Things to do in Glasgow and the Clyde

Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, about 10 miles south-east of Glasgow. It is built on a steep bank above the River Clyde, between Uddingston and Bothwell Construction began in the 13the century by the ancestors of Clan Murray. It is now a large rectangular ruin, with a large circular Donjon (central tower) at the west end and the Great Hall to the east side of the rectangular central courtyard. The castle is surrounded by long curtain walls. It is now managed by Historic Scotland, and is open to the public In 1296, the army of King Edward I of England invaded Scotland and captured Bothwell Castle. The English forces holding the castle was besieged by the Scots for over a year and eventually surrendered. Edward's army returned in 1301 and captured the castle again using siege engines. Bothwell Castle remained in English hands for several years. After Robert the Bruce's victory at Bannockburn in 1314, the castle provided shelter for several English nobles. The castle was surrendered to the Scots who destroyed it. In 1336 the English returned again, under Edward III who had the castle repaired, and again made it his headquarters in Scotland. The following year, Sir Andrew Murray, the rightful owner of the castle recaptured it once more. He partly demolished it and so it could not be reoccupied by the enemy. The castle remained derelict until the 1360s when it was rebuilt by the Douglas family. The Great Hall was added in the 15th century. The castle was finally abandoned in the 18th century.

Cadzow Castle is a romantic ruin in the Hamilton High Parks above a gorge of the River Avon in South Lanarkshire, a stronghold of the powerful Hamilton family that served as a rallying point for Mary Queen of Scots following her abdication before being destroyed in 1579 by Regent Moray's forces. The ruins of the great rectangular tower and courtyard walls are engulfed by the ancient oak woodland of the High Parks, creating one of the most atmospherically beautiful castle settings in Lanarkshire. The High Parks are also home to the White Cattle of Cadzow, a small herd of primitive semi-wild cattle that have grazed this landscape for centuries and are among the last survivors of the ancient wild cattle of Britain, making Hamilton High Parks one of the most distinctive heritage landscapes in Lanarkshire.

Castle Levan is a ruined fifteenth-century tower house at Gourock in Inverclyde, associated with the Mortons of Cardwell who held lands in this part of Renfrewshire throughout the later medieval period. The castle occupies a hillside position with views over the Firth of Clyde toward Dunoon and the Cowal peninsula. The ruins stand to several storeys in places within a residential area on the hillside above Gourock and are accessible to the public, providing a fragment of medieval heritage within the modern suburban landscape. Gourock is a residential town and ferry port at the mouth of the Clyde, providing connections to Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula. The wider Inverclyde area has a strong industrial heritage associated with shipbuilding, sugar refining and maritime trade.

Craigend Castle is a ruined country house built as a Regency Gothic mansion, located to the north of Milngavie, in East Dunbartonshire, central Scotland. The grounds are now part of Mugdock Country Park. The stable block, located to the north of the house serves as the country park visitor centre. The lands of Craigend were part of the Barony of Mugdock in medieval times. The estate was sold in the mid-17th century to the Smith family. John Smith (1724-1812) was born at Craigend and became a merchant and founded the booksellers John Smith & Son. John Smith built a plain house on the estate, but after his death his son, James Smith, incorporated that house in a much more ornate mansion. Glasgow businessman William Wilson and his son opened a zoo at Craigend in 1949 with various exotic animals. It failed and closed in 1954.

Craignethan Castle is a ruined castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on a bluff above the River Nethan two miles west of the village of Crossford, and 4.5 miles north-west of Lanark. Craignethan Castle was built in 1532 and was the last purpose-built fortress to be constructed in Scotland. The castle is protected by steep slopes on the south, north and east sides, with defences concentrated towards the west. The castle has a low central keep, within a rectangular walled courtyard. To the west there is a deep ditch beyond which is a larger outer courtyard. Craignethan Castle was built by Sir James Hamilton in 1532. Hamilton was executed for treason and Craignethan passed to the Crown. It was acquired in 1542 by another James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran. Hamilton and his family led the forces supporting Mary Queen of Scots claim to the Scottish Crown. The Earl of Moray had briefly captured Craignethan Castle in 1568 after Mary's defeat at the Battle of Langside, but lost it to the Hamiltons again later the same year. In July 1570 and again in 1571 the Hamiltons launched abortive military coups from their bases at Craignethan Castle and Hamilton Castle. In May 1579, James VI supporters moved against Craignethan Castle and it was abandoned without a fight. In the 1580s the main defences were demolished. The tower house remained in use as a family residence, until 1665. In 1730 Craignethan was sold to the Duke of Douglas. In the late 19th century and the property was given into state care in 1949, and is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument managed by Historic Scotland. The Arts Craignethan Castle is said to be the inspiration for "Tillietudlem Castle", in Sir Walter Scott's novel, Old Mortality

