Dumfries Castle

Dumfries Castle was a royal fortress beside the River Nith in what is now Castledykes Park. A motte and bailey structure rose there in the 12th century. King William the Lion made Dumfries a royal burgh in 1186. By 1214 the castle had been enlarged in stone. The site witnessed visits from King Alexander III in 1264 and King Edward I in 1300. The castle changed hands several times during the Wars of Independence. Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, took it in 1286. In 1306 Robert de Brus briefly seized it from the English constable Richard Siward. On 7 February 1313 King Robert I captured the castle from Dungal Macdouall, who had handed over his brothers to Edward I. Local tradition holds that the castle was destroyed after its capture in 1313 and never rebuilt. The remains lie within Castledykes Park, a green space in the centre of Dumfries. Visitors walk among grassy mounds that mark the motte and bailey. The riverbank offers views of the site’s historic setting.