Barjarg Tower

Barjarg Tower is a small part of a much larger mansion holding the same name. The mansion sits on a north-east facing slope overlooking the River Nith a few miles downstream of Thornhill, and generally faces north, It sits within private grounds and cannot be seen from any public roads.

The lands of Barjarg belonged to the Abbey of Dercongal, also known as Holywood. It was founded by the Lords of Galloway early in the 13th century, and unfortunately the cartulary has not survived. However in 1522, Abbot John Maxwell granted the lands of Barjarg and others to his brother, Robert the 5th Lord Maxwell. Robert died in 1546, and was succeeded by his eldest son Robert (d1552), and then a second Robert, (who died aged four in 1555), then by the posthumous second son of the 6th Lord. This John, the 8th Lord Maxwell, achieved his majority in 1574, and granted the lands to Thomas Grierson, his tenant, in 1587. It is believed that Grierson founded the tower of Barjarg between then and 1595.

The tower was a L-plan tower house of four storeys and an attic, with a stair-wing a storey taller. The original stair that led to the first floor was removed in the 17th century during remodelling and extensions, leading to a hearth tax for 8 hearths in 1690. The whole of the interior was remodelled in the 19th century, destroying much of the evidence for the early building. The descendants of Thomas Grierson sold the tower and lands in 1648 to John Grierson, from another branch of family, and it is John who is believed to have added the first extension to the old tower, probably that to the rear. This second set of Griersons retained the building into the first quarter of the 18th century, at which point it passed by marriage to the Erskines of Alva. In 17272, Barjarg was sold again, to Dr Andrew Hunter of Abbotshill, whose descendants carried out the massive extensions to the building, and lived at Barjarg until 1985.

HES Canmore database entry