Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM8619_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013384)

Summary

Description

The monument consists of the original island site and partial remains of Loch Doon castle. It is situated on a small island, known as Castle Island, at the S end of Loch Doon. The site is usually submerged with only the tops of the walls of the castle visible.

The castle was documented in 1306 when it fell to the English, marking the elimination of the last Bruce stronghold in the SW. The castle was again documented in 1333 when it was one of the few strongholds still held for David II.

The castle dates from the late 13th-century castle and has an extremely unusual eleven-sided curtain wall constructed of high quality ashlar masonry. In the first half of the 16th-century a small tower was added to the inside of the west wall. The castle was dismantled and rebuilt on the shore of the loch c1935, in advance of increasing water levels.

However, the wall core of the curtain wall was left on Castle Island, and archaeological deposits are also likely to have survived. Several dugout canoes were discovered on the island in the early 19th-century.

The area to be scheduled is circular in shape, with a diameter of 100m to include the upstanding masonry and an area around it, within which associated remains are expected to survive: as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as the remains of a 13th-century castle which has the potential to contribute to our understanding of medieval defensive and domestic structures, their social history and material culture. its importance is further enhanced by the association of the castle with the Bruce family and its involvement in the Wars of Independence.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.