0.25 miles south of Biggar on minor roads and foot south of A702, south east of Boghall Farm.
Scraps of one square and two almost circular corner towers survive of this 14th century courtyard castle of the Flemings. The scant remains are of 15th and 17th century origin.
McGibbon and Ross pieced together a fair picture of Boghall, the ruins being only a little more substantial in their day. From archive material they describe a very large courtyard within a ditch set in the midst of a marsh, hence the name. It was an irregular hexagon shape, of uneven sides, the entrance being at an angle of the northern wall. This was a large gatehouse of 15th century origin, with guardrooms either side, a battlemented parapet and corner turrets.
At either end of this wall were the two round towers about 17ft in diameter of which something survives. Gunloops show that they were later additions to the structure. Against the southern wall was a later mansion block with square stair tower centrally placed. Part of this remains. Just below the eaves of this, was inscribed the date 1670.
Click to view attachment
From the west.
Excavations at various times have been carried out by teachers and pupils of Biggar High School. This revealed the foundations of a 15th century L-plan tower house in the western section of the courtyard.
The property passed to the Flemings of Biggar by marriage in the late 13th century. They were descended from Baldwin of Biggar who in addition to his estate here held lands at Houston and Inverkip in Renfrewshire. He became Sheriff of Lanarkshire.
Edward 2 of England stayed at Boghall in 1310. In 1458 the family were made Lords Fleming of Cumbernauld, and more of their history can be read in that entry. James 5th visited, as did Mary Queen of Scots in 1565. In 1568 in the aftermath of Langside, the castle was surrendered after a siege to the Regent Moray.
In 1605 the family became Earls of Wigtown. In 1650 the castle was again besieged, and then occupied by Cromwell.
The 6th and last Earl died in 1747, and the castle fell into ruin. Over the years it has been used as a useful supply of stone, and so has deteriorated to its present poor state.
From Canmore;
QUOTE
(NT 0404 3699) Boghall Castle (NR) (Remains of)
OS 6" map, (1957).
Boghall Castle, once the seat of the Fleming family, is now reduced to the remains of three towers as shown on plan, standing detached in a cultivated field S of Biggar.
The whole structure was formerly surrounded by marshes and a deep ditch. The gatehouse was situated at a salient angle of the N wall, and from old views about a century ago, was a substantial structure. The NE and NW angles of the enceint e were protected by substantial round towers, which from the remaining features, are datable to the Third Period (1400-1542) of which the castle is a large and important example. They are circular externally, 17ft in diameter. The whole enclosure measured 192ft E-W by 205ft. There was another circular tower at the SE angle, but none at the SW. A mansion house stood at the SE angle of the courtyard. It was a plain oblong structure of T-form. Its stair-tower exists, and bears a stone dated 1670 when it was probably built.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1889.
The remains of Boghall Castle are as described.
Revised at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (RD) 12 July 1972.
Excavations have been carried out at Boghall Castle by pupils of Biggar High School from 1973-81 . Work has concentrated on four areas: (a) The most northerly trench uncovered foundations of part of the gatehouse, which from pottery evidence, appears to be of 15th century date. Behind the gatehouse are the foundations of another structure. (b) The se cond trench, in the centre of the castle area, revealed what may have been the metalling of a courtyard, disturbed by ploughing. © The third trench, dug in the W part of the castle, revealed the foundations of the smaller part of an L- shaped tower hous e, which from pottery and coin evidence appeared to be late 15th century in date. It was demolished in 1659. (d) The fourth trench was dug on the site of the house built about 1670. The foundations of the old circuit wall of the castle were found beneath the demolition rubble of the house.
Small finds include coins, pottery etc, of 15th - 17th century date.
E Archer 1975; 1976; 1977; 1979; 1980; 1981.
Photographed by the RCAHM in 1980.
RCAHMS AP catalogue 1980.
