posted 05-25-2001 03:38 PM           

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posted 05-29-2001 09:21 AM           

CASTLEHILL (*)
North Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS64 NS788534
1 mile south of A721, at or close to Castlehill Farm, Gowkthrapple
Road, Wishaw.
The Lockharts of Castlehill built Cambusnethan house in 1820 to replace
their 17th C tower at Castlehill. The old house had burnt down in 1810.

CLEGHORN CASTLE (*)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 NS898461?
2 miles north of Lanark, on minor roads west of A706, just south of
railway, and north of Mouse Water.
Cleghorn House was a mansion which incorporated part of a castle.
It latterly belonged to the Lockharts, but was demolished in the 20th
century.

COVINGTON CASTLE (**)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or Site, OS72 NS975399
6 miles east and south of Lanark, 2 miles north of Thankerton, on
minor roads north of A73, just north of Covington.
Set on dry ground within what was once marshland, and surrounded by
the complex and extensive ditches of its timber predecessor, Covington
Castle or Tower is a ruinous 15th century tower house. There is a ruined
16th century circular doocote of 500 boxes a few yards away. This probably
stood at one corner of a courtyard with gardens. A short section of the
linking wall remains. The village retains the classic mediaeval grouping of
castle and church.
The upper floors and parapet have long since gone, though it was
probably a four storey structure and measures approx. 47ft by 38ft. Built
upon walls 11ft thick, there were numerous slot windows, with slightly
larger examples lighting the upper apartments.
The ground floor was vaulted and had a loft. There remains a stone
sink and conduit drain within an aumbry in the west wall. There was probably
a well, long since blocked. Entry from the courtyard was via a door
centrally placed in north side, and from this a short straight stair led to
a turnpike and the floor above.
The hall utilised the whole of the first floor, and had large
window recesses with stone seats and dressed ashlar arches. The fireplace
was in the east wall, with mural chambers either side. Above these,
additional long slot windows improved the lighting. A pit prison is built
within the walls.
The ditches may represent the remains of the 'villa Colbani', the
early moated manor house of the Flemish/Norman lord Colbin and his son
Merevin.
Covington was granted by Robert the Bruce to the Keiths, Earls
Marshal. The Lindsays gained the estate in 1368, and built the tower in
1442. In 1679 they sold it to Sir George Lockhart, President of the Court of
Session.

