Strathaven Castle
(Avondale Castle)

The ruined remains of Strathaven or Avondale Castle sit in the centre of Strathaven, South Lanarkshire. The current castle was built in 1458 and extended in the 16th C. to include a square range and round tower. This is the second castle on this site; the first was built in the 12th century and was originally home to the Baird family. It passed to the Sinclairs and then the 'Black' Earls of Douglas, but was lost to the crown with their fall from favour in 1455. Within two years King James II had given the castle to a relative, Sir Andrew Stewart, 1st Lord Avondale, who began the castle which can be seen today. In the 16th C. it became a home of the powerful Sir James Hamilton of Finnart (d.1540) and later passed to the Marquesses and Dukes of Hamilton. The castle was abandoned in 1717 and has subsequently fallen into ruin.

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