Crookston Castle
Glasgow, City of Glasgow
Castle Canmore HES

Crookston Castle, on the south side of Glasgow, is an early 15th century construction. It is surrounded by a defensive ring ditch that dates base to the 12th century when Sir Robert Croc built an earlier castle and chapel, now lost. He gave his name to the village of Crookston.

The estate containing Croc's castle was bought by the Darnley Stewarts in the 14th Century and they built the later castle here. A later Lord Darnley became the husband of Mary Queen of Scots and, according to Gordon Mason in The Castles of Glasgow and the Clyde, it was under a yew tree at Crookston Castle where they were betrothed.

The castle came under seige in the 16th century and last later abandoned.

The main body of the castle measures about 18m by 12m (60 feet by 40 feet) and it had a large tower at each corner. The northeast tower is still largely intact, the southeast tower stands to about 1 storey, and there is very little sign of the two western towers. The towers had one room on each floor, and there is still access all the way to the roof of the northeast tower giving an impressive view of the southside of Glasgow.

Images ©2004 Martin McCarthy, Theasis Photography

Nearby Sites

2km Corkerhill Golf Course Barrow
3km Pollock Ring Work Iron Age Fort; Hillfort
5km Deaconsbank Golf Course Cup and Ring Marks; Millstone Quarry; Dovecot
5km Rouken Glen Cup and Ring Marks
8km Craigston Wood Cup and Ring Carvings
9km Bearsden Bathhouse Roman Fort
10km Carlin Crags Cup Marks
10km Covenanters Stones Stone Circle
11km Whitehill Cup and Ring Marks
11km Moyne Moor Cist; Cairns; Stone Setting
14km Auld Wives Lifts Carved Stone; Celtic Heads
15km Castle Semple Collegiate Church Church
15km Craigenkirn Long Cairn? Modern Ruin? A combination?
16km Bothwell Castle Castle
17km Broadgate Farm Standing Stone
17km Strathblane Parish Church Standing Stone
18km Blanefield Standing Stones; Cairn
19km Stockie Muir Chambered Cairn
(NB: All distances are as-the-crow-flies. Lochs, mountains and beautiful winding roads will make it further. Sometimes much further.)