Strathaven Castle

Strathaven Castle Details

Strathaven Castle aka Avandale, ruined C15 tower of Douglases with C16 additions of the Stewarts; abandoned by Hamiltons mid C18

  • Closest To: Strathaven,Hamilton,East Kilbride
  • Access: Free Public Access
  • Grid Reference: NS703444

Strathaven Castle is a ruined tower house of the 15th/16th century although the site was previously used for earlier stone castles. The castle mound is prominent and near a road junction, so easily found, and the castle site is now a public park. Access is straightforward, parking less so.

The oldest castle would have been built by the Bairds, forfeited in 1340, and was almost certainly destroyed in the Bruce period. A tower house was built by the Douglases in the mid 15th century, which was sacked in 1455. The lands were then granted to Andrew Stewart, a grandson of the last Duke of Albany, and the castle remodelled. It was then exchanged and became the property of the Hamilton family, who remodelled it again on at least two occasions, and remained resident until 1716, when it was abandoned. After a storm in 1737 which damaged the castle it fell into ruin.

HES Canmore database entry

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