Buittle Castle is a 12th century earthwork motte and bailey fortress, founded by the Lords of Galloway. In the early to mid 13th century, Devorgilla de Galloway and her husband, John Balliol founded the timber and stone courtyard and baileys castle on the site. Occupied by English from 1296, it was captured in March 1313 by King Robert Bruce, after which its defences were dismantled or destroyed by fire. On the motte, stands the remains of an Edwardian type courtyard castle, which had massive round angle towers, a twin-towered gatehouse, with its drawbridge pit, flanking the curtain wall. To the north-west, a plateau forms a very large inner bailey, with the foundations of a 13th century stone gateway, which leads to a smaller northern outer bailey. The defensive perimeter of the inner bailey, is encased by a U-shaped ditch and a scarp that overlooks the river, excavations have shown evidence of a massive timber palisade and a stone curtain wall. To the north and west, the outer slope of the mottes encasing deep ditch, has been banked up and converted into a roadway, that once lead to a bridge across the River Urr. Standing in the bailey are Old Buittle Tower and the remains of the medieval Royal Burgh of Botel. 5 miles north-east is Corra Castle and 6 miles west is Threave Castle.