CRAIGLOCKHART CASTLE (*)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 NS875450
0.5 miles north west of Lanark, above the gorge of the Mouse Water,
on minor roads and by foot north of the A73, 1 mile east of Cartland.
A fort here is now thought to have had mediaeval origins, and it
is certainly close to the site of Craiglockhart Castle.
It was a property of the Lockharts of The Lee, and in 1900 was
described as ' a ruined lofty picturesque tower'.
An early castle here was held by William Wallace prior to an
attack on Lanark. He is said to have hidden in a cave within the Mouse Water
Gorge to the east after killing Hazelrigg, the English Sheriff of Lanark.
Wallaces Cave is now inaccessible but lies just to the north of Telford's
Cartland Bridge. The nearby village of Cartland is of Mediaeval origin.
Other references; Castle Qua, Qua Castle.
DUNSYRE CASTLE (*)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 073482?.
At or near Dunsyre, 6M east of Carnwath, on minor roads north
of A721 at Newbigging, east of A702 north of Dolphinton.
Near the parish church stood a 3-storey tower with
vaulted basement and mural turnpike stair.
William de Newbygging held the lands until granted to the
Douglasses in 1368. In 1444 they gave a half portion of the property to
Hepburn of Hailes, later Earl of Bothwell, who exchanged the remainder for
Hermitage Castle in Liddesdale in 1492. This amongst many other properties
which changed hands in a deal which saw the Douglasses regain Bothwell, and
increase the Hepburns landholding in an area where he already held
Elsrickle, Dolphinton and Walston. Dunsyre later passed to the Lockharts of
The Lee. It was the seat of the Barony and courts were still held there
until 1740 despite its ruinous state, at which time it retained its
'instruments of torture'. Of eight other towers in the parish mentioned in
'Castles of Scotland', one reference states that four were sited at Hills,
Torbrex, Westhall, & Todholes, whilst elsewhere stating that one stood at
Todholes, two at Westhall, and five at Easter Saxon. Orther sites within the
parish are at Weston, Walston, Westhall, Torbrex, Elsrickle, Dolphinton,
Dunsyre, Hills, Ogs Castle, Todholes and Edmonston.
HALLBAR TOWER(***)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 NS839471
2 miles south west of Carluke and 0.5 miles south west of
Braidwood, on minor road north of B7056.
Commanding a hilltop site above the Fiddler's Burn, Hallbar is a
semi ruinous tower of the 16th century which is often attributed origins as
ancient as the 11th century. A courtyard once measured 93ft by 40ft, with
walls 4ft thick. The tower has four storeys and a garret over walls 5ft
thick. Each floor consists of a single room. The garret is gable ended and
is flanked on the east and west sides by crennelated parapets with walks
supported on corbels. There is square caphouse in the south eastern corner.
Although it has lost it's courtyard it does retain a few unusual features.
Square in plan, each side measuring 24.75ft, the entrance is
centrally placed on the southern wall atypically ground floor level. This
door gives entry to a vaulted chamber. Light is provided by an arrow slot in
the north wall.
From the door a steep straight stair rises eastward within the
wall to reach first floor level at the south eastern corner of the building.
From here a mural corridor leads northward in the eastern wall to its
midpoint. Doors open to the hall on the left, and right to the exterior once
accessing a wall walk around the perimeter wall.
The hall measures 14ft square, and has the only fireplace in the
house. This sits on the northern wall in the north east corner. Light is
provided by a single window in the south wall, which enhances the defence of
the main door below. A mural chamber was accessed by a short stair in the
south west.
A similar straight mural stair rises from the doors in the eastern
wall to enter the second floor room from the north east corner. This floor
had a second hall, with garderobe in the south western corner. This
projected on the exterior on corbels, and may have doubled as a
macholination.
From the north west corner another straight stair rose southwards
in the western wall to the third floor bedroom. The door was set along the
south wall, a mural corridor having wound around the south west corner. The
stair continued to the garret room from this door.
At the stair head was a slot window. Within the bedroom a deep
window recess provided further space. This floor was vaulted to support the
weight of the stone flagged garret and roof.
At roof level the stair terminates in the caphouse, which once had
a pyrimidical roof. A door gives access to the eastern battlement, and
midway along this a door opens into the garret room. The western battlement
is entered by a door midway down that side of the room. Central in the south
wall, a small oriel window projects to the exterior and was supported on
macholinated corbels. On the exterior north gable nesting boxes for a
doocote are built into the wall itself. The walls of the doocote and a
service walkway were supported on projecting timbers. Access to the walkway
was via a door from the north east corner of the garret. This walkway may
also have had a defensive function.
Hallbar was the stronghold of the important Barony of Braidwood.
This was a property of the Earls of Douglas, acquired in 1581 by the
Stewarts of Gogar. Harie Stewart was the brother of the infamous Earl of
Arran, James Stewart who was Chancellor to James 6th. It passed to his main
rival, Maitland of Thirlestane, who developed his own notoriety. The
Douglasses briefly regained the property before selling to the Lockharts of
The Lee, on whose property it remains. The tower fell into ruin following
the building of Braidwood House, a more modern mansion, nearby.

HILLS CASTLE(*)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 NT049481?
At or near East Hills, 4M NE of A721 at Newbigging, off minor roads.
Site of a tower house. In 1299 the lands were granted to Allan de
Denume, before passing to Baillie of Lamington, then the Hamiltons, and
finally the Lockharts.

