Motte of Urr

The Motte of Urr is the remains of a 12th-century motte-and-bailey castle located near the Haugh of Urr in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

History
18th century sketch of Motte of Urr.

Walter de Berkeley received Urr in 1165 from William I of Scotland. It was probably Walter who built the motte surrounded by a timber palisade, as the caput of the barony of Urr. In the late 12th century the motte was heightened, possibly after being slighted during the 1174 uprising in Galloway.

The castle and barony passed to the Balliol family in the 13th century.[1] It passed to Ingram de Umfraville, as heir to Ingram de Balliol. Umfraville had adopted the arms of Balliol, as the acknowledged heir. Henry Percy was granted the castle and barony on the forfeiture of Umfraville in 1296 by Edward I of England.[2] The castle appears to have been abandoned after Robert and Edward Bruce’s campaign of 1307-1308 in Galloway. The barony was subsequently split with half invested in the Scottish crown and the other granted to Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray.[2]

Citations
  1. Coventry 2008, p. 27.
  2. Chalmers 1824, p. 340.

References
  • Chalmers, George. Calendonia: Or, An Account, Historical and Topographic, of North Britain; from the Most Ancient to the Present Times: with a Dictionary of Places, Chorographical and Philological. Volume 3. T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1824.
  • Coventry, Martin. Castles of the Clans: the strongholds and seats of 750 Scottish families and clans. Musselburgh, 2008.
  • CANMORE - Mote of Urr
  • ARO31: Brian Hope-Taylor’s archaeological legacy: Excavations at Mote of Urr, 1951 and 1953. GUARD Archaeology Ltd, 2018.ISBN 978-1-9164509-0-5

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