Caerlaverock Castle

England and Scotland are dotted with castles, all with magical stories that take you back to the past and capture your imagination. This one in historic Scotland is only a couple of hours drive north of our Whitehaven home and was just right for a weekend visit.

Caerlaverock Castle, or "fort of the skylark", stands on the edge of Scotland and for over 400 years in the Middle Ages guarded the gateway into the kingdom of Scotland. The first castle was built here in 1220 but it was prone to flooding. So after only 50 years in 1270 it was replaced by this castle with it's rather unique triangular architecture. It's proximity to the border between England and Scotland brought this castle into frequent conflict.