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Bothwellhaugh (site of)

Bothwellhaugh was a castle or fortified house belonging to the Hamilton family, but nothing of it now remains.

The property is notable as the home of James Hamilton who became infamous as the assassin of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, the Regent of Scotland and half-brother of Mary Queen of Scots, on the 23rd of January 1570 in what was the world’s first recorded assassination by firearm.

Hamilton fled to France and Bothwellhaugh seems to have been obtained by Captain James Stewart who had been granted the Hamiltons’ Earldom of Arran, however it later returned to the Hamilton family and remained in their possession into the 20th century.

Bothwellhaugh appears as a substantial building named Bothwel-hauch on Pont’s late 16th century map in what could be interpreted as a tower with an attached wing.

Glasgow and the county of Lanark
Timothy Pont, ca. 1583-96map image courtesy of NLS

Bothwel hauch is shown as a significant building on Blaeu’s mid-17th century map with an apparent tower on its left side. On Roy’s mid-18th century map it is shown as a large almost U-plan building with two wings projecting south from a main block. The west wing is longer than its eastern counterpart and it’s tempting to interpret it as an L-plan tower that has had another wing added, however this is pure supposition.

Military Survey of Scotland
William Roy, 1747-1755map image courtesy of NLS

Bothwellhaugh was apparently still standing as late as 1851 when it was part of a wider farm complex, although Ordnance Survey maps from the mid-19th century show two long, narrow buildings on a different orientation to that on Roy’s map, perhaps more indicative of farm buildings.

During the second half of the 19th century a mine and associated village were built to the north of Bothwellhaugh. If the old house was still standing at this point then these may have hastened its demise.

Lanark Sheet XI.12
Ordnance Survey, 1864map image courtesy of NLS

Lanarkshire 011.12
Ordnance Survey, 1897map image courtesy of NLS

The village and mine were abandoned in the early 1960s and in the early 1970s the land to the south of Bothwellhaugh was flooded to create Strathclyde Loch.

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Alternative names for Bothwellhaugh

Bothwel hauch; Bothwel-hauch; Bothwell Park; Bothwellmuir; Bothwellpark; Boythwelpark

Clans associated with Bothwellhaugh

Hamilton

Surnames associated with Bothwellhaugh

Hamilton

Where is Bothwellhaugh?

Bothwellhaugh is in the parish of Bothwell and the county of Lanarkshire.

Grid reference: NS 723 579

Lat / long: 55.797925, -4.037783

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Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Bothwellhaugh

OS map 343
Motherwell & Coatbridge (Whitburn & Carluke)
OS Explorer map 343


Directions to Bothwellhaugh

Enter a starting point

Weather at Bothwellhaugh

13°C
max 13°C / min 13°C
3km/h NNE
1026mb
72%
90%
04:06 20:19

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Bothwell at 11:04
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References (books)

Craigmillar and its environs
Tom Speedy
Selkirk, 1892
The beauties of Scotland (Volume 1)
Robert Forsyth
Edinburgh, 1805
The Castles of Glasgow and the Clyde
Gordon Mason
Musselburgh, 2000
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015
The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain
John H. Ingram
London, 1897
Tytler's History of Scotland (Volume 3)
Patrick Fraser Tytler
Edinburgh, 1873

References (websites)

Wikipedia

Castles near Bothwellhaugh

Orbiston Castle

0.8km away

Hamilton motte

1.4km away

Bothwell motte (site of)

1.9km away

Hamilton Palace (site of)

2.0km away

Jerviston House

3.4km away

Barncluith

3.5km away

Bothwell Castle

3.8km away

Haggs (site of)

4.3km away

Cadzow Castle

4.3km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Bothwellhaugh

Shirva (site of) souterrain

17.8km away

Gowkstone standing stone

19.4km away

Auchincloich (site of) broch

21.3km away

Craigmaddie Muir (possible) standing stones

22.9km away

Craigmaddie Muir cairn, standing stone

23.0km away

Law Stone of Mugdock (site of) standing stones

24.7km away

Tantallen Hill (possible) (site of) souterrain

26.1km away

Broadgate Farm standing stone

26.4km away

Strathblane standing stone

26.7km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Bothwellhaugh

Hawkhill Class III cross-slab

39.0km away

Old Kilmadock 2 Class I symbol stone

44.5km away

Old Kilmadock 1 Class II cross slab

44.5km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

54.1km away

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

54.9km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

55.6km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

55.6km away

Blackford Class I symbol stone

55.6km away

Bore Stone of Gask Class II cross slab

65.1km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Bothwellhaugh

Todholes (possible) silver chain

33.7km away

Borland silver chain

35.7km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

39.0km away

Whitlaw silver chain

77.9km away

Haddington silver chain

80.6km away

Norrie's Law hoard

84.7km away

Traprain Law silver chain

87.6km away

Hoardweel silver chain

106.3km away

Dunnicaer fort

172.5km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Bothwellhaugh

Alona Hotel
hotel, restaurantMotherwell
0.4km away
Express By Holiday Inn Strathclyde Park
hotelMotherwell
1.0km away
Days Inn Hamilton
hotel, caféHamilton
1.2km away
Clydesdale Hotel
hotelHamilton
2.2km away
Holiday Inn Express Hamilton
hotelHamilton
2.4km away
Premier Inn Glasgow (Bellshill)
hotel, restaurantGlasgow
2.7km away
Moorings Hotel
hotelMotherwell
2.7km away
The Old Mill Hotel
hotelMotherwell
2.9km away
Redstones Hotel
hotelBothwell
4.4km away
The Grange Hotel
hotelOld Monkland
5.2km away

Accommodation search

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bed and breakfasts
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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Bothwellhaugh

Alona Hotel
hotel, restaurantMotherwell
0.4km away
Days Inn Hamilton
hotel, caféHamilton
1.2km away
Premier Inn Glasgow (Bellshill)
hotel, restaurantGlasgow
2.7km away
Crossbasket Castle
hotel, restaurantHigh Blantyre
5.8km away
Premier Inn Glasgow East
hotel, restaurantUddingston
6.3km away
Premier Inn Glasgow (Motherwell)
hotel, restaurantMotherwell
7.3km away
Premier Inn Glasgow East Kilbride (Nerston Toll)
hotel, restaurantEast Kilbride
8.2km away
Premier Inn Glasgow (Cambuslang / M74, J2A)
hotel, restaurantGlasgow
9.3km away
The Torrance Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantEast Kilbride
9.3km away
Macdonald Crutherland House
hotel, restaurant, barEast Kilbride
9.4km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 17th of February 2018 at 11:27 am. Updated on the 18th of February 2018 at 2:36 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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