KIRKTON OF CARLUKE (*)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 NS844502
0.25 miles west of Carluke, close to railway station, on minor
roads west of A73.
This mansion was demolished in the mid-20th century. It had as its
core an altered 3 storey tower house. The older section had a projecting
tower with narrow turnpike stair. It had replacement windows and a new roof.
There was a vaulted basement and the hall was as usual on the first floor.
It was a property of Weir of Stonebyres, but passed in 1662 to
the Lockharts of The Lee.
Other references; Carluke.
THE LEE(*)
South Lanarkshire
Private, OS72 NS854465
2.5 miles north west of Lanark, on minor roads south of A73, north
of the Auchenglen Burn, at Lee Castle.
The Lee is a 19th century mansion, and possibly includes parts of an
earlier castle of the Lockharts.
The family held the lands from as early as the 12th century, and
legend asserts that they gained their name because Sir Simon Lockhart
carried the key to the casket containing the Bruce's heart when Sir James
Douglas carried on crusade. However the family were already known as Loccard
in the 12th century when another Simon and his brother Tancard, gave their
name to the villages of Symington and Thankerton.
'The Lee Penny' is a healing amulet, consisting of a dark red
gemstone set within a shilling. It was acquired by a member of the family
whilst on crusade. It is said to heal bleeding, fever, animal ailments, and
the bites of mad dogs and Englishmen.
Alan Lockhart of The Lee was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in
1547, and George Lockhart of The Lee was an ardent Jacobite. The property
passed from the family in the 20th century.
Other references; Lee Castle.
TORBREX CASTLE(*)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 NT027552
Off minor roads west of A70, 7 miles north of Carnwath, at or
near Torbrex.
Site of a castle of the Somervilles, which passed to Lockhart of Cleghorn
by 1649.
TWEEDIE CASTLE(*)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS NS727427
1.5 miles south east of Strathaven, 0.5 miles east of Sandford,
north of Kyle Water, at or near Tweediehill.
Site of a castle, said to be occupied by the present farm. It was a
property of the Hamiltons of Silvertonhill, who built Newton House at
Cambuslang, in 1602. Tweedie had passed to the Lockharts of Castlehill by
1900.
Other references Silvertonhill, Tweediehill.
WAYGATESHAW HOUSE(***)
South Lanarkshire
Private, OS72 NS825484
4.5 miles north west of Lanark, and 2 miles west of Carluke, on minor
roads north of B7056 and west of A73, on east bank of River Clyde, at
Waygateshaw.
Waygateshaw house is a 16th century courtyard castle, consisting of
a 16th century tower house with 17th century wing. It has a modern block and
a 12ft wall which encloses the fourth side of a small courtyard. The
entrance to the yard is through a moulded arched gateway which is guarded by
gunloops. This was decorated above by a pair of carved animals, not unlike
large dogs.
The tower house is rectangular, of three storeys and with a small
stair wing. There was probably a parapet above with garret, though these
have gone. It now has a modern roof. The walls have gunloops, one guarding
the entrance to the yard, another in the northern wall, and another guarding
the entrance in the re-entrant. There are a few small windows. The basement
is vaulted and consists of two chambers. In the wing a particularly steep
turnpike stair reaches all floors. The hall is vaulted, and as usual is on
the first floor. Above this the room has been rebuilt to form a garret,
lower than the original, though the original fireplace has been remodelled
to form a window.
The extension of the 17th century is of three storeys and a garret.
There is no vaulting in this building, and an original fireplace survives on
the second floor.
This was a property of the Murrays of Touchadam, though passed to
the Lockharts in 1539. Stephen Lockhart was indicted in the murder of Henry
Lord Darnley in 1572. The family were forfeited for taking part in the
Pentland rising of 1666, but later regained the estate. It was sold to the
Weirs in 1720, and then passed to the Steel family. It has been restored and
is occupied.

WESTHALL TOWER(**)
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 NT048473.
5 miles east of Carnwath , on minor roads north and east of the
A721 from Newbigging, 0.5 miles east of Weston, at Westhall.
Only the once vaulted basement remains of a 16th century L-plan
tower possibly built by the Graham's who acquired the lands in 1477. It
later passed to the Hepburns, Douglasses, and the Lockharts. It was one of a
series of 9 towers within Dunsyre Parish, two of which apparently stood at
Westhall, though the second was more probably at Weston.

WESTSHIELD(*
South Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS72 NS946494
5 miles north east of Lanark, on minor roads north of A70, east
of A706, west of B7016, just north of Mouse Water at Westshield.
Westshield was a rectangular 16th century keep, extended by two
17th century gabled wings and a square stair tower in the re-entrant.
Additional low wings were added though later partly removed.
The keep represented the eastern portion of the main block,
extended length-wise by one extension, whilst the other lay at right angles
along the east gable created an L-Plan. All had corbiestepped gables, and
enlarged moulded windows.
The original keep was built of rubble, and had four storeys and
a garret. It may originally have had a parapet and wall walk, though in
keeping with the extensions, the roof extended to the wall head providing
eaves. The wallhead was decorated by a cornice and there were a variety of
chimney stacks with string coursing. The ground floor consisted of three
vaulted chambers, and an unvaulted room within the extension to the west. A
turnpike stair within the stair wing rose from the entrance at the foot to
all floors. On the first floor of the keep, the hall occupied the entire
floor. Bedrooms and private rooms utilised the floors above.
A poor example of a heraldic panel displayed the arms of Denholm,
the family who built the castle. It passed to the Lockharts of The Lee in
the 17th century. The property was demolished in the 1990's.

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'Demeure par la verite'
Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page