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Cathcart House in the foreground, Cathcart Castle on it's hill.
From 'A History of the Shire of Renfrew', Crawford 1710 , Semple 1782 & Robertson 1818
Amazon.co.uk
..and my bit..
OS64 NS586599
2 miles south west of Rutherglen, off minor roads south of B767, west of Old Castle Road, and east of White Cart Water, at head of Linn Park.
Sited on a hilltop precipice above the White Cart, Cathcart Castle survives only to a height of about 4ft.
The castle originally consisted of a simple oblong keep of 51ft by 30.75ft within a courtyard which extended a further 10ft on each side. There were four round corner towers on the perimeter wall.
The original entrance to the courtyard was in the east, opposite the main entrance to the keep. This was of four storeys and probably a garret, the basement being vaulted. The main door at ground floor level entered a small corridor. Opposite was the entrance to the basement, to the north was a turnpike stair within the walls accessing all floors above, and to the south was a small chamber of 5ft by 6ft which may have acted as a prison since there was access from above. The main chamber at this level was illuminated by three slot windows.
The hall on the first floor measured 32.5ft by 17ft and had several larger windows one of which had stone seats. There was a large open fireplace in the south wall. In common with the floors above there were various mural chambers within the walls.
The floors above had originally consisted of large single rooms, though that on the second floor had been subdivided to give two disproportionate rooms and a link corridor.
The castle was demolished to it’s present height by Glasgow City Council around 1980 due to it’s deteriorating and dangerous condition. It is now overgrown, and daubed with graffiti.
The Cathcarts held the estate from the 12th century, though the site of their original caput is not known. Some suggest the ancient earthworks at Camphill within Queens Park, others identify the site of the present ruin.
They were made Lords Cathcart in 1447, and built the castle in 1450. The property passed to the Sempills in 1546. They opposed Queen Mary at nearby Langside in 1568, but despite this she reputedly watched proceedings from a knoll known as ‘ The Court Knowe’ immediately west of the castle. It is also alleged that she may have stayed the night before in the castle, although both legends are unlikely. The Sempills built Cathcart House just to the south, and abandoned the castle to move there in 1740. The house has long since been demolished. A descendant of the Cathcarts bought the estate back, and he became Earl of Cathcart in 1814.
Full Version: Cathcart Castle
From Canmore
QUOTE
Archaeology Notes
NS56SE 43 58709 60054
For Linn Park (centred NS 585 593), see NS55NE 261.
(NS 5871 6005) Castle (NR) (rems of)
OS 6" map, (1967)
Cathcart Castle consists of a simple oblong keep, 51' x 30 3/4', surrounded at a distance of about 10', by curtain walls, strengthened with round corner towers. The ground floor of the keep is vaulted.
The estate of Cathcart belonged to a family of the same name from the 12th century. From its style, it may be assumed that this castle was erected in the 15th century. It was inhabited till about 1740, when the proprietor moved to a new house, and the roof of the castle was removed.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92; A H Millar 1889.
Cathcart Castle: A rectangular keep, the walls of which are now in a poor condition. They have been restored in places. Parts of the curtain wall can be seen, built into the natural rock escarpment on the S side of the keep. Here are the remains of a small tower with a shot-hole. A level area of ground W of the tower appears to have formed a small bailey.
The castle, property of the Earl of Cathcart, is closed to the public.
Visited by OS (J L D) 1 April 1954.
Welsh notes 'outline features on NE and E of monument on Court Hill, and on S of castle grounds immediately W of Old Castle Road, also on W side of Castle, suggesting a ringwork'.
Information contained in letter from T C Welsh to OS, 20 September 1974.
Cathcart Castle has had to be partially demolished as it was in a dangerous condition. The oblong keep has been reduced to a height of 3ft. It is hoped that the remaining walls can be consolidated, and a plaque put up.
Source: Glasgow Herald, 2 September, 1980.
