Auchness Castle

Auchness Castle is a tower house incorporated into a larger farmhouse overlooking Chapel Rossan Bay on the Rhinns of Galloway. A short distance to the north and across the Killaser burn are the motte at Ardwell and Killaser Castle. The tower is a modest three storey rectangular tower with round turrets at the corners and a crowstepped gable roof containing attics. There is disagreement about whether the tower is original, which could date it to the late 16th century, or a later new build or modification. Either way, the lack of vaulting in the ground floor of the tower and the relatively thin walls point towards a later date, and the turrets are definitely modern additions.

The lands of Auchness were held by the MacDouall/MacDowall family of Logan, and are mentioned in 1491 as having been granted to Katherine McCulloch, a sister of the sheriff-depute of Wigtown, as her marriage portion by Patrick McDowall. The lands were worth two merks. Three years later Alexander Campbell “of Auchness” is mentioned as having raided the lands of the sheriff of Wigtown, Quentin Agnew. In 1620 Alexander McDowall of Logan married Jane Agnew, a daughter of the sheriff, and assigned her the lands of Auchness for her dower in life rent. It woudl appear therefore that Auchness remained with the MacDowalls of Logan, but was a property used for revenues only, assigned to the spouses of the lairds. On occasion the lands left the MacDowalls for some time – in 1656 Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw, the sheriff, married the daughter of the laird of Park (not a MacDowall) and she brought the lands of Auchness with her as dowry.

In the mid 19th century, David McCulloch was a tenant farmer at Auchness, his landlord being Col MacDouall of Logan. It was at this time a farm, used for growing crops. Looking at maps of the area, Auchness does not appear as a place of significance, and one has to wonder whether it actually warranted having a tower house at all. As a dowry property, there may have been a manor building of sorts, but whether the tower represents this is still unconfirmed. Today Auchness remains a farmhouse, modernised and fancifully castellated, and is a private residence, clearly visible from the road.

HES Canmore database entry