, 555m s and 545m sse of high grange4.3 km
Blackhill,cup and ring marked rock 60m SE of
Cup and ring marked rock4.5 km
Milton,fort 180m NNW of
Iron Age · Fort4.7 km
Drummore Farm,stone circle
Bronze Age · Stone circle5 km
Clauchendolly, cup and ring marked rocks 350m WSW of
Cup and ring marked rocks5.1 km
Drummore Castle,fort,Castle Hill
Iron Age · Fort,castle hill5.3 km
Dunrod, homestead moat, village & church site
Medieval · Homestead moat, village & church site5.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Kirkcudbright Castle

Kirkcudbright Castle stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.

All Scheduled Monuments