Caerlaverock Castle

A beautiful ruined castle, set in its orginal moat. Behind the castle, are the foundations of an earlier fortified house/ walled compound.
Very romantic on a bright day. Wellingtons recommended for rainy or wet days as the short trek to the earlier fort can be very muddy.
Facilities include a shop and small cafe, public conveniences with disabled access.
There is also small childrens play area.

Well worth a visit.

Excellent castle, with good walks, a moat and great play park area for the kids. Relatively accessible, for an ancient monument - the access involves some going over short grass but a lighter chair or one with off road access wheels.would manage fine

A beautiful castle that was the home of the Maxwell family. The front aspect is well preserved, with much of the interior spaces in good condition. The remains of the older castles are located to the south in an easy walking distance. Our children loved dressing up and making their own coat of arms.

My family and I visited this unique castle in February this year. It was a bit of a drive from the main road along narrow lanes but very much worth the visit. There is ample parking and being winter we almost had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed exploring the ruins, learning its history and walking around the grounds. This was followed by lunch at the tearoom where they served simple but delicious food most of which is locally sourced.

Fantastic campsite. One off the best . Can't recommend it enough. Quiet, peaceful, great toilet 'shed' and not a neighbour in sight. Thank you so much, we will be back. PS your car is no distance away by the way. Never heard such moaning!

Allows dogs, has moat with water. Good info around

Absolutely Gorgeous. The castle itself is very nice, wonderful to walk around, and if you get good light then it is incredible.
I recommend the tea room as well, the cakes are great, and the scones highly recommended.

This is one of the most beautiful castles in the UK, imho....
Built before 1300ad by Sir Herbert de Maccuswell (Maxwell), it's pinkish sandstone walls, numerous large fireplaces, large windows, moat and fantastic triangular layout makes you dream of being there while it stood guard of the land for four hundred years. Twin massive towers stood imposing over the gatehouse, where the Maxwells had their private suite of rooms.
"Inside the castle walls stands the remarkable Nithsdale Lodging, built in the 1630s by Robert Maxwell, 1st Earl of Nithsdale. Its attractive façade, embellished with ornate Renaissance stone carvings, contrasts wonderfully with the severity of the ancient castle walls.
"The castle defenses were updated throughout the years after numerous wars with England took their toll.
"Caerlaverock was besieged and captured on numerous occasions. However, two sieges stand out.
The first, in July 1300, involved Edward I of England in person. He brought the full might of his army to bear on the stronghold, and the small garrison surrendered within two days. The contemporary account of that siege is one of the most fascinating recorded for any castle in the British Isles".

"The second siege, in 1640, was the castle’s last. It was brought about by Lord Maxwell’s adherence to Charles I in that monarch’s struggles with the Covenanters (religious dissenters). On that occasion the garrison held out for 13 weeks before surrendering. Following the siege, the castle was stripped of all its valuable fixtures and fittings, and the great south curtain wall was demolished to render the building useless as a place of defense". (taken from Historic Scotland)
As an added bit of information, scan the sandstone walls inside for visitors initials and dates... I saw one marked 1776

What a lovely visit. We visited the castle as we had driven to Dumfries to get a few things and were not disappointed. It's a lovely castle with great parking and very friendly staff. The story of the castle is fascinating and offers a lot of options for both old and young. There is a lovely video that explains how 60 people defended the castle against the army of the English king Edward. The castle grounds are great and the castle is spectacular. There are loads of different rooms to explore and try to get a feeling for the lifestyle of that time.

You have to be a bit careful with the stairs depending on where you are going up. If you follow the path to the left of the castle you can visit the site of the first castle grounds. All in all it was a very enjoyable visit.