Lochhouse Tower may have been built about 1535 and it was certainly occupied by John Johnstone of Corehead when he died in 1562. John’s will included large quantities of farm produce and a hoard of gold and silver in a coffer in Lochhouse, worth £200 (about £55,000 in today’s money).
In 1568 Lochhouse was occupied by the Regent Murray following the defeat of Mary Queen of Scots at the Battle of Langside. In 1743 Lochhouse and Coates Hill, together with the farms of Dyke and Barnhill became part of the of the Queensberry estate before Lochhouse itself was acquired by Sir William Younger in 1879. At this time the estate of Lochhouse included the tower and about 28 acres of land. In November 1892 Sir William offered the estate to Moffat Town Council for use as a loch and pleasure ground. This offer was at first accepted by the ratepayers of Moffat but opposition grew and Sir William finally withdrew his offer in May 1894.
The tower sits on a slight knoll and the tower was protected on two sides by a loch until it was drained in the early part of the 19th century. The tower is oblong in plan and measures 11 by 8.3 metres with walls which are 1.6 metres thick at the base. The ground floor is vaulted, and provided with shot-holes. This floor could be used either as a refuge for cattle or for stores. On the first floor is the hall which measures 8.2 by 5 metres and has a window in each wall. The second floor was probably all in one apartment, like the hall, and would have been the private room of the proprietor. Above this was a parapet walk supported on corbels and rounded at the angles, but without angle turrets. There was also an attic floor, probably used by some of the family or retainers.
The tower was restored to residential use during the 1980s and the dwelling is now arranged on four floors.
You can find more information by following this external link https://canmore.org.uk/site/48378/lochhouse-tower