What is recorded here

Orchardton Tower rose in 1456 as John Cairns’ home, a solid stone cylinder eleven metres high that watched over livestock, cellars and a bakehouse. The Maxwell family later called it theirs until bankruptcy and sale stripped it of purpose, leaving the ruin to decay. That sudden loss of masters turned a working house into a ghost, preserving the shape of lives that no longer remember their own names.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Orchardton Tower as Earthwork(s) (period Unassigned), Tower House (medieval). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 1m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Orchardton Tower is a 16th-century tower house located in Galloway, southwest Scotland, built by the Maxwell family, a powerful and historically significant clan in the region. It is remembered for its well-preserved architecture and its role in the feudal and military history of the Scottish Borders.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.