Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Roxburgh Castle

Roxburgh Castle

Scotland
HES SM1718
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Roxburgh Castle is a ruined medieval fortress situated on a strategic peninsula formed by the confluence of the Rivers Tweed and Teviot in the Scottish Borders. The castle was established in the 12th century and developed as a royal stronghold of considerable importance, particularly during the Anglo-Scottish wars of the medieval period. Its physical remains, now fragmentary, include sections of stone walls and earthworks that testify to its former defensive capabilities and the substantial construction undertaken during its occupation. The site was ultimately abandoned and fell into decay, becoming a ruin of historical significance that reflects the turbulent frontier history of the Anglo-Scottish borderlands.

Roxburgh Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1718. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Roxburgh Castle?

Roxburgh Castle is a ruined medieval fortress situated on a strategic peninsula formed by the confluence of the Rivers Tweed and Teviot in the Scottish Borders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM1718.

Who is responsible for protecting Roxburgh Castle?

Roxburgh 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 SM1718.

What other scheduled monuments are near Roxburgh Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Old Roxburgh,deserted town between River Teviot & River Tweed (0.5 km), Kelso Abbey (1.6 km), Pinnaclehill Farm,burial mound & cists 90m NW of (1.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Roxburgh Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Roxburgh 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

Old Roxburgh,deserted town between River Teviot & River Tweed
Deserted town between river teviot & river tweed0.5 km
Kelso Abbey
1.6 km
Pinnaclehill Farm,burial mound & cists 90m NW of
Bronze Age · Burial mound & cists1.8 km
Wallace's Tower
3.5 km
Piper's Grave,cists
Bronze Age · Cists4 km
Nenthorn,deserted village,farmsteads,mill and field system
Post-Medieval · Deserted village,farmsteads,mill and field system4.7 km
Whitmuirhaugh,settlement & cemetery
Settlement & cemetery5 km
Ringleyhall,fort
Iron Age · Fort5.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Roxburgh Castle

Roxburgh Castle stands on Inverclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

The wider landscape

Around Roxburgh Castle

Battle of Ancrum MoorBattle (1545) · ~6.9 milesBattle of Melrose (also known as Battle of Darnick), 1526Battle (1526) · ~10.3 milesBattle of DarnickBattle · ~11.1 milesBattle of Flodden 1513Battle (1513) · ~11.2 miles
All Scheduled Monuments