Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle, sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located between Bothwell and Uddingston, about 10 miles south-east of Glasgow.
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Magnificent and charming ruined Castle on the banks of the River Clyde. The architecture of the Castle is absolutely fantastic with sandstone gleaming wonderfully and awesome sight when you first sight and also shows the Castle in its true magnificence. The size of the Castle is fairly small and also there are some access restrictions but do not let that put you off as the walk around the Castle on the inside is as good as the outside with plenty to learn about and see. There a couple of features that make the Castle stand out very well with the South East tower and Donjon one of the most impressive medieval strongholds being the best feature due to the fact that they are a very impressive sight. The South East Tower in particular is very similar to the ones at Caerlaverock Castle near Dumfries. There are is an interesting display about the role the Castle during the Wars of Independence and the attempts by the English to invade the Castle and how the Scottish fought back, which is very interesting and impressive to read about. On the display of the history of the Castle you can see some interesting and intriguing decorative masonry and also stone balls used in the battles of the Medieval times giving you a full idea of the hard times the Castle during this period and how it prevailed. There is also some very spectacular picturesque views of the River Clyde to enjoy and the riverside setting of the Castle makes it all the more picturesque and beautiful. There is a small gift shop at the site selling a nice range of souvenirs at reasonable prices. Overall this is a marvellous little place to visit and makes for an intriguing and interesting day out. Well worth a visit whilst in the...
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Bothwell Castle is sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire. It is located about 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Glasgow. 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. The castle was described by Scottish archaeologist William Douglas Simpson as one of the "foremost secular structures of the Middle Ages...
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Bothwell Castle has a small car park on site and a short walk to the Castle main entrance.
The grounds of the castle are spacious and good to walk or take a dog. Advised to keep an eye on small children as there are a few ditches and steep hills at the farther end of the castle grounds.
Some of the areas within the castles are currently not accessible due to ongoing maintenance.
There are a decent amount of displays and information to keep your interest. Some vaulted cells with interesting exhibitions.
Within the grounds, there are a few benches to sit and take in the surroundings. I did sit here for 40 minutes or so and enjoyed the peace and quiet.
There is an onside toilet and small gift shop too. Well...
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