Crookston Castle

Crookston Castle Details

Crookston Castle, a ruined C15 tower of the Stewarts within C12 earthworks. Abandoned C18 and partly restored C19.

  • Closest To: Paisley, Glasgow, Rutherglen, Barrhead, Renfrew
  • Access: Free Public Access
  • Grid Reference: NS525627

Crookston Castle is a ruined tower-keep built within the earthworks of a  ringwork erected for the Croc family during the early phases of the settlement of Strathclyde in the 12th century. The site is a low but prominent hilltop overlooking the Levern Water with excellent views across the Clyde, and the earthwork is primarily a deep ditch with an external upcast bank, perhaps having outworks at the eastern and western end, although only the western end retains a causeway across the ditch.

Within this is a raised platform containing the ruins of a rectangular tower, augmented by squarish turrets at each corner, in a way similar to an earlier phase of Hermitage Castle. By the early 14th century the estate had passed to a branch of the Stewart family, perhaps as the result of dispossession or marriage, and in about 1400 the rib-vaulted tower was built. Soon after the ennoblement of the Stewarts as earls of Lennox, they fell foul of the Crown, and Crookston Castle was subject to bombardment which rendered the castle useless as it destroyed the western end of the tower. During the sixteenth century the castle was completely abandoned, and was eventually sold to the National Trust, although Historic Environment Scotland maintain the structure.

Official Historic Scotland page

HES Canmore database entry

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