Craignethan Castle. Lanarkshire. Scotland.

HUGH MC MILLAN
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Craignethan Castle. Lanarkshire. Scotland.
Craignethan Castle. Lanarkshire. Scotland.

Craignethan Castle Craignethan Castle was among the last truly defensive private castles built in Scotland. It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs leading down to the Craignethan Burn and the Water of Nethan. Its weakness lies on the western side where it is overlooked by the surrounding countryside. Craignethan Castle was built in the 1530s by Sir James Hamilton of Finnart. He was given the barony and the lands by his father, James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran. Finnart was illegitimate however and he could neither inherit the Earldom, nor take his place as an heir to the Scottish throne. By the 1530s he was a rich and powerful man in his own right and he needed accommodation suitable for his noble status.

Craignethan Castle Layout The main tower at the heart of the castle provided the main residence. Finnart had travelled extensively in Europe and he was an accomplished architect and military engineer. The castle reflects that in a number of unusual designs. The great hall and Finnart's private chambers are at ground level. In most other castles they are placed on the first floor. Most tower houses also stack the rooms one on top of the other, but at Craignethan there is a cross-wall dividing the space in two – a common design feature in the 18th Century, but almost unheard of for a 16th Century structure. Lastly, the chimneys run through the middle of the building and provide efficient heating for the whole place whereas in most towers the chimneys are on the outer walls. The north, south and east walls were guarded by steep ravines and the walls on these sides were normal medieval walls. The western side was the most vulnerable as it was the most obvious point of attack and potential attackers could shoot down into the castle. The western defences were revolutionary for the time. Finnart had a tall, thick stone rampart built with a wide, deep ditch built in front of it. The western wall had gunloops just above its present height and its parapet had gaps to allow guns to fire up onto the higher ground to the west. The modern day bridge is a little misleading. The western wall didn't have an entrance in it. Instead there would have been a bridge to the side of the rampart leading round to the gates on the side. The most unusual feature was the caponier – a covered gun gallery located in the ditch. It was only discovered during excavations of the ditch in the 1960s. It was revolutionary in Scotland at the time and the fact that they fell out of favour in the late 16th Century means that this one is almost unique in Britain.

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Taken on: May 11, 2016
Sets appears in:   • Lanark, Scotland.    • Castles   
Groups appears in:   • Scotland    • Castles of Europe    more » • Castles from the world.    • History is All Around Us    • Scotland's castles    • Historical Buildings and Landmarks (No Limits)    • Old And Beautiful (buildings ,barns, shacks, and abandoned homes    • Castle pictures and videos    • Scotland in Picture    • Castles and Châteaux    « less
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, f/18.0, 1/160 sec, 41mm, ISO 320 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Aperture: f/18.0
Exposure Time: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length: 41mm
ISO: 320
Exposure Bias: -4/3 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: sRGB
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