📌 Kirkgunzeon, Dumfries & Galloway
★★
Drumcoltran Tower was built by the Maxwell family of Caerlaverock in the 16th century. The building lies several miles southwest of Dumfries, and – depending on which direction you’re coming from – you’re likely to approach via the villages of either Kirkgunzeon or Beeswing: surely two of the most charming place names in Scotland? The tower house is full of charm too, with three storeys, spiral staircase and a parapet walk allowing views across undulating farmland. A stone panel above the entrance apparently translates as: “Keep hidden what is secret, speak little, be truthful, avoid wine, remember death, be merciful.” The (private) adjacent farm was built in the 1700s by later owners of the castle, with farm servants later living inside the tower until it was abandoned a century later.
🌍 Location
📌 By minor road at Drumcoltran Farm, 1 mi north of Kirkgunzeon
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NX 870683
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.996405,-3.768593
❌ No public transport within 1 mi – nearest bus stop in Kirkgunzeon (1.5 mi)
🚗 Verge parking – don’t block farm access
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open
🎫 Free
