Caerlaverock Castle

Caerlaverock Castle

Located in the South of Dumfries Scotland Caerlaverock Castle is a large castle with a moat that surrounds it on sunny days you can see fish in the moat.

It was believed to be built in the 13th century and was later abandoned in the 17th century. The castle was used as a stronghold for the Maxwell Clan who are known to have Norse ancestry dating back to the reign of David I of Scotland.

In comparison to most castles in the Dumfries area this is by far in the best condition and it is also a nice place to spend the day.

As it is quite a distance away from any towns it is advised that you travel there by car and even though it is a relatively busy place parking is not an issue as you are shown by employees where to park. If you happen to have a dog with you they are more than welcome to go inside the castle as it is mainly outdoors. In the vicinity there is a gift shop and a cafeteria that visitors can use.

Whilst walking around the moat of the castle I noticed that there is a park for children to play and also I noticed that a lot of tourists were going down a hidden path so we went to investigate and noticed that it is a nature trail that starts by leading tourists around the moat and through the woods. We found that it leads to the site of the old castle which we were not aware of its’ existence. It was found a few years ago and the area was then excavated and then studied. What is viewable of the old castle is basically flat ground with traces of walls and signs informing visitors of where everything used to be.

To view more pictures please visit the Gallery page.