Bothwell Castle, Bothwell

Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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. But dream was never completed, probably because of the outbreak of the Wars of Independence in 1296. They did however, complete the great donjon, or tower, described by Dr W. Douglas Simpson,librarian of King’s College at the University of Aberdeen, as ‘the grandest piece of secular architecture that the Middle Ages has bequeathed to us in Scotland’.

Bothwell played a key role in Scotland's Wars of Independence, changing hands several times.

Opening Times

1 April - 30 September
Monday to Sunday
9.30 am - 5.30 pm

1 October 2008 - 31 October 2008
Monday to Sunday
9.30 am to 4.30 pm

1 November 2008 - 31 March 2009
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday
9.30 am to 4.30 pm

Last ticket sold 30 min before closing time.

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Ticket Prices

Adult £4.00, Child £2.40, Concession £3.20

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Disabled Facilities

Limited Access:
The grassed courtyard has a paved pathway around two main sides, with a gradient of 1:13. The upper and lower levels of the donjon (large tower house or keep) are accessed via turnpike stairs. The steep upper stair is 1.3m wide with 50 steps. They both have a single rope handrail. These are historic stairs, and in places the steps are worn so that not all of them are level or square. The great hall is reached by a timber stair of 21 steps with handrails either side. Access to the exhibition is down a set of 6 straight uneven steps.

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More Information

Telephone: 01698 816 894

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