20 Castles in South Lanarkshire

Birkwood Castle, also known as Birkwood House, is a Gothic country house situated in Lesmahagow, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Built in the 18th century, it was greatly expanded by the McKirdy family. In 1920 it was purchased by the local authority for use as a hospital. Following closure of the hospital, attempts have been made to redevelop the building. The house is claimed to be haunted.

Boghall Castle was a 14th century castle to the south of Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Boghall became ruinous in the 19th century.

Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle, sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located between Bothwell and Uddingston, about 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Glasgow. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan Murray, to guard a strategic crossing point of the Clyde. Bothwell played a key role in Scotland's Wars of Independence, changing hands several times.

Cadzow Castle, now in ruins, was constructed between 1500 and 1550 at a site one mile south-east of the centre of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The earlier medieval settlement of Hamilton was formerly known as Cadzow or Cadyou, until it was renamed in 1455 in honour of James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton. The castle sits above a gorge overlooking the Avon Water in what is now Chatelherault Country Park, but was previously the hunting and pleasure grounds of the Duke of Hamilton's estate of Hamilton Palace - this area being known as Hamilton High Parks. The ruin is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Calderwood Castle was located in East Kilbride, Scotland. The castle was situated near the banks of the Rotten Calder Water in what is now Calderglen Country Park. Most likely constructed in the early to mid fifteenth century by the Maxwell family, the original peel tower collapsed in 1773. It was replaced by an extension to a large 18th-century country house called Calderwood House, which has itself since been demolished along with a later 1840s Gothic Revival addition.

Carstairs Castle was a stronghold in the east of Carstairs, a short distance from the current site of Carstairs Parish Church. Now long gone, it dates back to at least 1126 when it was given as a gift to the Bishops of Glasgow. In 1302, at the height of the Scottish Wars of Independence, Cartairs Castle had a garrison of seventy troops made up of ten men at arms, twenty named soldiers and forty footmen, which was greater than most local castles indicating that this was of strategic importance - Lanark Castle, by comparison, had a garrison of around 15 men at the time.

Corra Castle is a ruined 16th-century castle within the Corehouse Estate near New Lanark, Scotland. It overlooks Corra Linn, one of the four waterfalls which make up the Falls of Clyde. In 1967 it became a scheduled monument.

Cowthally Castle, also known as Couthalley, is a ruined L-plan castle near Carnwath, Lanarkshire, Scotland. The remains are protected as a scheduled monument.

Craignethan Castle is a ruined castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located above the River Nethan, a tributary of the River Clyde, at NS816464. The castle is two miles west of the village of Crossford, and 4.5 miles north-west of Lanark. Built in the first half of the 16th century, Craignethan is recognised as an excellent early example of a sophisticated artillery fortification, although its defences were never fully tested.

Crawford Castle, substantially in ruins, is located on the north bank of the River Clyde, around half a mile north of Crawford, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The ruins stand on an earlier motte and bailey earthwork. The castle was formerly known as Lindsay Tower, after its former owners, the Lindsay family. The strategic location of the castle, at NS954213, guards the strategically important Mennock Pass from England into the upper Clyde Valley.

Douglas Castle was a stronghold of the Douglas family from medieval times to the 20th century. The first castle, erected in the 13th century, was destroyed and replaced several times until the 18th century when a large mansion house was built in its place. This too was demolished in 1938, and today only a single corner tower of the 17th-century castle remains. The castle was the former family seat of the Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home. The castle was located around 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north-east of the village of Douglas, South Lanarkshire, in south-west Scotland. The remains are protected as a category C listed building.

Drumsagard Castle, near Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, was a motte and bailey castle which was then built of stone. The castle was the caput of the barony of Drumsagard. Drumsagard was held in the 13th century by the Oliphant family, before it passed by marriage to the de Moravia family. It passed to the Douglas family in 1370 by the marriage of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas to Johanna, daughter of Thomas Moray of Bothwell. The Hamilton family were granted the lands in 1452.

Gilbertfield Castle is a ruined 17th-century castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located at NS652587, on the north slope of Dechmont Hill, just outside Cambuslang, to the south-east of Glasgow.

Kilbride Castle, also known as Comyn's Castle, was a castle that was located to the north of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Lanark Castle was the origin and heart of what later became the royal burgh of Lanark, Scotland. The town grew up outside the castle walls. Long since demolished, the castle lay high on the east bank of the River Clyde, near the confluence with the Mouse Water. The site is designated a scheduled monument.

Lee Castle, also known as The Lee, is a castellated mansion in Auchenglen, a branch of the Clyde Valley in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) south of Braidwood, and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-west of Lanark. Lee was the seat of the Lockharts of Lee from its establishment in the 13th century until 1919, though the present house is the result of rebuilding in the 19th century.

Rutherglen Castle was located where Castle Street meets King Street in Rutherglen, Scotland. It was a large and important castle, having been built in the 13th century; the walls were reportedly 5 feet thick.

Shieldhill Castle is a category B listed building located near Biggar in South Lanarkshire. The building dates back to 1199 and is currently being run as Shieldhill Castle Hotel.

Strathaven Castle is located in the centre of the small town of Strathaven, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The ruin is publicly accessible, and can be found at grid reference NS703445. Also known as Avondale Castle, the ruin and mound is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The Tower of Hallbar, also known as Hallbar Tower and Braidwood Castle, is a 16th-century tower house, located to the west of the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The tower is situated above the Braidwood Burn, 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south-west of Carluke, and 1.5 km (0.93 mi) east of Crossford. It has been restored and is let out as holiday accommodation.