Borthwick Castle

Lochorwart; Mote Of Lochorwart 

Borthwick Castle, located in Midlothian, is widely regarded as one of the finest surviving examples of a 15th-century Scottish tower house. Built as a noble residence and defensive stronghold for the Borthwick family, its imposing twin towers and thick stone walls stood as symbols of power and protection during a turbulent era in Scottish history. 

Over the centuries, Borthwick has been closely tied to pivotal national events. In 1567, it provided refuge to Mary Queen of Scots as she fled political unrest; legend holds that she escaped through a window disguised as a page boy. In 1650, the castle was bombarded by Oliver Cromwell’s forces during his Scottish campaign—cannon damage from the attack remains visible today. During World War II, it resumed its role as a national place of refuge by protecting valuable artworks from the National Gallery. 

Architecturally, the castle began as a rectangular red sandstone tower with metre-thick walls, later expanded into a T-plan layout with added chambers and defensive features. In 1979, part of the structure was lost to quarrying. Emergency excavations recorded vaulted basements, a carved drawbar slot, and fragments of original masonry, preserving key architectural details. 

In the early 2000s, private owners Roolah Kamal and Robert Burt led a careful restoration. Modern infrastructure was installed, while interiors such as the Great Hall and stone staircases were faithfully preserved. Today, Borthwick Castle serves as a luxury venue for weddings, retreats, and exclusive events—offering guests a vivid encounter with living Scottish history. 

The digitised materials for Borthwick Castle include a range of historical and visual records from three archival series. From the Bogdan Archive (SCA/2), there are press cuttings and a promotional postcard highlighting the castle’s modern restoration and legendary past. The Kerr Slide Collection (SCA/5) offers colour slides capturing the castle from multiple exterior angles, documenting architectural features in detail. The Maxwell-Irving Collection (SCA/6) includes further photographic views of the structure, contributing to the visual record of one of Scotland’s most iconic tower houses.

Books and Academic Sources 

Maxwell-Irving, A.M.T. (2014) The Border Towers of Scotland: Their Evolution and Architecture, Volume II. 2nd edn. Kirriemuir: John Donald Publishers. 

Maxwell-Irving, A.M.T. (1982) ‘Borthwick Castle, near Duns: 1979 Excavation’, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 111, pp. 430–444. 

Newspapers / Press Sources 

The Sunday Telegraph (2018) ‘We feel like we’re part of a legend’, The Sunday Telegraph, 25 March. [Digitised press cutting in SCA Archive, Bogdan files, ref. SCA/2/1/534.]