Caerlaverock

An amazing TRIANGULAR 13th century castle. But it's ruination is an interesting story of over-confidence.

In 1634 Robert Maxwell, having been made an Earl by Charles I, spends a large fortune to build a luxurious and fashionable house within the castle walls.

Six years later the covenanters have raised an army and the English king can offer no support to the Catholic Maxwells. Now the elegant windows which had been cut into the curtain walls to give guests a view of the Solway became a defensive weakness and the castle was taken for the first time since 1307.

There is some complicated metaphor about unpreparedness for popular uprisings to be extracted from that story, but I leave that as an exercise for the reader.