Bothwell Castle

Bothwell, United Kingdom

Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle, sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan Murray, to guard a strategic crossing point of the Clyde. Bothwell played a key role in Scotland's Wars of Independence, changing hands several times.

The huge cylindrical donjon was built in the 13th century, but before the rest of the castle was completed it was severely damaged in a series of sieges. Rebuilding in the early 15th century enlarged the castle, but it was abandoned by the 18th century. The present ruin is rectangular, with the remains of the donjon to the west, and the later Great Hall to the east. The courtyard is enclosed by long curtain walls, with round towers at the south-east and south-west corners.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Castle Avenue, Bothwell, United Kingdom

See all sites in Bothwell

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

www.historicenvironment.scot
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Hamilton Mausoleum (4,9 km)

Gallery of Modern Art (11,3 km)
Glasgow Cathedral (10,5 km)
Paisley Abbey (20,7 km)
Stirling Castle (36,1 km)
St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art (10,6 km)
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (13,9 km)
Argyll's Lodging (36 km)
Riverside Museum (14,6 km)
Provand's Lordship (10,6 km)

User Reviews

Chris De Rosa (2 years ago)
Bothwell Castle is in a beautiful location and the grounds are very much enjoyed on a sunny day. Unfortunately, at the moment, the actual castle is closed until further notice due to unsafe masonry and is surrounded by ugly fencing to keep people out. Very sad and disappointing ?

Nicola (2 years ago)
Lovely walk around the castle grounds , also different paths can be taken along water etc .

Rob Croydon (2 years ago)
We walked from Livingstone’s birthplace in Blantyre up towards Blantyre Priory ruins and we had great views of Bothwell Castle from the opposite bank of the River Clyde. Great views of the castle but walking boots needed as the paths were quite steep in places and muddy.

Michał Niezgoda (2 years ago)
Wonderful building. We only walked around the outside area but it still made a big impression on us.

darren m (3 years ago)
Stunning castle sitting next to the river clyde. Quite alot remains considering it was besieged 6 times. Well worth the visit and some nice walks along the river as well.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

Historic Site of the week

Visby Cathedral

Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.