Robgill Tower is a tower house near

Kirkpatrick Fleming Kirkpatrick-Fleming (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Phàdraig) is a village and civil parish in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is located between the Kirtle Water and the A74(M) motorway, the Solway Firth, and the Cumbrian hills are visibl ...

on the banks of the river Kirtle. It was one of a number of towers built along the border as protection against incursions by the English. The tower was owned for centuries by

Clan Irvine Clan Irvine is a Scottish clan.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Published in 1994. Pages 174 – 1 ...

, also spelled as Irving, but a report from 1834 indicates that it was owned by James Smail by that time. He had acquired it from Sir Emelius Iriving.

Etymology

The name is from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

personal name ''Hreodbeorht'' (modern name Robert) and

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

''gil'' "

ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion.

History

The tower was probably built circa 1540 by the Irvine family who also owned

Bonshaw Tower Bonshaw Tower is an oblong tower house, probably dating from the mid-16th century, one mile south of Kirtlebridge, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, above the Kirtle Water.Lindsay, Maurice (1986) ''The Castles of Scotland''. Constable. p.86, 87 ...

, but some documents indicate that it was built in 1430. Robgill Tower was the "blue-print for Bonshaw Tower" (3/4 of a mile distant) which was built in the same era. The Robgill tower was modified extensively in the 19th century. It has been B-listed since 1971. The Listing indicated that the structure - a medium scale mansion ...

ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...

crenellated retaining wall" - was built in several phases primarily in the late 18th and early 19th century, although the nucleus was a 16th-century tower. A subsequent report at the time indicated that there was a "fine stable block dating from the later 19th C. and a sizeable walled garden with a large glasshouse. The stable block has gained a swimming pool and there is a large indoor equestrian arena". The stable block is also Category-B listed as are the Gate Lodge and Gate Peers. The Walled Garden is Category-C rated. An 1889 book about the architecture of Scotland states that about ten years earlier, the tower was modified: "wilfully pulled down to the level of the hall floor" to allow for a hall that would connect it to the new, adjoining, house that was being built. A 1973 summary of the property indicated that the current owner was a Mr. Shaw. A 2013 prospectus provided numerous diagrams, photographs and descriptions of each element of the property. A 2019 summary stated that it had "six reception rooms, an indoor swimming pool, a games room, gym, indoor riding arena, a six-car garage and a separate two-bedroom gate lodge". The manor was restored recently and was said to have outstanding equestrian facilities".Robgill Tower, Kirtlebridge, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, DG11
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References

RCHAMS
Castles in Dumfries and Galloway Tower houses in Scotland {{DumfriesGalloway-geo-stub