At the N end of Linn Park (off Old Castle Road), lie the meagre remains of Cathcart Castle, atop a cliff overhanging the Cart. Only the lowest courses survive of the 15th century keep built by the Cathcarts. It was abandoned as a dwelling c. 1740, and sold for building materials. In 1866, it still had five storeys, and was surrounded by smaller buildings. It was a simple oblong structure within a barmkin, and had a first-floor hall over a crudely vaulted ground floor.
E Williamson, A Riches and M Higgs 1990.
NS56SE 43 58709 60054
For Linn Park (centred NS 585 593), see NS55NE 261.
(NS 5871 6005) Castle (NR) (rems of)
OS 6" map, (1967)
Cathcart Castle consists of a simple oblong keep, 51' x 30 3/4', surrounded at a distance of about 10', by curtain walls, strengthened with round corner towers. The ground floor of the keep is vaulted.
The estate of Cathcart belonged to a family of the same name from the 12th century. From its style, it may be assumed that this castle was erected in the 15th century. It was inhabited till about 1740, when the proprietor moved to a new house, and the roof of the castle was removed.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92; A H Millar 1889.
Cathcart Castle: A rectangular keep, the walls of which are now in a poor condition. They have been restored in places. Parts of the curtain wall can be seen, built into the natural rock escarpment on the S side of the keep. Here are the remains of a small tower with a shot-hole. A level area of ground W of the tower appears to have formed a small bailey.
The castle, property of the Earl of Cathcart, is closed to the public.
Visited by OS (J L D) 1 April 1954.
Welsh notes 'outline features on NE and E of monument on Court Hill, and on S of castle grounds immediately W of Old Castle Road, also on W side of Castle, suggesting a ringwork'.
Information contained in letter from T C Welsh to OS, 20 September 1974.
Cathcart Castle has had to be partially demolished as it was in a dangerous condition. The oblong keep has been reduced to a height of 3ft. It is hoped that the remaining walls can be consolidated, and a plaque put up.
Source: Glasgow Herald, 2 September, 1980.
At the N end of Linn Park (off Old Castle Road), lie the meagre remains of Cathcart Castle, atop a cliff overhanging the Cart. Only the lowest courses survive of the 15th century keep built by the Cathcarts. It was abandoned as a dwelling c. 1740, and sold for building materials. In 1866, it still had five storeys, and was surrounded by smaller buildings. It was a simple oblong structure within a barmkin, and had a first-floor hall over a crudely vaulted ground floor.
E Williamson, A Riches and M Higgs 1990.
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A couple of old images of Cathcart, no doubt we'll see something from Andrew's collection.
I'm sure I've posted these before!
Click to view attachment
A couple of old images of Cathcart, no doubt we'll see something from Andrew's collection.
I'm sure I've posted these before!
Cathcart @ The Glasgow Story
This interesting though short piece might help date postcards and old pics.
This interesting though short piece might help date postcards and old pics.
Yep - I'm sure this topic has been posted before. Anyhow, I found two old postcards of Cathcart Castle in my collection.
QUOTE
Yep - I'm sure this topic has been posted before
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't we have an old pic of Cathcart on the Portal Page in the earliest incarnation of Castle Duncan?
Another old postcard of Cathcart Castle, recently added to my collection, and postmarked 1903.
..and two more .
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Cathcart Castle, and below, Cathcart Castle and Cathcart House.
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Cathcart Castle, and below, Cathcart Castle and Cathcart House.
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Nice ones. Did you pick these up?
... borrowed. 
QUOTE (Gordon @ Aug 16 2006, 12:16 PM) 
QUOTE
Yep - I'm sure this topic has been posted before
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't we have an old pic of Cathcart on the Portal Page in the earliest incarnation of Castle Duncan?
we did? refresh my memories please and approx how many years ago so I can look in the back ups
Just realised where I'd seen it before.....my site. I found it when I was taking it down!
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