Roxburgh Castle

Roxburgh Castle stands in ruins on a grassy mound where the rivers Tweed and Teviot meet in the Scottish Borders. The remains lie within the private grounds of Floors Castle, home of the Duke of Roxburghe, across the river from Kelso. King David I founded the fortress in the 12th century, and it became a key prize fought over by Scots and English for centuries. The castle’s history includes dramatic sieges and bold night attacks. In 1314 Sir James Douglas and his men in black cloaks climbed the walls using rope ladders. King James II died in 1460 when a cannon exploded during the final siege that handed the castle to the Scots. The Black Douglas’s cunning tactics and the king’s tragic end mark some of its most famous moments. Visitors see only fragments of the old walls on the mound, with more stonework visible on the south side. The site offers quiet views over the rivers and the surrounding countryside. Floors Castle’s grand estate forms a fitting backdrop for the ruins. A short walk from Kelso brings the remains into view, silent witnesses to centuries of conflict.