Threave Castle, Historic Island Keep on the River Dee. Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway. SCO 8577
Threave Castle was built in the 1370s by Archibald Douglas, "the Grim", later the third Earl of Douglas, soon after he was created Lord of Galloway in 1369. A small collection of buildings were built around the main keep, including a hall and chapel. Threave Castle became Archibald's stronghold and he died there in 1400. His son Archibald married Princess Margaret, daughter of Robert III of Scotland. During the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century, Threave was used for a brief period to house French prisoners of war. In 1913 the owner, Edward Gordon, passed the castle into State care. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument cared for by Historic Scotland, and can be visited by boat. There is a car park, toilets and a building containing a display. Threave Castle's rectangular keep is 21m, or 5 storeys high, and by in plan. The keep was once accessed by a movable bridge from the gatehouse to the first floor. This level is vaulted, and was occupied by kitchens. Below is a basement with a well and prison pit. A spiral stair within the 2m thick wall leads up to the great hall, which had a second bridge access to the upper gatehouse. Above this were two timber floors, now missing, with two rooms on the next storey, and servants quarters at the top. Holes in the external walls would have supported a timber defensive structure known as a bretache, which allowed the defenders to drop objects on attackers at the walls.
Size: 6088px × 4018px
Location: Threave Castle, River Dee. Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway. Scotland. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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