Bow Castle (grid referenceNT46134171) stands on level ground on the edge of a steep slope southwest of the valley of the Gala Water.[2] The broch has a wall 4.1 metres thick, enclosing an area 9.7 metres in diameter.[2]
It was excavated in 1890 when pottery, including some 2nd-century Roman amphora fragments, were found.[2] In 1922 a 2nd-century Roman enamelled bronze brooch in the form of a cockerel was found among the ruins of the wall.[2]
Information concerning the dating and use of the broch is limited due to the lack of modern excavations.[2] However, Torwoodlee Broch, two miles to the north, was built and destroyed during the Roman occupations of southern Scotland and it is likely that Bow Castle shared a similar history.[2]