A village of South Lanarkshire, Douglas lies on the Douglas Water, 11 miles (17 km) southwest of Lanark. It developed in Mediaeval times in association with a castle that was the seat of the Black Douglas Earls including James Douglas, the loyal supporter of King Robert the Bruce. Chartered as a burgh of barony in 1458, Douglas later thrived as a centre of coal mining and the manufacture of cotton goods. Today the village benefits from a sizeable primary school, post office, shops and a caravan park, together with the St. Brides Centre - a vibrant community centre including a cafe, meeting rooms and gym. Tourist attractions include the Douglas Heritage Museum, St. Bride's Church, which dates from the 14th C and is the mausoleum of the Black Douglases, the Cameronians Regimental Memorial, a Polish Memorial Garden and the James Gavin Monument commemorates Douglas's most famous Covenanter. Scotland's first wind farm was established in 1994 on Hagshaw Hill 3 miles (5 km) to the west.
The Douglas Estate remains the property of the Earls of Home. The 13th-century Douglas Castle was rebuilt many times. Only a corner tower dating from the early 18th-century remains a half-mile (1 km) to the north northeast of the village; used by Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832) for his novel Castle Dangerous.