Garlies Castle

Garlies Castle, Dumfies and Galloway Photo © Fire place M Campbell, 23 June 2007

Garlies Castle, Dumfies and Galloway Photo © Mark McKie, 24 July 2007

Stronghold of the Clan Stewart.

GARLIES CASTLE, KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE.

The ruined castle of Garlies is situated on a steep hill slope about three miles north-west of Newton-Stewart. The ground falls very rapidly outside the buildings along the south and south-east sides. The castle has been a structure of considerable size and various ages, and; as is usually the case, the oldest part (tinted black) is still the best preserved. This consists of the keep, a parallelogram measuring about 40 feet by 30 feet, and in its ruined condition attaining in parts a height of about 30 feet, with walls averaging about 6 feet in thickness

It is very much dilapidated, and till the present year lay buried to a great extent in its own ruins. But at the instance of Major-General the Hon. Alexander Stewart, with the sanction of the Earl of Galloway, the keep has been cleared of debris. The results have been extremely satisfactory, and most interesting discoveries have been made.

The lower part of the keep has been entirely vaulted, the height being about 17 feet from floor to crown; but the springing only remains. This usual height has been divided in two by an entresol floor carried on corbels. Entry has been obtained from the courtyard by a double door, giblet-checked on the outside, and another within. These lead into a passage 3 feet 6 inches wide, with a small apartment and ambry to the right, and on the left to a turnpike stair made of flags, and complete up to the level of the entresol. From this point the steps were of freestone, one only remaining in situ. The ground floor has been unequally divided into two apartments, accessible by separate doors entering from the passage. That on the right seems to have been the kitchen, for although there is neither fireplace nor vent, there is in the north angle a circular arrangement of stones in the floor, which, with ash and burnt material, seems to indicate a hearth. In the north-west angle there is a large wall-press or ambry about 6 feet square and nearly 5 feet high. Both apartments have been lit by deeply-splayed slits 3 inches wide by 2 feet high. The lesser one has a small ambry, and the floor is at a lower level.

The main entrance to the great hall seems to have opened from the rising ground to the north-west, where some remains of an approach still exist. Beyond the continuation of the massive walls, the only features remaining on the first floor are one side of a deeply-recessed window and a small ambry, both on the south-west side.

Amongst the numerous pieces of freestone found are the almost complete remains of a richly-decorated fireplace, about 9 feet 6 inches in width and 5 feet 6 inches from hearth to lintel, which is 18 inches deep, and is constructed on the principle of the straight arch. At either side are moulded jambs, with enriched caps and bases. Above the lintel has run a cornice, curiously carved with the Stewart arms, a stag-hunt, scroll-work of oak leaves and acorns, grotesque heads, and other devices.

Amongst the debris was also found a large stone with the head of an ogee arch, and over it the inscription, "ALLD. STEWARD MILES FECT."

From the state of the ruins it is clear the great contributing cause to the destruction of the keep was the weakness of the wall next the court-yard, pierced as it was with so many doorways and a wide passage. As now uncovered, the central part of this wall and the jambs of the door lean considerably outward, and it is evident the haunch of the vaulting arch on this side must have burst out with damaging effect. Indications of this catastrophe probably led to the abandonment of the building.

The existing masonry is rubble of very good quality, with massive whinstone corners; and throughout the entire building a large quantity of freestone must have been used. A good deal of this material is a fine-grained white freestone, closely resembling that used at Dundrennan Abbey ; but the most of it, like that so much employed in the old buildings throughout this district, is of the ruddy or purplish-grey freestone grit obtained from the Berwick or Roscarrol shores.

The keep forms the western side of a courtyard, measuring about 60 feet by 53 feet, enclosed on its eastern and southern sides by a strong wall, remaining in parts to a height of 9 feet. Against this wall, opposite the keep, there has run a short range of buildings, of which little more than the foundations remains. The upper or northern side of the court-yard is occupied by a range of one-story structures, substantially built of rubble, measuring 52 feet long by 26 feet wide. A passage 6 feet wide intervenes between this and the keep. In continuation of this range eastwards, there extends a narrow series of ruins, opposite which a passage runs along the outside of the eastern wall of the courtyard, giving access to another range of buildings on the east side, and opening into a large paddock, from which we may infer that the latter were stables or byres. The paddock encloses an area of upwards of 2000 square yards, and runs as far southwards as the declivity will admit. It is surrounded by a well-built, substantial wall, still in good repair. Two rows of buildings extend along the western side of the paddock, the upper or northern row being about 60 feet in length, and projecting into the paddock, and the lower range, about 70 feet in length, being built outside its wall. The latter building is now traceable only in its foundations.

The extensive accommodation provided for horses and cattle in connection with the paddock is quite a feature in the arrangements at Garlies, which is of architectural value in this respect, that although dismantled and dilapidated, there is no appearance of the buildings having been tampered with or turned to any later use.

In continuation of the keep southwards, for a distance of about sixty feet, the ground is enclosed by dry stone dykes. This space may have formed a garden, as marked on Plan.

In its ruinous condition it is difficult to decide as to the age of the keep. It appears to be a structure of considerable antiquity. In 1263 the barony was bestowed by King Alexander in. on Alexander, the fourth Hereditary High Steward of Scotland. In 1283 it passed to his second son, John, known as "John of Bonkyl," from his having married Margaret, daughter and heiress of Sir Alexander Bonkyl of Bonkyle, now Buncle, in Berwickshire. With his descendants the barony of Garlies has ever since remained, giving title to the Earl of Galloway's eldest son.

We may mention that Buncle Castle, above referred to, still exists, but unfortunately in a state of much greater ruin than even Garlies.

THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND BY DAVID MACGIBBON AND THOMAS ROSS, 1889