📌 Strathaven, South Lanarkshire
★
Strathaven Castle looks quite impressive when viewed from its northern side, from near Strathaven‘s town centre. There has been a castle here since the 13th century, on a part-natural, part-artificial mound surrounded on three sides by the Powmillon Burn. But this incarnation dates to the mid 1400s, built as an outpost for the Hamilton family. Get close up to the castle and it’s rather less substantial than at first appears. Only two walls remain following damage by lightning, storms and quarrying by locals; the ruins were also re-used as a marketplace and even a courthouse since abandonment in the 1700s. Watch out for the White Lady: the ghost of a lady of the house who was, legend has it, walled up inside a small chamber in the castle and left forever. Walkways along the burn (very slippery when wet) provide a scenic alternative approach route, accessed from Todshill Street.
🌍 Location
📌 Stonehouse Road (A71), Strathaven town centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 703444
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.676121,-4.063220
🚌 Bus to Strathaven
🚗 Street parking nearby
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open
🎫 Free
