Old Buittle Tower
Near Dalbeattie
Dumfries and Galloway
This beautiful late sixteenth century tower can just be seen from the B794 as you travel South towards Dalbeattie from Haugh of Urr. Indeed, it is only about two miles South of the Motte of Urr....two good reasons to explore this road. These days, the tower is owned by Janet and Jeffrey Burn, who have not only made this tower into a comfortable home, but turned it into a living history site with events throughout the year. Check their website, The Borderers.
Above. Old Buittle Tower looking West from the B794.
It seems that the original tower house was built between 1490 and 1500, probably utilising rubble from the nearby ruined Buittle castle, by the Black Douglases who were, at the time, Lords of Galloway.
The tower would originally have been a simple rectangular building, with a wing added around 1580 providing extra, larger living quarters, reshaping the building into an L plan tower. In the early 17th century, the courtyard would have had a barmkin built around it, providing some light defensive protection. It was abandoned in the early 1720s, and gutted by fire in 1740. By the late 1700s, it was in a state of near total collapse. In the early 1800s its potential as a home was recognised, and by 1881 it had been let to tenant farmers. However, the owners decided to remove the turrets and remodel the interior. Check their website for visiting information.
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