📌 Bothwell, South Lanarkshire
★★★
🛠️ Site open with some access restrictions due to masonry work – reduced admission fee (checked July 2025)
Bothwell Castle is a red bricked ruin overlooking the River Clyde at Bothwell, about seven miles upstream from Glasgow. Built in the 13th century by the wealthy Moray family, the castle featured heavily in the Wars of Independence, passing between Scottish and English hands several times. Highlights include the enormous circular donjon, 14th century chapel and a prison tower. If you actually manage to visit all of them, consider yourself one of the lucky few: the property has recently suffered a seemingly neverending series of closures and part-closures due to masonry repairs.
🌍 Location
📌 Off Castle Avenue, 1 mi northwest of Bothwell village centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 688593
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.809462,-4.094771
🚌 Bus to Uddingston (1 mi) | 🚆 Blantyre or Uddingston (both 1 mi – the former via our walk route)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
⌚ Tuesday to Saturday, April to September; Saturday to Wednesday, October to March
🎫 £8.50 adult / £5 child / free for Historic Scotland members – discount for booking online
