'Unique' 600-year-old house re-opens to public after five years under lock and key

A ‘unique’ round tower house that was built for a noble Scots family in the mid 1400s and remains in good condition has re-opened to the public.

Orchardton Tower, near Dalbeattie in Dumfries and Galloway, is the only free-standing round tower of its type in Scotland and was the fortified residence of nobleman John Cairns.

Orchardton House in Dumfries and Galloway has re-opened to the public. Picture: HES. | HES

Cairns is thought to have built the tower around 1455 after backing James II when a civil war broke out between the Earl of Douglas - his landlord - and the monarch.

After choosing to support the king, Cairns acquired the land and his annual rent of £6 was reduced to just one penny. It is thought he then built Orchardton Tower.

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The four-storey tower house remains in good condition, and has neither been ruined nor repaired over its long life. The hall block that served the home, and which was the likely location of the kitchen, also survives, which is rare for medieval buildings in Scotland.

The remains of a rectangular stone turret containing a spiral stair, which likely led to a wooden bridge and the tower’s original entrance doorway, can also be found.

A statement from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said: “These represent a precious survival, for such structures, being less robustly constructed than their parent tower houses, were prone to major alteration/removal in later times.”

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It is not clear what inspired the tower’s circular shape. Links to Ireland, where such structures are more common, may have been at play. Inspiration may also have come from the lost Constable’s Tower in Edinburgh Castle and the White Tower on Dumbarton Rock, heritage chiefs said.

The lairds of Orchardton took their part in the violent blood feuds of the period. In 1527, William Cairns, the laird’s son, fought in a skirmish between two gangs of Galloway gentlemen on Edinburgh’s High Street, in which the leader of the opposing faction, MacLellan of Bombie, was slain.

Later, episodes from the Cairns’ family story became romanticised by Sir Walter Scott in his novel Guy Mannering.

Rosie Thorp, district visitor and community manager for Dumfries and Galloway at HES, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming visitors back to Orchardton Tower, where they can delve into the history of late medieval noble life.

“Nestled in a beautiful part of the Dumfries and Galloway landscape, and the only surviving near free-standing late medieval circular tower in the country, this is a truly one-of-a-kind part of our built heritage and an asset in telling Scotland’s story.”

Orchardton Tower was last fully opened in 2020, and was one of dozens of buildings which remained closed following the pandemic due to HES’s high-level masonry programme and assessment of the safety and integrity of properties in its care.

Each property affected has been assessed for deterioration given their age, building materials and the impact of climate change and changing weather patterns.

Orchardton Tower is open every day from 9.30am–6.30pm unti the end of September, when new low season hours come in. Entry to the site is free of charge.