Morton Castle ***

Region: Dumfries & Galloway

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Chris Wimbush / Morton Castle / CC BY-SA 2.0

Description:

Morton Castle stands in a very scenic location on a promontory above Morton Loch and dates back to the late 14^th century.

It was built by the Earls of March on the site of an earlier castle. In 1357 that early fortress was torn down under the terms of the Treaty of Berwick, which called for several castles in the south-west of Scotland to be destroyed in exchange for releasing David II from captivity in England. The destruction at Morton was not complete, but half of the original medieval gatehouse was lost forever.

In 1396 Morton passed into the hands of the Douglas family. Sir James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton, took his title from the castle. In 1588 Morton was sacked by James VI as part of his successful efforts to break the power of the Douglases. The castle was only partly reoccupied, and by the start of the 18th century, it was abandoned.