Lochmaben Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Lochmaben, the feudal Lordship of Annandale,
It was built by Edward I in the 13th and 14th centuries, and later rebuilt during the reign of James IV of
Scotland. An earlier motte–and–bailey castle was built south of the current castle in c. 1160 by the Bruce
family, Lords of Annandale.
King Edward replaced the motte–and–bailey castle with a much sturdier structure at the south end of
Castle Loch around 1300 and its remains still show the massive strength of its defences. Archibald Douglas,
Lord of Galloway took Lochmaben Castle from the English in 1384, after a siege of nine days and "razed it
to the ground".
Lochmaben Castle continued to have a turbulent history until sometime after the early 17th century by
which time it had seen its last siege and was gradually abandoned. It is now maintained by Historic
Environment Scotland and is open to visitors all year round.
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