Douglas Castle. These ruins are also known as Castle Dangerous (after being immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's Novel of the same name) and lie in beautiful parkland east of Douglas. Most of the ruins were demolished because of Subsidence in the 1940's but this castle was once home to the Black Douglas family and has a long and bloody history.

Duchal Castle near Kilmacolm in Inverclyde is a ruined medieval castle on a rocky promontory above the Water of Gryfe, the seat of the Lyle family and subsequently the Porterfields who held the estate throughout the medieval period. The rocky promontory with the river protecting three sides reflects the typical medieval preference for naturally defensible positions requiring minimal artificial earthwork. The ruins are now substantially overgrown with vegetation giving the site a romantic quality in its wooded valley setting, accessible on foot from Kilmacolm, a quiet commuter village in the Renfrewshire hills west of Glasgow. The surrounding area of the Renfrewshire hills is an interesting transitional landscape between the greater Glasgow conurbation and the rural character of Ayrshire.

Dumbarton Castle sits on a plug of volcanic basalt known as Dumbarton Rock and overlooks the town of Dumbarton. Most of the medieval castle has disappeared, and most structures remaining today are the fortifications of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The castle has a shop and museum on the site. There are 547 steps throughout the castle making the property unsuitable for visitors using wheelchairs or with limited mobility. Dumbarton Rock has been used as a defensive position since the Iron Age. In medieval Scotland, Dumbarton Castle was an important royal castle. King David II (Robert the Bruce's son) and his wife, Queen Joan took refuge there after the Scottish defeat at Halidon Hill near Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1333. Mary, Queen of Scots sheltered at the castle for several months in 1548, after the Battle of Pinkie, east of Edinburgh before moving to France. The castle was taken by Oliver Cromwell's troops in 1652. The castle declined in importance after the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658. New defences were built in the 18th century in response to threats posed by Jacobites. The military left Dumbarton Castle in 1865, although the army used it again during World War I and World War II.

Gilbertfield Castle is a ruined early 17th century castle located on Dechmont Hill, outside Cambuslang in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The castle is now a ruin - the roof and one wall have collapsed. The corbelling of the north-west turret remains. Gilbertfield Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a category B listed building. The castle was completed in 1607 and was owned by the Hamiltons of Gilbertfield. The castle is an L-plan tower house. The basement level was vaulted, and contained cellars and a kitchen, with a large fireplace and oven. A service stair connected the basement with the hall above. Above the hall were two further floors, each with three rooms; two in the main block, and one in the wing. At the highest level, the garret, two round turrets projected at the south-east and north-west corners. There was no parapet.

The remains of Johnstone Castle stands within a housing estates south of Beith Road in Johnstone. This castle dated originally from around 1600. Most of the castle was demolished around 1960 - the tower is all that remains.. The original building dates back to 16th century. In 1771 and 1812 George Houston, the fourth laird of Johnstone Castle, extended the castle. The last laird to stay in Johnstone Castle was George Ludovic Houstoun in the early 20th century. During the second World War the castle was taken over by the War Office and used as a prisoner-of-war camp. After the war, the castle and land was bought by Johnstone Town Council. They acquired the land for building of houses to help with the Glasgow overspill. The castle by this time was in ruins and most of it was demolished. The Arts Chopin was a temporary resident

