Hermitage Castle

Hermitage Castle stands in a remote valley of the Hermitage Water in Liddesdale, part of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders. The castle is semi-ruined and has a reputation as one of the most sinister and atmospheric castles in Scotland. It was built around 1240 by Nicholas de Soulis in a Norman Motte and Bailey pattern. The castle was known as the guardhouse of the bloodiest valley in Britain and the 'Strength of Liddesdale'. It stayed in the de Soulis family until William de Soulis was forfeited in the 14th century due to suspected witchcraft and attempted regicide. The castle has a history marked by sieges, imprisonments, and executions. It was besieged by Sir William Douglas in 1338 and later fell into the hands of the English. The Black Douglases held the castle until 1455, when it passed to the Red Douglases. King James IV ordered the castle to be relinquished to the Crown in 1492. Mary, Queen of Scots famously rode from Jedburgh to visit the wounded James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, at the castle in 1562. The castle became obsolete after the Union of the Crowns in 1603 and fell into disrepair. Visitors to Hermitage Castle find a semi-ruined structure with a strong sense of history. The castle is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland and is protected as a scheduled monument. It is reputed to be haunted by local ghostlore, including the spirit of Mary, Queen of Scots and Redcap Sly, the familiar spirit of Nicholas de Soulis. The surrounding area includes a series of ancillary features that add to the castle’s atmosphere. The castle’s remote location in the Scottish Borders adds to its sense of isolation and intrigue.