Castle Mains

Mains Castle stands in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, on land once owned by a Norman family called Valonis. The first stone buildings appeared at the end of the 15th or start of the 16th century. Red Comyn, a descendant of Isabella de Valonis and David Comyn, once held the castle before it passed to Walter Stewart through his marriage to Marjorie Bruce. The Lindsay family lived here for more than two centuries until Alexander Lindsay sold it in 1619. The Stuart family of Castlemilk removed the roof in 1723 and took the carved coat of arms to Torrance House around 1750. The castle fell into ruin until the 1880s, when a court ordered repairs that were never completed. A storm toppled more masonry, and full restoration only began in 1976. The work won two Saltire awards for best restoration project and restoration excellence. Local legend says Mary, Queen of Scots spent a night here on her way to the Battle of Langside. Since the 1990s the surrounding fields have formed James Hamilton Heritage Park, where a drained loch was restored. Visitors find a roofless but partly restored tower rising above the park’s grassland and water. The stone walls still show the Lindsay coat of arms above what was once the main entrance. A circular path winds past the castle and the rewatered loch, offering views of the South Lanarkshire countryside. The parkland contains remnants of old farm buildings and mature trees planted after the restoration. The tower itself is Category A listed and remains in private ownership, yet the public can walk the grounds.