Craignethan Castle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Craignethan Castle
Crossford, South Lanarkshire in  Scotland
View of the castle from the west
Craignethan Castle Location within South Lanarkshire
Coordinates	55°41′48″N 3°53′07″W / 55.69656°N 3.88532°W / 55.69656; -3.88532
Site information
Owner	Historic Environment Scotland
Site history
Built	16th century
Built by	James Hamilton of Finnart
Materials	Stone

Craignethan Castle is a ruined castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It sits high above the River Nethan. This river is a small branch of the bigger River Clyde. The castle is about two miles west of Crossford. It is also 4.5 miles north-west of Lanark.

This amazing castle was built in the early 1500s. Craignethan is known as a great example of a strong fort. It was built to defend against powerful cannons. Luckily, its strong walls were never fully tested in a real battle.

History of Craignethan Castle

The land where Craignethan Castle stands was once called Draffane. It belonged to the Black Douglases family. But they lost their lands in 1455. The land was then given to the Hamilton family. In 1530, James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran gave it to his son, James Hamilton of Finnart.

Who Built Craignethan Castle?

James Hamilton of Finnart had traveled a lot in Europe. He became a very skilled architect and military engineer. He was even the King's Master of Works. This meant he was in charge of building important royal structures. He helped build defenses at Blackness Castle. He also designed beautiful parts of Linlithgow Palace.

At Craignethan, Finnart wanted to show off his skills. He planned to build a "showcase" castle. It would display his talent in both home design and military defense.

The Castle Changes Hands

Despite his royal connections, Finnart was accused of treason. He was executed in 1540. His properties, including Craignethan, were taken by the King. King James V put soldiers in the castle. He even took some silver from the castle's chapel. He had it engraved with his baby son's royal symbols.

Just two years later, the Hamilton family got Craignethan Castle back. This was thanks to the 2nd Earl of Arran. He added a large outer courtyard to the castle. The Earl of Arran became a Duke after Mary, Queen of Scots married the French Dauphin. He was also a regent, meaning he ruled Scotland when Mary was a baby.

However, Arran later disagreed with Mary's second marriage. He had to give up his castles, Craignethan and Cadzow.

Mary, Queen of Scots and the Hamiltons

Things changed again when Mary gave up her throne. Arran helped her escape from Loch Leven Castle. He then got his castles back. Mary herself came to Craignethan for safety.

It is said that Arran's son, Lord Claud Hamilton, hosted Mary at Craignethan. This was the night before the Battle of Langside in 1568. In this battle, the Hamiltons fought against Regent Moray's forces. The Hamiltons lost, and Mary had to flee to England.

Craignethan and Cadzow castles were given up again. Regent Moray came to the castle himself to take the keys. Lord Claud tried to get the castle back by force later that year. His brother, Lord John, tried to starve out Moray's soldiers. The Hamiltons finally got the castle back by March.

Later Conflicts and Damage

Fighting continued between the Hamiltons and Mary's opponents. In 1570, Regent Moray was shot in Linlithgow. An English army came to help in the civil war. The Hamiltons went to Craignethan for safety. The English Earl of Sussex was told about Craignethan's weaknesses. He said it was strong but "situate in a hole." This meant it could be attacked from higher ground.

A peace treaty was signed in 1573. But by 1579, the Hamiltons were declared outlaws. Lord Claud fled to France. Soldiers were sent to capture Craignethan and Cadzow. Both castles surrendered in May 1579.

The Hamiltons' older brother, the 3rd Earl of Arran, had been held at Craignethan since 1575. He, his younger brother David, and their mother were captured. They were taken to Linlithgow. Six Hamilton soldiers who defended the castles were put on trial.

By royal order, Craignethan was slighted. This means parts of it were deliberately destroyed. The north-west tower and the huge west wall were pulled down. This made the castle much harder to defend.

New Owners and Restoration

The Hamiltons eventually got Craignethan back. But Duchess Anne sold it in 1659. The new owner, Andrew Hay, built a two-story house in the outer courtyard.

In 1730, Craignethan was sold to Archibald Douglas, Duke of Douglas. The castle later passed to the Earls of Home. The 12th Earl helped to make the ruins stable in the late 1800s. In 1949, the 14th Earl gave the property to the state. Today, it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This means it is a protected historical site. Historic Environment Scotland now looks after it.

