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Bunkle Castle

The first Bunkle Castle was probably built in the 11th or 12th centuries, when a Norman knight was granted land at Bon Cill (meaning “chapel at the foot of the ridge”) and took the name de Bonkyll.

The establishment of a castle at Bunkle is commemorated 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 castles referred to are Bunkle Castle, Billie Castle and Blanerne Castle, and the Davy mentioned is David I, which suggested all the castles were in existence by the late 11th century.

The site of Bunkle Castle is a natural knoll, rising from the surrounding land as it falls away to the south-east from the ridge of Bunkle Edge. The centre of the knoll was levelled and encloses an approximately circular area of around 57 metres in diameter.

The edges of the knoll were artificially built up with a bank of earth and stones, and a ditch or moat was dug on the outside to the north, west and south. A break in the scarp to the south-east may indicate an entrance, but the main approach seems to have been via a causeway to the north-west.

Outside the ditch to the north-west are slight traces of an outer bank, probably representing extra defences for the main entrance. It is within the north-west section of the site that the most masonry remains, possibly suggesting this was the strongest part of the castle on the most approachable side.

A massive corner section of wall stands close to where the entrance might have been, and measures around 4 metres wide and 4 metres tall, with walls around a metre thick.

A small, low window pierces the chunk of masonry.

On the south-west edge of the site a section of the curtain wall survives, measuring around 20 metres long and around 1.6 metres thick. It stands to a height of between 1.2 and 1.6 metres, but is now quite overgrown.

The earliest records to mention Bunkle Castle show it to be in the possession of Sir Alexander de Bonkyl in the 13th century. In 1288 his daughter, Margaret, married John Stewart, the son of Alexander Stewart, the 4th High Steward of Scotland, and Bunkle Castle passed into the Stewart family.

One of their grandsons, John Stewart of Bonkyll, son of Alexander Stewart of Bonkyll, would later become the 1st Earl of Angus in 1329. As a result of an illicit affair between Margaret Stewart, Countess of Angus and Mar, and her brother-in-law William Douglas, the 1st Earl of Douglas, in the 14th century, the Earldom of Angus passed to the Douglas family, as did Bunkle Castle.

In 1544 Bunkle Castle was destroyed by the Earl of Hertford during the Rough Wooing, and it is unclear whether or not it was ever rebuilt. The Douglas family owned various other castles and houses, so it is more than likely that they focused their attention elsewhere.

When Lady Lucy Montagu Douglas married Cospatrick Alexander Home, the 11th Earl of Home, in 1832, Bunkle Castle became the property of the Douglas-Home Earls of Home.

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Alternative names for Bunkle Castle

Bonckle; Boncle; Bonkil; Bonkyl; Bonkyll; Bounkill

Where is Bunkle Castle?

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

Grid reference: NT 8052 5965

Lat / long: 55.829736, -2.312457

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OS Map for Bunkle Castle

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


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Directions to Bunkle Castle

Enter a starting point

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Weather at Bunkle Castle

14°C
max 14°C / min 14°C
26km/h SW
1019mb
85%
100%
03:23 20:56

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Duns at 05:01

References (books)

The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Bunkle Castle

West Preston (site of)

2.6km away

East Preston (site of)

2.7km away

Broom House (site of)

3.0km away

Blackerstone (possible) (site of)

3.5km away

Cumledge (site of)

3.6km away

Cockburn Tower (site of)

3.6km away

Blanerne Castle

4.2km away

Billie Castle

4.5km away

Kilspindie Castle

5.2km away
more castles....

Ancient sites near Bunkle Castle

Edin's Hall broch and fort

3.3km away

Broomhouse Mains souterrain

3.4km away

Cockburn Law fort

4.0km away

Duns Law fort

5.4km away

The Chesters fort

7.9km away

Castle Dikes fort

10.5km away

Aytonlaw fort

10.7km away

The Chesters fort

20.4km away

Broxmouth (site of) fort

20.6km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Bunkle Castle

The Coves, Caiplie Class I symbols

50.5km away

Crail Class III cross-slab

52.0km away

Abercrombie 1 Class III cross slab

52.1km away

Abercrombie 2 Class III cross slab

52.1km away

Abercrombie 3 Class III cross slab

52.1km away

Abercrombie 4 Class III cross slab

52.1km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

56.3km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

56.3km away

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

57.2km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Bunkle Castle

Hoardweel silver chain

1.7km away

Traprain Law silver chain

26.9km away

Haddington silver chain

32.1km away

Whitlaw silver chain

32.7km away

Norrie's Law hoard

62.0km away

Borland silver chain

75.3km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

77.6km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

106.3km away

Dunnicaer fort

125.1km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Bunkle Castle

The Craw Inn
hotelReston
4.8km away
Pavilion Lodge, Duns Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
5.8km away
Bank House, Duns
self-catering apartmentDuns
6.0km away
Groom's Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
6.7km away
Keeper's Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
6.7km away
West Lodge, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
7.1km away
Garden Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
7.1km away
Allanton Inn
hotel, bar, restaurantDuns
8.1km away
SlowSheep@theLazyFox
bed and breakfastFoulden
12.5km away
The Wheatsheaf Restaurant With Rooms
hotelSwinton
12.5km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Bunkle Castle

Allanton Inn
hotel, bar, restaurantDuns
8.1km away
Hirsel Cottage Tea Room
caféColdstream
19.5km away
Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantColdstream
20.2km away
The Courtyard Restaurant, Floors Castle
café, restaurantKelso
26.6km away
The Terrace Café, Floors Castle
caféKelso
27.0km away
Smeaton Nursery Gardens & Tearoom
caféEast Linton
28.3km away
George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
36.3km away
Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barNorth Berwick
37.0km away
Ducks at Kilspindie House
hotel, restaurant, barAberlady
39.7km away
Gosford Bothy Farm Shop
caféAberlady
39.9km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Inveraray Castle and standing stone
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A doocot, a castle and a beach in East Lothian
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A pair of castles on the River Tweed
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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 3rd of April 2011 at 1:41 am. Updated on the 25th of August 2024 at 9:56 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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