Carsluith Castle

Carsluith stands just off the busy A75 not far from Creetown. This L-shaped tower house dates to the 16th century and, though roofless, is in a very good state of preservation. The original tower house at Carsluith was built in the 15th century as a simple rectangular structure. One of the owners of Carsluith was the last abbot of Sweetheart Abbey, at New Abbey.

The main section of the castle stands roofless but still rises three storeys in height to a parapet walk. A north stair tower was added in 1568 to the earlier structure. One item of note can be found set into the east jamb of the doorway leading to the castle from the farm court, where a fragment of a red sandstone cross slab can be seen.

Beside the castle is a range of outbuildings, most dating to the 18th century. These were once used by the castle but are now in use by the nearby farm and are not open to the public. Carsluith is not spectacular but is rather a very nice example of a small tower house of the sort that was so popular throughout Scotland from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

It won't take terribly long to visit, either, so there's no excuse not to stop!