Craignethan Castle
Craignethan Castle
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
92 reviews
Excellent
48
Very good
30
Average
9
Poor
2
Terrible
3
chunkyweemidgie
Blackwood, UK95 contributions
May 2017 • Family
Went here to find out about our nearest castle.
It was really good here, lots to see, but dont expect to spend full day here. Enough for a couple of hours. And you have to pay to et in, also a wee shop too
It was really good here, lots to see, but dont expect to spend full day here. Enough for a couple of hours. And you have to pay to et in, also a wee shop too
Written 29 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daydream758634
Sunshine Coast, Australia27 contributions
Aug 2019
Great history and interactive talk and information provided by a very funny and knowledgeable fellow obviously passionate about Scottish history. Loved it.
Written 8 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ron D
Glasgow, UK5 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
Lovely wee castle, in great condition and with the right balance of ruins and restored parts, so still got the medieval character (unlike other castles more famous). Plenty of areas to visit. Friendly and helpful staff.
Written 18 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alan H
Crossford, UK32 contributions
Sept 2017 • Solo
After walking through the lovely Nethan Gorge in order to reach the castle, I was hugely disappointed to be told by the attendant that I couldn't sit on their bench seat to catch my breath unless I paid the entrance fee to the castle. Not the welcome I had expected from Historic Environment Scotland. If this is their approach to assisting members of the public who are attempting to improve their health then we're doomed!
Written 28 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
en299
3 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
Phil, gave my partner & I, a tour of the castle, he was extremely knowledgeable and friendly! It was great! Craignethan is different from many of the castles around Scotland, having been built in a very European fashion. There’s lots to explore! Perfect for bringing a picnic too in the summer months! Well worth the visit!
Written 17 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle
5 contributions
Apr 2019 • Family
Enjoyed our walk around this rare medieval castle.
We had a lovely tour by Phil,who really helped us understand the castles place in history and what it was like to live in it at the time!
We were able to explore it on our own as well,we enjoyed seeing the dungeons and the cellars.
There are also scenic walks past Nethan gorge.
A pleasant afternoon at a relatively unknown attraction.
Teenagers with a Young Scot card get in for £1!
We had a lovely tour by Phil,who really helped us understand the castles place in history and what it was like to live in it at the time!
We were able to explore it on our own as well,we enjoyed seeing the dungeons and the cellars.
There are also scenic walks past Nethan gorge.
A pleasant afternoon at a relatively unknown attraction.
Teenagers with a Young Scot card get in for £1!
Written 2 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
janeyShropshire
Shropshire245 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
Decided to visit this castle on our way south from Glasgow. Easy to find, but you wonder where it is, as it is in a hollow and not on top of a hill, so don't worry if you think you can't see it from a distance! Husband is elderly and can not walk far so we asked Tom the curator if we could drive down the hill and park down at the entrance. Driving down is a bit scary, but enabled my husband to see the main part of the castle whilst I had a wander. Tom was very welcoming and found husband a chair and we both had ice creams that were delicious as we sat in the sunshine. I didn't get to go down to the carbonier or up the stairs as my knees are not good, but what I did see was interesting. Lovely open space in the middle of the castle grounds with a fantastic lawn where it would be lovely to sit and soak up the atmosphere. Very few things to buy in the shop - good toilet facilities - an unusual castle in lots of ways and well worth dropping in to see. Even if you are disabled you can get to this easily.
Written 31 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rantin rover
Biggar, UK9,150 contributions
Apr 2016 • Solo
If you enjoy investigating castle ruins to find out where a spiralling staircase leads or what’s down this underground tunnel then this one might very well appeal. It was my kind of place to explore and I spent an afternoon doing so recently. It doesn’t contain any antique furnishings or relics.
It’s only open between March and September and an adult admission of £4.50 applies unless you’re a member of Historic Scotland in which case it is free. The guide book is worth buying for the extra couple of pounds as this supplements limited interpretation on site.
The ticket office/shop has a small selection of goods (which includes ice cream) but it’s not a tea room so I went prepared with sandwiches to enjoy lunch sitting in the walled grounds. There are a few benches around and at least one picnic table. There are also toilets however these are apparently haunted and the Castle Steward was able to confirm having witnessed at least one spooked visitor! (To clarify, the toilets exist in a part of the structure dating back to the 17th Century and “the presence” is not a modern day phenomenon). If you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go - but others it seems just like to linger!
