Sanquhar Castle facts for kids
Sanquhar Castle is an old castle in Scotland that is now a ruin. It was built by the Crichton family way back in the 1200s! You can find it near the town of Sanquhar in a part of Scotland called Dumfries and Galloway. It's right on a popular walking path called the Southern Upland Way, so lots of people see it every year.
This castle was built to be very strong. It had the River Nith on one side, a small stream (called a burn) on another, and a deep ditch around the rest of it to keep enemies out. Many important people visited Sanquhar Castle over the years, including famous figures like Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, King Edward I, Mary, Queen of Scots, and King James VI.
What Happened to Sanquhar Castle?
The Crichton family sold Sanquhar Castle in the mid-1600s to a man named Sir William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry. He later built a beautiful pink castle called Drumlanrig Castle about ten miles away. After he bought it, Sanquhar Castle slowly started to fall apart and become a ruin.
Trying to Save the Castle
In 1895, a person named John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, bought the castle. He was a descendant of the original Crichton family. He really wanted to fix it up, just like he had successfully restored other castles in Wales, such as Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch.
A builder named Robert Weir Schultz started the work. You can still see the parts that were rebuilt because they look more square and stronger than the older sections. However, the work stopped when the Marquess died in 1900.
Sanquhar Castle Today
Today, Sanquhar Castle is a mix of old stone and parts that were rebuilt. It's still a ruin and not fully restored. Because of its history, it is protected as a scheduled monument, which means it's an important historical site.
