Tour Scotland short 4K Autumn travel video of a Scotsman wearing a kilt and Sporran and walking by trees and Motte of Urr on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit and trip to Dumfries and Galloway, Britain, United Kingdom. Often spelled Mote of Urr it is the most extensive and best preserved earthwork Anglo Norman motte and bailey castle in Scotland. Located near the village of Haugh of Urr on the west bank of the River Urr. It stands as a monumental physical reminder of the medieval Scottish crown's efforts to consolidate power over the independently minded region of Galloway. Around 1165, King William I of Scotland granted the lands of Urr to Walter de Berkeley, who served as the royal chamberlain. The creation of the castle was part of a strategic, state sponsored effort to force independent local Celtic lordships under the central authority of the Scottish kingdom. The stronghold functioned as a regional administrative hub for dispensing justice, raising armies, and collecting taxes. Walter de Berkeley constructed a classic motte-and-bailey design. This involved building a massive, steep, man-made mound of earth, the motte, topped by a wooden defensive tower, which sat inside a larger lower courtyard, the bailey, protected by wide ditches and timber palisade fencing. In 1174, a major rebellion erupted in Galloway. and the early timber castle was completely destroyed by fire during this unrest. Following the rebellion's suppression, the castle was heavily fortified. The height of the earthen motte was significantly increased, strengthened by a clay bank, and a central stone lined pit was dug into the mound to act as a beacon or defensive kiln. Before 1200, the estate and castle passed to the prominent Balliol family. While they founded a newer stone castle nearby at Buittle, the Motte of Urr remained occupied and active as a secondary site. Control of the castle shifted rapidly during the Scottish Independence conflicts. Inherited by Ingram de Umfraville, it was forfeited and handed to the English noble Henry Percy by King Edward I of England in 1296. The site was permanently abandoned following the aggressive 1307–1308 Galloway military campaign led by Robert the Bruce and his brother Edward Bruce. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. Meteorological Autumn or Fall is different from standard and astronomical Autumn and begins September 1 and ends November 30
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