Latest news with #JohnCairns
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
'Unique' 600-year-old house re-opens to public after five years under lock and key
Step into the home of a medieval Scots laird at Orchardton House in Dumfries and Galloway. Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A 'unique' round tower house which 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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, and it is thought he then built Orchardton Tower. READ MORE: The 10 Scottish heritage sites where visitor numbers are booming 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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. '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,' a statement from HES said. 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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 Historic Environment Scotland (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.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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.
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Daily Record
Historic 15th century Dumfries and Galloway tower reopens to visitors
Orchardton Tower near Palnackie had been closed to allow masonry to be inspected. A historic 15th century tower in Dumfries and Galloway has reopened to visitors. Orchardton Tower near Palnackie had been closed to allow masonry to be inspected. But Historic Environment Scotland has now completed its assessments, meaning visitors are welcome to once again explore the only free-standing round tower of its type in Scotland. Orchardton Tower was a fortified residence for nobleman John Cairns, who it is thought built the structure around 1455 and may have acquired the land after James II's overthrow of the Douglases. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. HES' district visitor and community manager for Dumfries and Galloway, Rosie Thorp, 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 is open from 9.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday until the end of September, then from 9.30am to 4.30pm Saturday to Wednesday between October and March. Entry is free.
The Herald Scotland
14-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
'Unique' 15th century circular tower reopens to visitors
It operated as a fortified residence for a nobleman named John Cairns, who is thought to have built the structure in around 1455 and may have acquired the land after James II's overthrow of the Douglases. Circular towers, or donjons, such as this were integral to 1200s strongholds like Bothwell Castle or Dirleton Castle, but they were replaced by square and rectangular tower houses. At Orchardton, Cairns built himself a round tower 200 years after they'd gone out of fashion. READ MORE: Rosie Thorp, District Visitor and Community Manager for Dumfries and Galloway at Historic Environment Scotland (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.' The High-Level Masonry Programme is the result of ongoing risk assessment and sample surveys and assesses the impact of climate change on sites as well as the scale of deterioration caused by a number of other factors, including the materials used in the building's construction, its age and physical location. Whilst this is not an issue unique to Scotland, HES is believed to be amongst the first heritage managers to approach it in this way, with the results shared with peer organisations. From April 1 until September 30, Orchardton tower is open every day from 9:30am to 6:30pm. From October 1 to March 31, the site is open Saturday to Wednesday (closed Thursday and Friday) from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Entry to the site is free of charge.
