📌 Douglas, South Lanarkshire
★★
🛠️ Site closed for masonry work (checked April 2024)
St Bride’s Church is the partially ruined, former parish church of Douglas, set just off the Main Street of this quiet Lanarkshire village. The intact choir is now a mausoleum for the powerful, local “Black” Douglas family of the early 1300s: supporters of Robert the Bruce and purported perpetrators of some particularly gruesome attacks on English soldiers. Three of the earls’ tombs carved into recesses are particularly fine. On top of the church is believed to be the oldest (working) tower clock in Scotland, with painted numbers clearly showing the construction date of 1565. It strikes the hour three minutes ahead of time, reflecting the Douglas clan motto, “Jamais Arriere”, or “never behind”.
🌍 Location
📌 Main Street, Douglas village centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 836310
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.558410,-3.847017
🚌 Bus to Douglas
🚗 Street parking
📝 Key info
⌚ Daily, April to September; Saturday to Wednesday, October to March – sign on gate describes where to collect the key
🎫 Free
