Crawford Castle — Attraction in Scotland

Very historic castle ruin, access is difficult but here is a bit about the history of the place, Crawford Castle, substantially in ruins, is located on the north bank of the River Clyde, around half a mile north of Crawford, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The ruins stand on an earlier motte and bailey earthwork. The castle is also known as Lindsay Tower, after its former owners, the Lindsay family. The strategic location of the castle guards the strategically important Mennock Pass from England into the upper Clyde Valley.

Archaeological excavations to the north-west of the castle have shown that a Roman fort, with a garrison of perhaps 300, existed at this site between 80 AD and 170 AD.

This site was the administrative center for the Barony of Crawford, at that time the largest and most influential barony in southern Scotland. The Barony was established before 1100 when records of the period show Sveinn, son of Thor, as Lord of Crawford. From this line descended the surname of Crawford as the original occupants of the barony. Crawford Castle was in existence by 1175, and was probably built as an earthwork and timber castle some time before this by Sveinn's father Thor, sheriff of Edinburghshire, or indeed by Thor's father Sveinn.

The Lindsay family inherited the barony of Crawford when William Lindsay married ca. 1154 the younger daughter of Thor, sheriff of Edinburghshire, and granddaughter of Sveinn, Lord of Crawford. Following the death of Thor in about 1165, it was probably William Lindsay who built the stone castle in 1175. He is recorded as Lord of Crawford by 1190. Crawford Castle is located in Crawford Parish. From an early date, the Clan Carmichael of Meadowflat acted as hereditary constables of the castle, retaining this post under successive owners.

In 1398, Robert II granted the title of Earl of Crawford to David Lindsay, who had won great praise on St George’s Day, 23 April 1390 for bravery in a duel with the Englishman Baron Welles on London Bridge after Welles, at a banquet in Edinburgh, and presumably after too much alcohol issued, as Champion of England, the challenge: "Let words have no place; if ye know not the Chivalry and Valiant deeds of Englishmen; appoint me a day and a place where ye list, and ye shall have experience."

At the accession of James IV in 1488 the barony of Crawford was transferred to Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus for supporting his father, James III, against the young prince's rebellion. The Earls of Angus held the castle until 1578, when their estates were forfeited by the young James V. James used Crawford as a hunting lodge until his own death in 1542. His mistress, Elizabeth Carmichael, was the daughter of the hereditary constable.

After 1542 the barony was returned to the Earls of Angus, the keepership of the Carmichaels of Meadowflat coming to an end in 1595. In 1633 the 11th earl was created Marquess of Douglas, and the castle was probably rebuilt after this date. The castle then passed to the Duke of Hamilton, before being sold to Sir George Colebrooke in the 18th century. After a period of use as a farmhouse, the building was abandoned at the end of the 18th century, and much of the stone reused to build the present Crawford Castle Farm. Four stone tablets bearing coats of arms, one with the date 1648, are built into the west and south walls of the Castle...

In August my wife, son, and I took a trip to Scotland. Being a Crawford descendant this had been on my list to visit for a while now. We were not disappointed. If you’re a fan of medieval history and know or care anything about early fortifications it is amazing. The original earthen construction was evident, and the view over the River Clyde was commanding. Simply beautiful as well. I’m not really sure how much of the ruins that are still standing were constructed by the orig. Crawfords or by the later occupants (i.e. Lindsays, etc.), but it was definitely magical being there to us. The site is a must visit for anyone connected to the Crawford family. There’s just something about being on land that ancestors walked around 800 years ago. There are more impressive castles/ruins in Scotland, but none that were more impactful to me and my son. My wife also thoroughly enjoyed visiting the site, and she has no Crawford ancestors that we are aware of.

It’s definitely off the beaten path, in that there’s not much of note other than scenic beauty around the village of Crawford or general vicinity. However, it was extremely easy to find and get to. We visited Hadrian’s Wall near Carlisle in England, and then aimed for Crawford on our way back to Glasgow. An easy day trip by car looping from and...

This is very much a minor ruin - overgrown by nettles, in the middle of a field. But it is an interesting one for a quick one-off visit. It's lovely being able to poke around freely in a ruin of this size and importance, without restriction or fencing. It can be accessed by the gate to the field, slightly further down the road. The nettles really are huge. But you can look around the (rather unsafe looking) ruins in freedom. It's a dramatic, atmospheric place: cold, because if the altitude, and still echoing to the source of the crows that probably gave the...