Castle of Park

The Castle of Park is a 16th-century L-plan tower house near Glenluce in Dumfries and Galloway. It stands on a ridge at the foot of a hill, with steep wooded slopes towards the river and gentle meadows to the south. The building was begun in 1590 for Thomas Hay and his wife Jonet MakDouel, and completed by 1599. It was later extended in the 18th century and used by the Hay family until sold in 1875. After passing to the Cunningham family in 1830, it became a farm-labourer’s home before falling into disuse. The castle is recognised for its unusual history and architecture. It is said to be haunted by a murdered monk walled into one room and by a green lady who once worked there. Restoration in the 1950s and 1960s removed later additions, returning the building closer to its original form. The Landmark Trust completed further work in the 1980s, and it now provides holiday accommodation. Antiquarian Richard Pococke visited in 1760 and praised its setting on the ridge with views over wooded slopes and meadows. Inside, the castle has four floors. The lowest contains three barrel-vaulted rooms used as kitchens and store-rooms. Above lies the main hall, measuring about six and a half metres by five. The upper floors hold smaller chambers, and a large spiral staircase rises through the southward projection to the roof. Though grand in appearance, the walls contain hollow spaces for stairs and closets rather than defensive features.