Bothwell Castle - South Lanarkshire

Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
It is located between Bothwell and Uddingston, about 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Glasgow. Construction of the castle began in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan Murray for the purpose of guarding a strategic crossing point of the Clyde. Bothwell Castle played a key role in Scotland's Wars of Independence, changing hands several times.
The huge cylindrical donjon was built in the 13th century but before the rest of the castle was completed it was severely damaged in a series of sieges. Rebuilding in the early 15th century enlarged the castle but it was abandoned by the 18th century. The present ruin is rectangular with the remains of the donjon to the west, and the later Great Hall to the east. The courtyard is enclosed by long curtain walls with round towers at the south-east and south-west corners. The castle was described by Scottish archaeologist William Douglas Simpson as one of the "foremost secular structures of the Middle Ages in Scotland".
History:
King David I granted the barony of Bothwell to David Olifard (or Olifant), Justiciar of Lothian, in the mid 12th century. The lands passed to his descendants including his daughter who had married William de Moravia, son of William son of Freskin, who was deceased by 1226 circa. Then by 1252 the barony became the property of their son Walter de Moravia, or Walter of Moray. He began construction of the castle but by the start of the Wars of Scottish Independence in 1296, only the main donjon, the prison tower, and the short connecting curtain wall were completed. Foundations of the remainder were probably in place and would have been defended by a wooden palisade.
Design
While the castle was never completed to its original design, its design is similar to the strongholds of Coucy, Kildrummy and Dirleton as it has a round keep (or donjon). The keep, while currently in ruins, was originally 82 feet (25m) high and 62 feet (19m) in diameter with walls which were 15 feet (4.6m) thick. Thick walls and a powerful gatehouse were later added to the structure and the castle was considered "one of the most important military strongholds in Scotland".

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