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Cormiston Tower

There was a castle at Cormiston which was later replaced by a mansion, neither of which remain, and the site of the castle is now next to the farm of Cormiston Towers.

The earliest reference to Cormiston seems to come in the early 13th century, when a Ralph of Cormiston witnessed a charter in 1229.

In the 15th century a Richard Inglis of Cormastone held the lands “in capite” from Thomas Somervill in 1415. A William Inglis of Cormastoune is listed as a witness of a charter in 1440.

After this time things seem to get slightly confusing, with references to Cormiston being owned by alternately the Baillie family and the Chancellors of Quothquan.

In 1467 an Alexander Bailye of Cormastoun is mentioned in a charter. Some time in the second half of the 15th century the lands seem to have passed to William Chancellor of Quothquan, who “resigned them in the hands of the superior” in 1493. William’s second son, also William, is designated “of Cormastoune” in 1516.

Interestingly though a William Bailze of Cormastoune appears in a charter from 1512, and is then listed as a witness in a charter from 1513 of the barony of Douglas, Craufurd-Douglas, and the lands and castle of Tantallon from George Douglas to his son Archibald Douglas.

In 1533 a William Baillie of Cormastone is listed as confirming a charter by Hugh, Lord Somerville. However William Chancellor is once again referred to as the owner of Cormiston, along with Shieldhill and Quothquan, also in 1533.

Two years later William and his brother Robert were charged with the murder of Thomas Baillie, who is described as the Laird of Cormiston, so it may be that the property was at the centre of a dispute in the intervening years. The Chancellors were acquitted of the charge.

William Baillie of Cormestoun Tour is mentioned in a letter from 1574, and in 1603 a later William Chancellor of Shieldhill granted the Overmains of Cormiston to a Thomas Baillie.

Around the same time, John Lindsay, the 9th Laird of Covington, had a son named Rolland who was described as a “portitioner of Cormiston”, meaning that he inherited a portion of the lands of Cormiston.

Thomas Baillie’s son, William Baillie of Hardington, succeeded his father in 1683, and in 1684 sold the Overmains of Cormiston to a William Aitken who later sold them back to the Chancellors of Shieldhill.

The Overmains of Cormiston is probably a different property on the Cormiston estate to that of the Tower of Cormiston, and it may be that some of the confusion between the Baillies and the Chancellors and their ownership of Cormiston may be down to there being more than one property named Cormiston, or divided lands.

Sir George Lockhart of Carnwath bought the barony of Covington from John Lindsay in the late 17th century, and it may be that Cormiston Tower was included in this deal, as Lockhart granted the lands of the Tower of Cormastoune to an Andrew Black by Lockhart in 1685.

Black was succeeded in 1698 by his son, also Andrew, who then sold the lands to John Chancellor of Shieldhill in 1715.

Nothing much seems to be written about Cormiston Tower after this point. In 1832 it is still marked as “Tower” in John Thompson’s Atlas of Scotland, but by the middle of the 19th century the castle is described as having “long ago disappeared”.

By 1858 or 1859 the lands of Cormiston belonged to William Daniel Collyer, who also owned the Harperfield estate on the edge of Lesmahagow. In 1860 Collyer commissioned the architect David MacGibbon to design a new house to the north-east of the site of Cormiston Tower. Named Cormiston Towers, or possibly Cormiston House, it was described as eclipsing Balnagowan Castle in terms of grandeur.

In 1882 Cormiston Tower is listed as a residence of Sir Windham Charles James Carmichael Anstruther of Carmichael, 8th Bt., along with the seats of Carmichael and Westraw House.

The site of Cormiston Tower now lies in a field just to the south of Cormiston Towers Farm, and there are no visible remains. The 19th century mansion of Cormiston Towers has also been demolished.

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Alternative names for Cormiston Tower

Cormastone; Cormastoune; Cormestoun Tour; Cormiston Towers; Cormystoun; Tower of Cormastoune

Where is Cormiston Tower?

Cormiston Tower is in the parish of Symington (Lanarkshire) and the county of Lanarkshire.

Grid reference: NT 001 372

Lat / long: 55.61809400, -3.58776920

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

OS Map for Cormiston Tower

OS map 336
Biggar & Broughton (Culter Fell & Dollar Law)
OS Explorer map 336


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Directions to Cormiston Tower

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Weather at Cormiston Tower

14°C
max 14°C / min 14°C
20km/h W
1005mb
76%
100%
03:31 21:02

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Biggar at 17:39
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References (books)

Biggar and the House of Fleming
William Hunter
Edinburgh, 1867
The upper ward of Lanarkshire described and delineated (Volume 1)
George Vere Irving
Glasgow, 1864
The upper ward of Lanarkshire described and delineated (Volume 2)
George Vere Irving
Glasgow, 1864

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Cormiston Tower

Annieston Tower

0.7km away

Coulter motte

2.0km away

Symington (site of)

2.2km away

Quothquan (site of)

2.4km away

Netherton (possible) (site of)

2.7km away

Thankerton (site of)

2.9km away

Shieldhill Castle

3.2km away

Burnfoot (possible) (site of)

3.3km away

Covington Tower

3.7km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Cormiston Tower

West Lindsaylands cursus

1.7km away

Quothquan Law fort

1.8km away

Kirk Hill (possible) fort

6.2km away

Calla broch

11.7km away

Harehill Knowe cairn

11.7km away

Whitslade souterrain

12.0km away

Merlin's Grave (site of) (possible) cist

13.5km away

Wester Yardhouses souterrain

13.6km away

Drumelzier Haugh souterrain

13.9km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Cormiston Tower

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

44.1km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

44.3km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

44.3km away

Borthwick Mains Class I symbol stone

49.1km away

Hawkhill Class III cross-slab

56.3km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

63.8km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

68.8km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

68.9km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

69.2km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Cormiston Tower

Todholes (possible) silver chain

9.2km away

Borland silver chain

10.8km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

25.6km away

Whitlaw silver chain

50.8km away

Haddington silver chain

63.0km away

Traprain Law silver chain

69.4km away

Norrie's Law hoard

81.2km away

Hoardweel silver chain

82.0km away

Dunnicaer fort

172.3km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Cormiston Tower

Tinto House Hotel
hotel, restaurantBiggar
1.7km away
Shieldhill Castle Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barBiggar
3.3km away
Elphinstone Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantBiggar
4.2km away
Toftcombs Mansion House
self-cateringBiggar
5.4km away
New Lanark Mill Hotel
hotelLanark
13.2km away
New Lanark SYHA Hostel
hostelLanark
13.3km away
Days Inn Abington
hotelAbington
14.2km away
Best Western Cartland Bridge Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barLanark
14.9km away
Abington Hotel
hotel, restaurantAbington
15.3km away
Stobo Castle
hotel, restaurantStobo
17.1km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Cormiston Tower

Tinto House Hotel
hotel, restaurantBiggar
1.7km away
Shieldhill Castle Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barBiggar
3.3km away
Elphinstone Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantBiggar
4.2km away
Carmichael Visitor Centre and Farm Shop
caféCarmichael
5.5km away
Best Western Cartland Bridge Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barLanark
14.9km away
Abington Hotel
hotel, restaurantAbington
15.3km away
Dawyck Café
caféStobo
16.7km away
Stobo Castle
hotel, restaurantStobo
17.1km away
Whitmuir The Organic Place
café, restaurantWest Linton
23.6km away
Cringletie House
hotel, restaurant, barEddleston
24.5km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 17th of February 2012 at 11:11 pm. Updated on the 25th of May 2013 at 11:52 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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