Description:

One of the greatest fortresses guarding the Scottish Middle March and known as  the "Guardhouse of the bloodiest valley in Britain".

Hermitage Castle, a very impressive and distinctly oppressive castle, consists of a 13^th century courtyard and a large 14^th century keep of four stories, around which a huge castle was eventually built. The property on which Hermitage is built once belonged to the D'Acres, but passed to the deSoulis family. One of that family was a man of ill repute who was accused of dabbling in witchcraft. Many children disappeared during the time he lived in the castle, and the town eventually rebelled, wrapping deSoulis in lead and boiling him to death in a cauldron (no proof!) The family was forfeited in 1320. The castle passed then to the Grahams and afterwards to the Douglas’s.

Another gruesome tale: At one time the important position of Sheriff was vacant and Sir William Douglas was very interested. However, there was a rival for the position in the person of Sir Alexander Ramsay. Douglas then seized his rival and threw him into the dungeon, where he starved to death. He managed to survive for 17 days on scraps of grain which had fallen through the cracks in the floor from the granary above the dungeon.

Hermitage Castle also played a role in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots.