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Blanerne Castle

Blanerne Castle is a ruined 16th century tower house which is referred to in a traditional Berwickshire song:

Bunkle, Billie and Blanerne
Three castles strong as airn
Built when Davy was a bairn;
They’ll a’ gang doon
Wi’ Scotland’s croon,
And ilke ane shall be a cairn.

The other castles mentioned are Bunkle Castle and Billie Castle, and the Davy mentioned is David I, which suggests that all three castles were in existence by the late 11th century.

Blanerne was owned by the Blanerne family until it passed by marriage to the Lumsdens in 1329.

Blanerne Castle was destroyed by the Earl of Hertford during the Rough Wooing in 1544, and is now a ruin.

Towards the end of the 16th century James Lumsden, son of John Lumsden of Blanerne, married the heiress of the lands of Airdrie, presumably also a Lumsden, and from them descended the Lumsdens of Innergellie, Airdrie, Strathvithie and Mountquhannie.

It is marked on Moll’s mid-18th century map as Blaneirn, seemingly as an empty fenced plot.

Blanerne Castle

The Shire of Berwick alias the Mers or March and Lauderdale
Herman Moll, London, 1745map image courtesy of NLS

In December 1864 the Lumsdaine heiress, Mary Lilias Lumsdaine, sister of William Lumsdaine of Rennyhill, died and was succeeded by her son, the Reverend Francis Gordon Sandys-Lumsdaine, in Lumsdaine, Blanerne and Innergellie.

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Alternative names for Blanerne Castle

Blaneirn; Blanerne House; Blayneherne; Lumsden Castle

Where is Blanerne Castle?

Blanerne Castle is in the parish of Bunkle and Preston and the county of Berwickshire.

Grid reference: NT 83182 56362

Lat / long: 55.800276, -2.269791

Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Blanerne Castle

OS map 346
Berwick-upon-Tweed (Eyemouth, Duns, St Abb’s Head & Cockburnspath)
OS Explorer map 346


Directions to Blanerne Castle

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Weather at Blanerne Castle

14°C
max 14°C / min 14°C
33km/h W
1007mb
70%
100%
03:24 20:58

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Chirnside at 19:36
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References (books)

Borders (The Buildings of Scotland)
Kitty Cruft
London, 2006
Coldingham: Parish and Priory
Adam Thomson
Galashiels, 1908
The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland Volume 4
David MacGibbon
Edinburgh, 1892
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Scheduled Monument record
Canmore
Wikipedia

Castles near Blanerne Castle

Kelloe Bastle (site of)

2.0km away

Broom House (site of)

2.9km away

Manderston (site of)

2.9km away

East Nisbet Castle (site of)

3.2km away

Ninewells (site of)

3.2km away

Blackadder Castle (site of)

3.4km away

Chirnside Tower (site of)

3.7km away

East Preston (site of)

3.8km away

Billie Castle

3.8km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Blanerne Castle

Broomhouse Mains souterrain

2.5km away

Duns Law fort

5.0km away

Edin's Hall broch and fort

7.1km away

Cockburn Law fort

7.4km away

Castle Dikes fort

9.0km away

Aytonlaw fort

9.2km away

The Chesters fort

11.6km away

Bruntaburn Mill standing stone

24.2km away

The Chesters fort

24.6km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Blanerne Castle

The Coves, Caiplie Class I symbols

54.6km away

Crail Class III cross-slab

56.0km away

Abercrombie 1 Class III cross slab

56.4km away

Abercrombie 2 Class III cross slab

56.4km away

Abercrombie 3 Class III cross slab

56.4km away

Abercrombie 4 Class III cross slab

56.4km away

Borthwick Mains Class I symbol stone

57.6km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

59.8km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

59.8km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Blanerne Castle

Hoardweel silver chain

5.6km away

Traprain Law silver chain

30.9km away

Whitlaw silver chain

34.3km away

Haddington silver chain

36.0km away

Norrie's Law hoard

66.2km away

Borland silver chain

77.4km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

79.7km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

107.7km away

Dunnicaer fort

128.3km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Blanerne Castle

Allanton Inn
hotel, bar, restaurantDuns
4.0km away
Groom's Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
4.3km away
Keeper's Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
4.3km away
The Craw Inn
hotelReston
4.8km away
West Lodge, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
4.9km away
Garden Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
4.9km away
Bank House, Duns
self-catering apartmentDuns
5.2km away
Pavilion Lodge, Duns Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
5.5km away
The Wheatsheaf Restaurant With Rooms
hotelSwinton
8.9km away
SlowSheep@theLazyFox
bed and breakfastFoulden
9.1km away

Accommodation search

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Blanerne Castle

Allanton Inn
hotel, bar, restaurantDuns
4.0km away
Hirsel Cottage Tea Room
caféColdstream
16.1km away
Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantColdstream
16.7km away
The Courtyard Restaurant, Floors Castle
café, restaurantKelso
24.7km away
The Terrace Café, Floors Castle
caféKelso
25.2km away
Smeaton Nursery Gardens & Tearoom
caféEast Linton
32.5km away
George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
36.1km away
Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barNorth Berwick
41.2km away
Ducks at Kilspindie House
hotel, restaurant, barAberlady
43.7km away
Gosford Bothy Farm Shop
caféAberlady
43.8km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 3rd of April 2011 at 1:46 am. Updated on the 25th of August 2024 at 9:57 am.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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