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Castles and Cannons |
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The present castle dates from later that century and was built by Archibald the Grim, the 3rd Earl of Douglas. The Douglases rose to prominence through the actions of Archibald's father, Sir James Douglas, known as the Black Douglas - a close companion of Robert the Bruce. Sir James also put down a revolt by rebellious Gallovidian chiefs supported by the English, and thereby became the Lord of Galloway.
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By the time Archibald became head of the family, his titles included Third Earl of Douglas, Lord of Galloway and Warden of the West March, and he obviously felt the need for a castle to fit with his stature. Threave Castle was commissioned by Archibald in 1369 and completed around 1390.
The castle seems, at first glance, to have been built primarily with defence in mind. It is situated on a small island on the River Dee and is only approachable by boat. Also, the island is completely dominated by the huge four-storey tower of the castle, standing some 70 feet high. It was also the scene of some gruesome deeds, with McLellan of Kirkcudbright one of many to be hanged from the corbel, which projects out from the wall of the tower just below the battlements.
However, to view the castle as a forbidding defensive structure would be to misinterpret what life there during the medieval period was actually like. As one of the most important nobles in Scotland, Archibald would have seen his castle as a visible mark of his power and prestige, and would have wanted his castle to be in the latest style, which was that of a tower.
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Beyond the ditch surrounding the castle, stood an outer enclosure; an archaeological dig conducted there in the 1970's uncovered something surprising.
Far from the tower being an isolated bastion, it was in fact the hub of a thriving community. A little harbour was situated to the west of the Castle, and the remains of two large two-storey buildings were unearthed.
These buildings would have given more living space than the tower itself provided. One building served as the great hall of the castle, where the Earl would have entertained, while the other seems to have served as a chapel. Having two buildings of such importance outside the tower does not suggest that it served as an isolated fortress. In fact, the remainder of the island was taken up with workshops and storehouses serving the castle, and the small island was probably home to about 150 people.
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