Duchal Castle

The castle was held from the 12th century by the Lyle, L'Isle, Lyell or Insula family. It seems unlikely that they were of the same Lisle family which had first settled in Northumberland. Ralph de Insula of Duchal is recorded in the reign of Alexander II (1198 – 1249) and he may have built the first castle here. In the mid 15th century Lord Lyle was ennobled by James II and a successor, Sir Robert Lyle became Lord Chief Justice and a Privy Councillor to James III. Lord Lyle had died in 1470 and his heiress had married Alexander Lyle of Craigbate. In 1513 James IV and his natural son James (see below), Archbishop of St Andrews, both died at the Battle of Flodden. The name 'Duchal' is often…

The castle's curtain walls follow much of the edge of the raised peninsula with its continuous precipitous and mainly vertical drop into the rivulets on either side. The courtyard is fairly level and was divided into an inner and outer bailey. At the western end of the site a deep ditch crossed by a drawbridge with a gatehouse helped defend the ground level access off what is now a narrow country lane, some traces of this ditch survive. On the north-eastern side is a prominent stone lined well (take care if visiting), slop shoot or garderobe gives access to the Burnbank Burn gorge and shows evidence of having been reduced in size as some stage for defensive reasons (See photograph). This…