Mugdock Castle is located in Mugdock Country Park, just west of the village of Mugdock. The castle is within Stirling council area, although it is on the northern outskirts of Glasgow. The castle had four towers arranged around a courtyard, joined by a high curtain walls. The main gate was in the middle of the south wall. The castle was built on a natural mound of volcanic rock, at the west edge of Mugdock Loch. Only the south-west tower of the original castle remains complete. The tower is four storeys tall with an entrance on the first floor, accessed via exterior steps. The basement is vaulted, with a single room on each storey. The two upper storeys are corbelled out from the lower levels. The only other remains are the basement of the north-west tower, part of the gatehouse, and linking sections of curtain wall. The castle was extended in the mid-15th century with an outer wall built to enclose the original castle. This outer courtyard had its main entrance next to the south-west tower. Inside the courtyard are the ruins of various stone buildings, mainly dating from the 16th century. Most of the outer curtain wall has disappeared. The lands now form part of Mugdock Country Park, and the ruins are publicly accessible. The remaining tower has been renovated as a museum. The castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Category A listed building. Mugdock Castle was built in the mid 14th century and was owned by the Grahams (who later became the Earls of Montrose). During the 17th century, Mugdock Castle was partly destroyed. In 1660, following the defeat of King Charles I, Montrose was executed (Montrose was the King's commander in Scotland). Mugdock was handed to the Marquess of Argyll. In 1661 Argyll was executed, and Mugdock went back to the Grahams. The Grahams restored the castle building a new mansion house within the old castle walls. In 1875, the mansion was demolished, and a Scottish baronial style house was built inside the ruins of the old castle. Much of the eastern part of the original castle was destroyed at that time. During World War II the house was used by the government, and was demolished in 1967. In 1981 the castle and grounds were donated to Central Regional Council.

Newark Castle is a well-preserved castle sited on the south shore of the Firth of Clyde in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, Scotland. It was orignally a tower house to which a Scottish baronial style mansion was added. When the port became a shipbuilding centre, the castle was surrounded by shipyards. The last shipyard on the lower Clyde stands close to the west of the castle. The original castle was a tower house within a walled enclosure entered through a large gatehouse. All that remains of the outer defensive wall is part of one of the corner towers. Newark Castle came into state care in 1909 and is now a property of Historic Scotland. The castle was built in 1478 by George Maxwell. Sir Patrick Maxwell extended the castle in the late 16th century adding a new a three storey Renaissance mansion. The mansion is linked to the original tower house by an east wing, and a west wing connects the mansion to the gatehouse. The mansion is in Scottish baronial style with crow-stepped gables and corbelled turrets on the north corners. The outer wall was demolished except for the north east tower, which was converted into a doocot. In 1668 the Glasgow authorities purchased 18 acres around Newark Castle from Sir George Maxwell and developed the harbour into Port Glasgow. The last Maxwell died in 1694. After that the castle had a series of non-resident owners.

Shieldhill Castle near Biggar in Lanarkshire is a historic castle of medieval origin that has been operated as a country house hotel for several decades, offering accommodation and dining within an ancient building that incorporates fabric from several centuries of construction and occupation. The castle was associated with the Chancellors of Shieldhill, a family who held lands in this part of Clydesdale from the twelfth century, giving the building one of the longer documented histories of ownership of any castle in Lanarkshire. The surrounding Upper Clydesdale landscape between Biggar and the Southern Uplands is a quietly attractive agricultural area with a distinctive heritage of market towns, prehistoric sites and the remains of the Roman road network that crossed this part of Scotland.

Stanely Castle, to the west of Paisley, is still standing today, despite sitting in the middle of a reservoir. The exterior of this L-shaped keep is relatively intact - but the interior of the structure is now completely destroyed. It is situated on land that was originally the property of the Danzieltoun or Dennistoun family. In 1402, the lands passed through marriage to the Maxwells of Calderwood. The Maxwells built the four storey Stanely Castle and it remained in the family until 1629, when it was sold to the Hawkhead family. It passed by marriage to the Boyle family in the middle of the 18th century. David Boyle had been made the first Earl of Glasgow in 1703 and the family's main estate was centred around Kelburn Castle at Largs. By the 19th century the family found themselves in serious debt and Stanely Castle was abandoned and fell into ruin. In 1837 the marshland surrounding the castle was flooded to create the Stanely Reservoir, which supplied the people of Paisley and its surrounding areas with fresh water. Over the years, the reservoir level was raised. It now submerges the lower portion of the castle.