Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch
Medieval · Castle,morton loch

Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch

Scotland
HES SM90221
Period
Medieval
Site type
Castle,morton loch
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Morton Castle is a medieval fortification situated on a promontory within Morton Loch in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The castle dates from the thirteenth century and represents a significant example of Scottish medieval defensive architecture, with its strategic location on the loch providing natural protection. The surviving remains comprise substantial stone walls and structural elements indicative of a substantial castle of the medieval period. The site reflects the importance of controlling this region of south-western Scotland during the medieval era, when such fortified positions served both military and administrative functions for local landholding families.

Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90221. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch?

Morton Castle is a medieval fortification situated on a promontory within Morton Loch in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90221.

What period does Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch date from?

Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle,morton loch. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch?

Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch 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 SM90221.

What other scheduled monuments are near Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carronbridge,Roman fortlet & enclosures (2.6 km), Morton Mill,circular enclosures 500m SE of (2.6 km), Tibbers Castle,enclosure 300m SW of (3.3 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch'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

Carronbridge,Roman fortlet & enclosures
Iron Age · Roman fortlet & enclosures2.6 km
Morton Mill,circular enclosures 500m SE of
Post-Medieval · Circular enclosures2.6 km
Tibbers Castle,enclosure 300m SW of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure3.3 km
Home Plantation, square barrow cemetery 350m SSW of Nithbank
Square barrow cemetery 350m ssw of nithbank3.9 km
Nith Bridge,cross 180m W of
Cross4.3 km
Templand Mains,Roman signal station 770m NNW of
Roman · Roman signal station4.6 km
Holmhill,enclosure 500m S of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure4.7 km
Kirkland,enclosure 300m WNW of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure6.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch

Morton Castle,castle,Morton Loch stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Permian, bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.

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