Castle Architecture

Craignethan Castle is built on an impressive spot. It overlooks a bend in the River Nethan. Steep slopes protect the castle on three sides. But higher ground to the west actually overlooks the castle. This made it more vulnerable than it looked. So, Craignethan's defenses are strongest on the west side.

The castle has a low central keep. This is like the main tower. It is inside a rectangular walled courtyard. To the west, there is a deep ditch. Beyond that is a larger outer courtyard. Experts say Craignethan was the last private castle built in Scotland with such strong defenses.

The Keep: Main Tower

The main tower, or keep, is 21 meters long and 16 meters wide. It once had two main floors plus an attic. The attic and roof are now gone. But the walls still stand tall. They have decorative stone supports for a walkway. Round towers called bartizans are at each corner. Special openings called machicolations protected the door.

Inside, the keep is different from most tower houses. The entrance leads into a large stair lobby. This is on the main hall floor. Usually, the hall was on the first floor. Below this are underground rooms. These include four cellars, a prison, and a well. You could get to them from the main entrance or the kitchen.

The keep is divided by a wall running from west to east. The main hall is on the ground floor, south of this wall. It is 6 meters by 12 meters. The hall had three large windows. A fireplace was in the inner wall. A minstrel's gallery looked down from the west wall. The hall had a stone vaulted ceiling. It filled the whole height of the keep. North of the inner wall were the kitchen and a private room. Above these were two more rooms. Four more rooms were in the attic. The roof had a double gable shape.

Inner Courtyard: Strong Walls

The inner courtyard is 49 meters by 25 meters. Its walls were made stronger with rectangular towers at each corner. The entrance was through a gate tower on the north wall. The west wall was built to withstand cannon fire. It was up to 5 meters thick! This wall was destroyed in the late 1500s. Only its foundations remain. It is thought this wall was as tall as the low keep. This would have protected the keep from attacks from the higher ground to the west.

The south-east tower was the largest. It is the only one still standing. It is known as the "Kitchen Tower." But it might have held the castle's chapel. It has three stories. The lowest is an underground vaulted room. Openings for guns are in the upper parts. These overlooked the eastern side of the castle. Each of the four towers had space for storage. They also had extra rooms for guests.

The original castle's defenses included a ditch. It was 3.5 meters deep and 9 meters wide. This ditch was at the base of the west wall. A drawbridge once crossed it. The ditch was filled in when the castle was damaged. It was dug out again in the 1960s.

An unusual feature was found in the ditch: a caponier. This is very rare in Scottish castles. The caponier was a covered tunnel. It had gunports looking over the ditch. This allowed defenders to shoot at attackers trying to cross. The only other known caponiers in Scotland are at Blackness Castle. This castle was also designed by James Hamilton of Finnart. Another is at Stirling Castle.

Outer Courtyard: Later Additions

The outer courtyard was not as strongly defended as the inner one. It was added in the 1540s by the 2nd Earl of Arran. This court would have had service buildings around its edges. There might have been gardens in the center.

There are towers at the two western corners. The north-west tower included a dovecot, a place for pigeons. The south-west tower was part of Andrew Hay's House. This was the two-story home built by Andrew Hay in 1665. Gun openings are along the west wall. The main gate is halfway along this wall.

Craignethan Castle in 2018

Craignethan and Walter Scott

In 1799, the famous writer Walter Scott visited Bothwell Castle. He was a guest of Archibald Lord Douglas. One morning, he visited Craignethan Castle. He loved the place so much that his hosts offered him a special deal. He could use Andrew Hay's house for the rest of his life. Scott thought about it, but he never ended up living there.

Scott's novel Old Mortality was published in 1816. Much of the story takes place around a fictional castle called Tillietudlem. In his book, Scott described Tillietudlem Castle. He said it stood on a steep bank where a brook met the Clyde River.

In 1829, Scott wrote to his friend James Skene. Skene was making pictures for Scott's books. Scott said he didn't think of Craignethan when writing about Tillietudlem. He felt Craignethan was different in some ways. But he agreed that the public thought it was very similar to his fictional castle.

In a later edition of Old Mortality (1830), Scott added a note. He wrote that Tillietudlem Castle was imaginary. But he said the ruins of Craignethan Castle were very much like his description. Craignethan is on the Nethan River, about three miles from where it joins the Clyde.

Because of its link to Scott's novel, Craignethan Castle became a popular place to visit. In 1876, Tillietudlem railway station was built nearby. An 1880 travel guide said the station was "but a short walk from the castle." A small group of houses was built near the station. This area later became the small village of Tillietudlem.