Caerlaverock Castle | Dumfries | Scotland | United Kingdom

Caerlaverock Castle

Sightseeing attraction | Dumfries | Scotland | United Kingdom

Caerlaverock Castle is an impressive medieval fortress near Dumfries in Scotland. The castle is known for its unique triangular shape and is surrounded by a wide moat, giving it a distinctive and unmistakable appearance.

History
The origins of Caerlaverock Castle date back to the late 13th century when it was built by the Maxwell family. Due to its strategic location near the English border, the castle played a significant role in the border wars between Scotland and England. In 1300, it was besieged and captured by King Edward I's troops. Despite multiple destructions and reconstructions, the castle remained in the possession of the Maxwells until the 17th century. During the Civil War, it was besieged by the Covenanters in 1640 and subsequently abandoned.

Architecture
Caerlaverock Castle is known for its rare triangular layout, unique in Europe. The castle features an impressive gatehouse with two massive round towers flanking the entrance. Within the walls are various buildings, including the Nithsdale Lodging, a residential building from the early 17th century with notable Renaissance architectural elements. The combination of medieval defensive architecture and later additions gives the castle its special charm.

Surroundings
The castle is located on the edge of the Caerlaverock Nature Reserve, known for its diverse wildlife, especially the large number of migratory birds. The picturesque surroundings with wetlands and salt marshes offer visitors the opportunity to combine nature watching with a historical excursion.

Caerlaverock Castle is now a major tourist attraction managed by Historic Environment Scotland. The ruins of the castle provide a fascinating insight into Scottish history and architecture and are a rewarding destination for history enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.
Caerlaverock Castle Dumfries

Contact details

Web

Phone

Address
Castle Road End
DG1 4RU Dumfries

Map view

Opening hours

Sunday10:00 - 16:00
Monday10:00 - 16:00
Tuesday10:00 - 16:00
Wednesday10:00 - 16:00
Thursday10:00 - 16:00
Friday10:00 - 16:00
Saturday10:00 - 16:00

Reviews

2622 Reviews

Jaromír Žižka
02.02.2025

Nice pleace
ruzsss
14.01.2025

Amazing castle and museum with an interesting history video that plays once in there .
Colin Smith
13.01.2025

Great castle with lots of interesting information.
James burslem
04.01.2025

Lovely castle great architecture
Lisa T
04.01.2025

Lovely wander around, dog friendly area which was great
jon lal
30.12.2024

Beautiful place.
Jacob Karripumannil Rajan
08.12.2024

One-time visit.
William Ruhlig
04.12.2024

An absolutely gorgeous castle. Stepping through into the courtyard I was blown away by the decorated facades and archways. And the views up towards the tops of the towers from below it's awe inspiring. One of my favourites to date. Definitely look forward to returning when the renovations reopen the other areas
Bottle Tree Hill Organics
29.11.2024

Very unique and interesting . Be sure to check out the older castle behind and the museum centre.
Ann Barber
29.11.2024

An absolutely wonderful experience. Highly recommend.
Dorcas Eatch
16.11.2024

Love this place especially in winter hearing the geese fly to roost or feed.
Ann Fiddler
14.11.2024

Beautiful castle, atmospheric setting and interesting history. Great service!
Karl Taylor
10.11.2024

Absolutely blissful time. £6 per person to enter the castle. Pay your fee and listen to a member of staff explain interesting facts about the castle, its owners and its past. Currently being looked after and renovated to a safe condition via the funds gain from ticket sales. The onsite shop is packed with goodies. Toilets 🚻 for both genders 😉, car park and a mini museum. Playground for kids and a lovely walking experience through the woods. Excellent.
Aurori Flores
06.11.2024

Llevaba mucho tiempo queriendo ir y por fin he podido...impresionante y precioso...volveré, seguro...❤️❤️💙💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Paul Schwager
04.11.2024

Quite a bit of the castle still exists. Are able to go up to top floors by stairs.
Wayne Morton
01.11.2024

Great place to visit though be better once more areas open up.
Russell Davidson
29.10.2024

Lovely castle. Lots of things to explore. The grounds are wonderful to stick around and enjoy
Tom Hart
26.10.2024

Interesting building with a good walk out towards the Firth.
Emma Green
25.10.2024

Fantastic castle , great staff
Anna Wood
23.10.2024

The castle itself is 5 star but unfortunately one member of staff spoilt the visit for us. We did arrive later than expected 3.15pm but we were told that we couldn't walk on the grass unless we paid for entry to castle. At this stage we didn't know if all of our party could actually manage to walk around the castle, so were just having a little walk on grass. After this we decided not to bother and we stayed on the path to the remains of the old castle, which was fascinating. Came back and same jobs worth was having an issue with us buying a drink to take out. I must say that the ladies who actually got us some drinks were really nice. It was just this man on the tills who was really unhelpful, so much so that his attitude really spoilt our experience of the place,hence why I felt the need to write this. Without this man it would have been 5 stars without a doubt!
John Maxwell
21.10.2024

Couldn’t find it
Lee Mennie
18.10.2024

Great to place to visit .
Jan Tetley
15.10.2024

Small but very interesting Lots of little rooms to explore which not expecting from it's size
TheJeffwithaG
15.10.2024

Drove a considerable distance to see this castle and do to traffic issues beyond our control arrived with only 25mins to visit. It may be amazing, but I’ll never know because they said the last entry allowed is at 3:30? We got here at 3:35! We were told too bad even when we mentioned that we were heading north tomorrow. Not cool to do this over 5 minutes and MAYBE that info should be put out so people know before driving all this way! Thanks for nothing.
vlugt25
14.10.2024

Great castle. Also great history of it
Anne Mcleod
12.10.2024

Went for a day out and decided to visit Caerlavrock Castle, the moat is brilliant and there's a family of swans resident there also. The Castle ruin is gorgeous, just be aware that the staircases are quite narrow.

 

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