The entrance section of the Castle in the outer courtyard, Andrew Hay’s House, is not otherwise open to the public as it forms the present-day Castle Steward’s residence. In addition the South East Tower, with the notable exception of it’s basement passage and cellars, was also closed at the time of my visit pending remedial works however there was plenty to see overall.
The routes to the Castle are well signposted. The approach by road from the Clyde Valley from either option involves narrow lanes and a surprisingly steep hill and bend as you climb from where the River Nethan cuts through the landscape so be prepared to get into a low gear! Whether you approach this way or from Lesmahagow the final ¾ mile section at Tillietudlem, where the routes converge, is on a private, single track road with several passing places leading to a good sized car park. This latter stretch of road is closed by barriers outside official visiting hours so make sure you don’t get blocked in (apparently some visitors have wandered off down the Nethan Gorge leaving cars parked up at the Castle and forgotten the time).
If walking you can venture up the steep Nethan Gorge track maintained by the Scottish Wildlife Trust from Crossford village - it’s a mile or so each way from Nethan Bridge (near the Tillietudlem Inn) off the A72 to the Castle. There’s a gate next to the bridge at the start of the trail - don’t follow the road sign to the Castle or you‘ll give yourself extra mileage on tarmac. There is parking in Crossford behind the nearby village hall.
The Castle car park gives a good overview of the site and like me you may wonder wouldn’t this have been an easy place to mount an attack? Well the designer/owner had thought of that too. A huge wall which originally stood in front of and protected the Main Tower was pulled down in 1579 after the Castle’s surrender making it less formidable - so the scene has changed.
If you’re able, make sure you go down the steep, narrow steps on the far side of the bridge over the ditch. On the right side these lead to the Caponier, a covered position from which defenders could fire upon intruders trying to cross the ditch. This was only discovered in the 1960’s when the ditch was excavated and is one of few examples in Britain of this type of defence which survive.
The stairs on the left side of the bridge lead down to the ditch itself at the base of the traverse wall and give a good impression of what’s left of the huge defensive wall which protected the Main Tower. Looking up you’ve got to think of how impressive it must have been when the wall was as high as the Main Tower beyond, if not higher.
Despite the South East Tower’s closure it was possible to access beneath it along an underground passageway which had several cellars. Some of the stonework salvaged onsite is stored here but none of the more elaborate, decorative pieces. These are said to be in the South East Tower but perhaps have been moved in the meantime. The North East Tower remnants were also fenced off for safety reasons but you can easily access around about this area.
I saved the Main Tower for last and there was plenty of opportunity to explore above and below this structure. The hall’s vaulted roof is largely intact as are several other stairways one of which leads to the highest point accessible. It’s not quite up on the parapet but not far off and you can get views down into the river valley below. It helps to have a plan from the guidebook in here as the layout is a bit confusing when you’re wondering around.
Amongst the historic figures associated with the Castle are Sir James Hamilton of Finnart who commissioned and lived there and was also involved in the building of Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle and Blackness Castle. James V of Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots both stayed there in 1536 and 1568 respectively and Sir Walter Scott is said by others to have based the fictional Tillietudlem Castle in his book Old Mortality on Craignethan.
Worth a visit in my view.
It’s only open between March and September and an adult admission of £4.50 applies unless you’re a member of Historic Scotland in which case it is free. The guide book is worth buying for the extra couple of pounds as this supplements limited interpretation on site.
The ticket office/shop has a small selection of goods (which includes ice cream) but it’s not a tea room so I went prepared with sandwiches to enjoy lunch sitting in the walled grounds. There are a few benches around and at least one picnic table. There are also toilets however these are apparently haunted and the Castle Steward was able to confirm having witnessed at least one spooked visitor! (To clarify, the toilets exist in a part of the structure dating back to the 17th Century and “the presence” is not a modern day phenomenon). If you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go - but others it seems just like to linger!
The entrance section of the Castle in the outer courtyard, Andrew Hay’s House, is not otherwise open to the public as it forms the present-day Castle Steward’s residence. In addition the South East Tower, with the notable exception of it’s basement passage and cellars, was also closed at the time of my visit pending remedial works however there was plenty to see overall.
