Cumbernauld Castle

Cumbernauld Castle stands in North Lanarkshire where only earthworks and reused stones remain. The first castle was built by the Comyn family in the 13th century and passed to the Flemings after Robert the Bruce’s victory at Greyfriars in 1306. A motte and bailey earthwork from this time can still be seen in Cumbernauld House Park, about 360 metres north-east of the later house. The Flemings then built a larger stone castle in the late 14th century, starting with an L-plan tower that grew into a grander residence over time. The castle witnessed key moments in Scottish history. In 1544, Lord Fleming protected an English messenger during the War of the Rough Wooing, declaring his house would be destroyed before harm came to the visitor. James IV courted Margaret Drummond at Cumbernauld, and Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed there in 1562 when part of the great hall collapsed, killing several men. The Flemings’ loyalty to Mary led to the castle’s sacking by Regent Lennox in 1570 and its destruction by General Monck in 1651. Today, visitors walk through Cumbernauld House Park and spot reused masonry from the old castle in the walls of the later house. A surviving courtyard wall shows distinctive 16th-century corbels that once supported timber buildings. The park’s landscape still hints at its past as a hunting ground with wild white cattle, recorded by historians like Hector Boece and John Lesley. Maps from the 17th and 18th centuries mark the site, showing how the castle gave way to the grander house that stands there now.