Stobo Castle

Stobo Castle stands beside the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, a castellated mansion built between 1805 and 1811 for James Montgomery. The Elliot brothers, Archibald and James, designed the main block in a style that echoes older Scottish towers. A porte-cochère was added in 1849 by Sir Graham Graham-Montgomery, and the grounds were reshaped in 1872 by John Hay. In 1905 the estate passed to Hylton Philipson, who created Japanese-influenced water gardens and three lakes. After the Second World War the house contents were sold and the estate divided, but in 1975 the Winyard family reopened it as a health spa. The castle is recognised as a category A listed building, and its designed landscape appears in Scotland’s national inventory of significant parks and gardens. The barony of Stobo dates from the twelfth century and was first recorded in 1577. Stobo was among the earliest Scottish estates to introduce horse chestnuts in 1650. The Murrays of Tweedsmuir owned the site around 1750 before it passed to James Montgomery, later Lord Advocate. Philipson’s lakes and terraces remain central features of the estate today. Visitors find a castellated mansion with a porte-cochère entrance and interiors shaped by successive owners. The Japanese water gardens and terraces overlook three large lakes formed in the early twentieth century. The surrounding designed landscape includes winding paths through lawns and woodland near the Tweed. The River Tweed itself lies immediately west of the castle grounds. The estate’s mature trees and lakes create a calm setting for walks and relaxation.