Gilbertfield Castle, Cambuslang, United Kingdom

Gilbertfield Castle is within the former barony of Drumsagard, which was a possession of the Hamiltons. The castle was built in the early 17th century, and the date 1607 is displayed on a heraldic panel above the door. The castle was later lived in, around the turn of the 18th century, by William Hamilton of Gilbertfield (1665-1751), a retired soldier and writer.

Gilbertfield is a well-planned L-plan tower house. The stair tower, which projects to the north, was large enough to accommodate a series of rooms as well as a square turnpike stair.

The basement level was vaulted, and contained cellars and a kitchen, which had a large fireplace and oven. A service stair connected the basement with the hall above. The hall itself had a smaller fireplace, as well as large windows with gunloops in between. Above the hall were two further floors, each with three rooms; two in the main block, and one in the wing. At the highest level, the garret, two round turrets projected at the south-east and north-west corners. There was no parapet.

The castle is now a neglected ruin, the east wall having collapsed in the 1950s. Only the corbelling of the north-west turret remains.which fell down in the late 1960s. It is now deemed extremely dangerous as a lot of the brick work has fallen each year. The turret fell in the 1970s.

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Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

User Reviews

John Costello (2 years ago)
The castle is on the way to the rifle range and the club i am a member of i only se it on the passing to the club i have not been up to visit the remains of the castle.

jimmy paton (3 years ago)
Not worth the bother visiting it's clear the farmer and the army do not want you there we were told this is private land by both

G B (3 years ago)
Just a ruin surrounded by fencing in the middle of a field

David Hannaway (3 years ago)
Needs refurbished by lottery ??

Alan Lewis (3 years ago)
Highly recommended for those with an urge to state at what is little more than a pile of bricks. Perhaps I do the location an injustice, and the castle has a rich historical background. But, given it is inaccessible, being in a farmers field with no pathway, I do not see why it features on the map. Maybe there is a local historical society in need of a ruin to adopt. Perhaps its a 'selling point' to the developer of the local new build housing estate, estate agents larging the price with 'stunning view of historical castle' Personally, its a pile of bricks in the middle of nowhere, serving to let us know we arrived, or are leaving, Dechmont ranges.

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