Bothwell Castle

Bothwell Castle is a castle situated outside the small town of Bothwell, Lanarkshire, at the banks of the River Clyde, 10 miles south of Glasgow. Construction of the castle began in the thirteenth century, and was added to over the years, however it was never completed. As such, the castle looks like a ruin. The last owners of the castle were the Earls of Forfar, before the castle returned to the property of the state. They are now managed by Historic Scotland on behalf of the country.

Walter of Moray first began construction of a castle on the site in the latter half of the thriteenth centruy. Before construction could be completed, the forces of King Edward I of England invaded Scotland and seized the castle and Walter's son, William Moray of Bothwell. The castle was beseiged by the Scots, and recaptured, only to fall again to Edward I's forces a few years later. The English surrendered the castle after defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn. By the 1300s, the castle became the property of the Earls of Douglas who began a project to restore and expand the castle. The Earls of Forfar acquired the castle after this.

The castle was abandoned in the seventeenth century in favour of Bothwell House, a statley home near the castle. However mining subsidence forced its demolishment. Today the castle is open to the public.