The Development of Caerlaverock Castle

Abstract

Caerlaverock Castle near Dumfries is one of the foremost examples of secular architecture in Scotland. The site is naturally protected in part by its swampy location and elsewhere by a system of ramparts and ditches. Caerlaverock was essentially a residence, a strong one certainly, of the type termed the " gatehouse castle," since the house is concentrated over the entry. The surviving elements of the ruin are described and comparisons made with other castles in Britain and France. The present castle is thought to have been mostly constructed between 1375 and 1410.