Couthally Castle

Cowthally Castle stands as a ruined L-plan castle near Carnwath in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Its remains are protected as a scheduled monument. The castle was first built in the 12th century and later rebuilt in 1375. It passed to Sir John Somerville through marriage in 1317. The structure was altered and extended in 1415 and again in 1524. The castle’s history includes a siege in 1557 that partially destroyed it, followed by a rebuild in 1586. James Somerville’s family history, *The Memorie of the Somervilles*, describes the surviving buildings of the 17th century. The text also notes that James IV attended a wedding at Cowthally in 1489. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed at the castle on 24 August 1563. The castle’s surviving features include a heraldic panel from 1524, originally from Cowthally but later moved to Drum in 1694. Visitors today can explore the ruins and imagine the castle’s past grandeur.