Stanely Castle is located in the waters of Stanely Reservoir. It was probably built in the early 15th century, on an island within a marsh. The castle is now a ruin. Since 1837 it has been partially submerged by the reservoir, and is completely inaccessible. When the water is drained it can be seen that the castle stands on a narrow promontory, which is connected to the reservoir bank on the southwest.
Stanely was the ancient seat of the Danzielstons. In the early 15th century the estate passed to the Maxwells of Calderwood, who sold it on in 1629 to Lady Ross of Hawhead. In the 18th century, it passed to the Boyle Earls of Glasgow. The castle was then used as a school, but was abandoned by the early 19th century. It was sold by the 4th Earl of Glasgow to the Paisley Water Company, who built the present reservoir.
References:Dryburgh Abbey on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders was founded in 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regular from Alnwick Abbey in Northumberland. The arrival of the canons along with their first abbot, Roger, took place in 1152.
It was burned by English troops in 1322, after which it was restored only to be again burned by Richard II in 1385, but it flourished in the fifteenth century. It was finally destroyed in 1544, briefly surviving until the Scottish Reformation, when it was given to the Earl of Mar by James VI of Scotland. It is now a designated scheduled monument and the surrounding landscape is included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan bought the land in 1786. Sir Walter Scott and Douglas Haig are buried in its grounds.