The routes to the Castle are well signposted. The approach by road from the Clyde Valley from either option involves narrow lanes and a surprisingly steep hill and bend as you climb from where the River Nethan cuts through the landscape so be prepared to get into a low gear! Whether you approach this way or from Lesmahagow the final ¾ mile section at Tillietudlem, where the routes converge, is on a private, single track road with several passing places leading to a good sized car park. This latter stretch of road is closed by barriers outside official visiting hours so make sure you don’t get blocked in (apparently some visitors have wandered off down the Nethan Gorge leaving cars parked up at the Castle and forgotten the time).
If walking you can venture up the steep Nethan Gorge track maintained by the Scottish Wildlife Trust from Crossford village - it’s a mile or so each way from Nethan Bridge (near the Tillietudlem Inn) off the A72 to the Castle. There’s a gate next to the bridge at the start of the trail - don’t follow the road sign to the Castle or you‘ll give yourself extra mileage on tarmac. There is parking in Crossford behind the nearby village hall.
The Castle car park gives a good overview of the site and like me you may wonder wouldn’t this have been an easy place to mount an attack? Well the designer/owner had thought of that too. A huge wall which originally stood in front of and protected the Main Tower was pulled down in 1579 after the Castle’s surrender making it less formidable - so the scene has changed.
If you’re able, make sure you go down the steep, narrow steps on the far side of the bridge over the ditch. On the right side these lead to the Caponier, a covered position from which defenders could fire upon intruders trying to cross the ditch. This was only discovered in the 1960’s when the ditch was excavated and is one of few examples in Britain of this type of defence which survive.
The stairs on the left side of the bridge lead down to the ditch itself at the base of the traverse wall and give a good impression of what’s left of the huge defensive wall which protected the Main Tower. Looking up you’ve got to think of how impressive it must have been when the wall was as high as the Main Tower beyond, if not higher.
Despite the South East Tower’s closure it was possible to access beneath it along an underground passageway which had several cellars. Some of the stonework salvaged onsite is stored here but none of the more elaborate, decorative pieces. These are said to be in the South East Tower but perhaps have been moved in the meantime. The North East Tower remnants were also fenced off for safety reasons but you can easily access around about this area.
I saved the Main Tower for last and there was plenty of opportunity to explore above and below this structure. The hall’s vaulted roof is largely intact as are several other stairways one of which leads to the highest point accessible. It’s not quite up on the parapet but not far off and you can get views down into the river valley below. It helps to have a plan from the guidebook in here as the layout is a bit confusing when you’re wondering around.
Amongst the historic figures associated with the Castle are Sir James Hamilton of Finnart who commissioned and lived there and was also involved in the building of Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle and Blackness Castle. James V of Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots both stayed there in 1536 and 1568 respectively and Sir Walter Scott is said by others to have based the fictional Tillietudlem Castle in his book Old Mortality on Craignethan.
Worth a visit in my view.
Written 6 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James M
18 contributions
When we arrived did not know you had to pay £4.50 an adult and £2.75 per child
Which I found to be very expensive for what we got we walked round the castle in 30 min and went for a walk round the gorge.came back to the castle and was told they do not really let people come back in after they had left. No signs or explanation to this fact staff were very rude and did not explaine anything
Which I found to be very expensive for what we got we walked round the castle in 30 min and went for a walk round the gorge.came back to the castle and was told they do not really let people come back in after they had left. No signs or explanation to this fact staff were very rude and did not explaine anything
Written 10 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alderado
Blackpool, UK399 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
Not much to look around but the things that are there are interesting. There's a nice walk nearby too, so it's a good area for people with children or dogs. The staff at the castle weren't great, they were a bit mean and lied. So I guess there's good and bad points to this place. The area is good though, worth the look around.
Written 5 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Would you beable to get married by a Scottish humanist society celebrant here in the grounds somewhere? And take some wedding photos the wedding party is only 4 people plus the celebrant who performs the marriage and a photographer it would be very subtle and would not disturb anyone else's day
Written 3 January 2018
Hiya
Yes i think so. If you contact South Lanarkshire Council, they will he able to advise.
Thanks
Written 5 January 2018
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