Rusco Castle, Dumfries And Galloway
Photo © Colin Kinnear, 7 April 2009
Rusco Castle, Dumfries And Galloway
Photo © Colin Kinnear,
7 April 2009
Rusco Castle, or Rusko Castle, probably dates from the early 16th century. It is a simple rectangular tower, three storeys and a garret high, measuring 38 1/2' by 29' over walls 6'-8' thick. There is a ruinous two storeyed addition to the N, dating probably from the 17th century, provided with a stair-tower projecting W. This addition measures 57' by 22' over walls which nowhere exceed 3' thick.
Rusco, which in early times belonged to the Carsnane family and was known as
Glenskyreburn passed by marriage in the early 16th century to Sir Robert Gordon
of Lochinvar. It was inhabited till about 1890. After this it became ruinous
but has now been restored as a family home.
--RUSCO CASTLE, KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE.
A tower situated in the valley of the Fleet, about three miles north from Gatehouse. It stands on a sloping hillside, and is completely over-looked from the public road, which passes it about 100 yards to the westward. The Plan is a simple oblong, measuring 37 feet 9 inches from north to south, by about 28 feet 8 inches from east to west, and the tower is 49 feet 6 inches high to the top of the parapet. The entrance is on the ground level in the centre of the east front; and to the right on entering, in the thickness of the wall, is a small guardroom. A passage to the left leads to a wheel-stair in the south-east corner, which ascends to the top, and is defended at the foot with a strong door. The ground floor is vaulted, and contained a room in the vault, the entrance to which is seen in the Section, about 8 feet 9 inches above the ground. This was probably the sleeping-place for herds and servants, while the ground floor might accommodate horses or cattle. In the south-west corner of the ground floor there is a circular recess, the purpose of which is not now apparent; but it may have been intended to contain a private stair from the hall to the cellar. The first and second floors are good apartments, well lighted, with handsome fireplaces of the usuaK Scottish type, similar to that of Ruthven Castle. The apartment in the roof, shown on Plan, is without a fireplace. It enters off the stair, which continues for a few steps up to the battlements. The parapet walk is paved with stone slabs in the usual manner. The corbels supporting the parapet wall are of the chequered type common in the fifteenth century. It will be observed that the large windows have each over their lintels a splayed projecting weathering for throwing off the rain a rather unusual expedient in Scottish castles.
The entrance doorway is peculiar, being spanned with a joggled arch, nearly straight, but having a slight curve, with rounded corners. Above it is a moulded panel containing two shields, but their bearings are worn away and illegible. The supporters of the upper one two unicorns are, however, quite distinct, and probably were attached to the royal arms. Above one of the shields is the initial N, and above the other there is a hunting-horn, "pertaining to the arms of the Blairs of Dunskey." On one side of the lower shield can be faintly seen the figures 65 probably for the date 1565. An extensive addition to the structure, was made at a later period to the north, with a communication roughly knocked through on the ground floor. It measured 57 feet 4 inches in length by 21 feet 9 inches in breadth. This wing is now quite ruinous, and is used as cattle sheds. It has a projecting staircase turret on the west side. The old tower is still inhabited by farm labourers.
This estate belonged to a family named variously Carson, Kersane, or A'ccarson, styled of Glen or Glenskyreburn, the ancient name of Rusco previous to the seventeenth century. The estate passed to Sir Robert Gordon by his marriage with the daughter of Sir Robert Corsane. He assumed the title of Glen, and afterwards of Lochinvar on his brother's death at Flodden. Sir Robert died in 1520. "In 1574, it is mentioned that Sir John Gordon of Lochinvar then resided at Rusco."
The castle was probably erected by the Gordons in the first half of the sixteenth century.
THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND BY DAVID MACGIBBON AND THOMAS ROSS, 1889--