Carscreugh Castle, Dumfries And Galloway
Photo © David baird, 24 November 2007
Carscreugh Castle - Photo ©
David baird, 24 November 07
Carscreugh Castle, Dumfries And Galloway Photo © David baird, 24 November 2007 |
Carscreugh Castle - Photo © David baird, 24 November 07 |
Carscreugh Castle was the home of the Dalrymple family, from whom were descended the Earls of Stair. During the 17th century, Carscreugh Castle was the home of Janet Dalrymple, on whom Sir Walter Scott based his heroine Lucy, the Bride of Lammermoor, (who became Lucia di Lammermoor in Donizetti's opera of the same name.) Briefly, the story goes that during the Covenanting era, Janet fell in love with and secretly betrothed to a penniless local man, Archibald Rutherford. Her parents bitterly opposed this liaison and forced her to renounce her vow and marry another man from a wealthy local family, Sir David Dunbar of Baldoon near Wigtown. However something dreadful happened on her wedding night which ended in her death and the wounding of her husband, who ever afterwards refused to divulge to anyone what had occurred that night.
While Baldoon Castle is still reputed to be haunted by a "white lady" - Janet's ghost - Carscreugh Castle is said to be haunted by a white pig.
CARSCREUGH, near Glenluce, Wigtonshire
The lands of Carscreugh (originally Cascrew, spelt Cascruif, pronounced Cascru) belonged to the Abbey of Luce, and passed through various hands, until, in the beginning of the seventeenth century, they went by purchase from the Vauses of Barnbarroch to the Rosses of Balneil. James Dalrymple. Lord Stair, married Margaret, daughter of James Ross of Balneil, who died in 1665, and on 17th December of that year, James Dalrymple and his wife had sasine of the lands of Carscreuch, and about 1680 the existing house was erected as their residence.
The site is elevated and much exposed, and as Andrew Symson, in his larger Description of Galloway, says, "it might have been more pleasant if it had been in a more pleasant place." It cannot properly be called a castle, as there are no traces of any special defensive precautions, but it has been laid off on a very symmetrical plan, as a large old-fashioned mansion-house, and although only forty years later than Castle Stewart (erected about 1640), presents the most marked contrast to it, the one building being a survival of the antiquated past, the other a forecast of the more peaceful future.
In its present state Carscreugh is a complete wreck, nothing remaining above ground except the front wall and part of the flanking wings. All the rest of the building is levelled to the foundations, which may be accounted for by the materials having been used in the farm-steading which lies a few hundred feet to the east. The existing portion has also been stripped of all its more important stonework, both freestone and rubble. All the front corners (which may have been freestone) have lost their quoins from top to bottom, one angle, which is quoined in rubble, only remaining perfect. Doors and windows are now only gaps from which the dressings have been torn, and the front reduced to a mere shell. So far as can now be ascertained, the main portion of the building was a large parallelogram about 70 feet by 30 feet, with wings advanced 7 feet, and rather over 16 feet square. At the inner angle of the south-west wing is a round turret for a turnpike stair, and although no indications are left, it may be inferred from the regularity of the plan that there was another at the corresponding angle at the north-east end. The walls have been all comparatively thin, and everything as far as possible formed in rubble, including the only remaining door and window rybats. A few freestone blocks occur in some old and now dismantled cot-houses lying a few yards off the south-west wing. These are all moulded, and were probably taken from the front of the house. One of them, perhaps the centre door jamb, has the usual 3-inch roll and champer. Two others are apparently window rybats, with rolls and Y grooves. Being all built into walls, they cannot be fully examined. Freestone externally seems to have been entirely confined to the front, and all at the back that could be re-formed has been in rubble.
The building has fronted the north-west, with the entrance door in the centre. Of this only a small portion (1 foot 6 inches on one side and 2 feet on the other) of the upper part of the ingoing remains, giving the width as probably a 3 feet 9 inches door. There is a very rough, long-stoned saving arch, high up, showing that the door has been of some height, with probably panelling above it. On either side have been two windows, but they are now only rough gaps, even the pier between them on the south side being gone.
The arrangements on the second floor have been very similar to those on the first. The ground to the rear falls rapidly, so that the first floor has been pretty near the ground level at the front, the declination giving an open frontage to the ground story in the rear. Judging by the south-west wing, the basement has been about 6 feet high to the ceiling, and the upper stories 11 feet 3 inches from floor to floor. There have been three stories and attics. The leading feature of the ground story is a series of small recesses or aumbries, all evidently formed alike, but only one remaining perfect. They have been very carefully formed, diminishing from front to back, and with slightly inclined jambs, 1 foot 7 inches to 1 foot 8 inches wide, 1 foot 5 inches at back, 1 foot 3 inches deep, and 2 feet high. In the thick wall at the south-west wing there is another 2 feet 3 inches wide, 2 feet at back, and 1 foot 5 inches deep. The lintel is gone. The only fireplaces visible are in the angle of the south-west wing, all one above the other. The turnpike has been formed with rubble or flag steps, of which only a few remain near the top.
The plan of this structure is peculiar, but it has more affinity with the E Plan than any other.
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