Cardoness Castle
The 15th Century tower house castle of Cardoness is most noted for the family in residence here, the notorious McCullochs.
This family of Gaelic descent were a powerful Galloway family at the time they acquired the castle through marriage in the 15th Century. This impressive tower surrounded by a small barmkin and small residences is ideally located on top of at steep hill, overlooking the Galloway coast and would have easily withstood a light attack.
Which is just as well because the McCullochs were perpetually feuding with their neighbours over land, particularly the Gordons. The first McCulloch of the castle, James largely solved his disputes through litigation though he wasn't entirely scrupulous, marrying off his daughter to a 'natural idiot' in order to acquire the man's lands. The list of their crimes through the generations include stealing '1500 assorted beasts', attacking and looting the Isle of Man, shooting and killing one of the Gordons and then assaulting their widow, dragging her from her sick bed and onto a dung heap to die!
Throughout their years many managed to escape prosecution due to their royal connections with King James IV, though the rogue who committed the last atrocity was tried and perished on the guillotine, Edinburgh 's infamous Maiden.
The interior of the Cardoness Castle is still very much intact and you can climb out to the top for stunning views of the coastline and Galloway Forest.
