Lochwood Tower (or Lochwood Castle), the seat of the Johstone Clan, lies a few miles southwest of Moffat in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. It is located in upper Annandale. Lochwood is situated in the Parish of Johnstone, which takes its name from (or gave its name to) Lochwood's owners. The name "Lochwood" is derived from a forest (wood) near an ancient lake (loch), which later became a bog known as Lochwood Moss. Parts of the forest still exist in the form of thousand-year-old oak trees (the "Royal Oaks") which grow adjacent to the Lochwood Tower site.
Today Lochwood is in an advanced state of ruin.Lochwood Castle is located about 3.5 miles south of Beattock just off the road from Lochmaben to Beattock. It was the residence of the Johnstone family of Annandale, from the 12th to early 18th Century. The L-plan tower was built in the 15th century, and part of it remains standing. The castle grounds has an ancient plantation and some of the trees are over 400 years old.The tower was captured and occupied by the English between 1547 to 1550. The English burned it as they left. In 1585 the tower was attacked and burnt down again by the Maxwells. By the late 17th century Lochwood was abandoned.
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