Orchardton
is unique in Scotland, being the only example of a cylindrical tower-house. It is solidly
built of granite, and the rock foundations are bared at one point. On the ground floor is
a vaulted cellar, entered through an arched doorway. An external stairway leads to the
first floor. The present door was originally a window, with the original entrance being
rather low. Within this chamber is a decorative aumbry or laver and carved stone, both
thought to have been taken from an abandoned abbey like Tongland or Dundrennan. This room
may have been converted into a private chapel. The great hall was located over the ruins
to the east.
Orchardton was built for John
Carnys (Cairns) around 1456. Ownership passed through an heiress in 1633 to the Maxwells,
the most famous of which was Sir Robert Maxwell, an ardent Jacobite who was captured at
Culloden. He is featured in Scott’s Guy Mannering. |