Architecture Notes
EXTERNAL REFERENCE
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Topographical Collection, Edinburgh. - 1 Lithograph.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Archer, E (1975 a)
'Biggar: exacavation of Boghall Castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1975, 32,
Archer, E (1976 )
'Biggar, Boghall Castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1976, 41,
Archer, E (1977 )
'Biggar, Boghall Castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1977, 22,
Archer, E (1979 b)
'Boghall (Biggar p), Castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1979, 39-40,
Archer, E (1981 a)
'Boghall Castle (Biggar p), 17th century house',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1981, 37,
Archer, E (1982 a)
'Boghall Castle (Biggar p), 17th century house',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1982, 26,
Archer, E (1980 a)
'Boghall (Biggar p): castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1980, 34,
Archer and Ward, E and T (1983 )
'Boghall Castle (Biggar p)',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1983, 28,
Archer and Ward, E and T (1984 a)
'Boghall Castle (Biggar p), castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1984, 27,
Bateson, J D (1990 )
'Roman and medieval coins found in Scotland, to 1987',
Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 119, 1989, 171,
Cherry, J (1978 )
'Post-Medieval Britain in 1977',
Post-Medieval Archaeol, 12, 1978, 116,
Coventry, M (2001 )
The castles of Scotland
Musselburgh, 93, 3rd
Egan, G (1983 )
'Post-Medieval Britain in 1982',
Post-Medieval Archaeol, 17, 1983, 195,
Egan, G (1984 )
'Post-Medieval Britain in 1983',
Post-Medieval Archaeol, 18, 1984, 310,
Egan, G (1985 )
'Post-Medieval Britain in 1984',
Post-Medieval Archaeol, 19, 1985, 175,
MacGibbon and Ross, D and T (1887-92 )
The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth centuries,
5v, Edinburgh, Vol.3, 320-4,
Webster and Cherry, L E and J (1976 )
'Medieval Britain in 1975',
Medieval Archaeol, 20, 1976, 186,
OS 6" map, (1957).
Boghall Castle, once the seat of the Fleming family, is now reduced to the remains of three towers as shown on plan, standing detached in a cultivated field S of Biggar.
The whole structure was formerly surrounded by marshes and a deep ditch. The gatehouse was situated at a salient angle of the N wall, and from old views about a century ago, was a substantial structure. The NE and NW angles of the enceint e were protected by substantial round towers, which from the remaining features, are datable to the Third Period (1400-1542) of which the castle is a large and important example. They are circular externally, 17ft in diameter. The whole enclosure measured 192ft E-W by 205ft. There was another circular tower at the SE angle, but none at the SW. A mansion house stood at the SE angle of the courtyard. It was a plain oblong structure of T-form. Its stair-tower exists, and bears a stone dated 1670 when it was probably built.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1889.
The remains of Boghall Castle are as described.
Revised at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (RD) 12 July 1972.
Excavations have been carried out at Boghall Castle by pupils of Biggar High School from 1973-81 . Work has concentrated on four areas: (a) The most northerly trench uncovered foundations of part of the gatehouse, which from pottery evidence, appears to be of 15th century date. Behind the gatehouse are the foundations of another structure. (b) The se cond trench, in the centre of the castle area, revealed what may have been the metalling of a courtyard, disturbed by ploughing. © The third trench, dug in the W part of the castle, revealed the foundations of the smaller part of an L- shaped tower hous e, which from pottery and coin evidence appeared to be late 15th century in date. It was demolished in 1659. (d) The fourth trench was dug on the site of the house built about 1670. The foundations of the old circuit wall of the castle were found beneath the demolition rubble of the house.
Small finds include coins, pottery etc, of 15th - 17th century date.
E Archer 1975; 1976; 1977; 1979; 1980; 1981.
Photographed by the RCAHM in 1980.
RCAHMS AP catalogue 1980.
Architecture Notes
EXTERNAL REFERENCE
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Topographical Collection, Edinburgh. - 1 Lithograph.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Archer, E (1975 a)
'Biggar: exacavation of Boghall Castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1975, 32,
Archer, E (1976 )
'Biggar, Boghall Castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1976, 41,
Archer, E (1977 )
'Biggar, Boghall Castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1977, 22,
Archer, E (1979 b)
'Boghall (Biggar p), Castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1979, 39-40,
Archer, E (1981 a)
'Boghall Castle (Biggar p), 17th century house',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1981, 37,
Archer, E (1982 a)
'Boghall Castle (Biggar p), 17th century house',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1982, 26,
Archer, E (1980 a)
'Boghall (Biggar p): castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1980, 34,
Archer and Ward, E and T (1983 )
'Boghall Castle (Biggar p)',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1983, 28,
Archer and Ward, E and T (1984 a)
'Boghall Castle (Biggar p), castle',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1984, 27,
Bateson, J D (1990 )
'Roman and medieval coins found in Scotland, to 1987',
Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 119, 1989, 171,
Cherry, J (1978 )
'Post-Medieval Britain in 1977',
Post-Medieval Archaeol, 12, 1978, 116,
Coventry, M (2001 )
The castles of Scotland
Musselburgh, 93, 3rd
Egan, G (1983 )
'Post-Medieval Britain in 1982',
Post-Medieval Archaeol, 17, 1983, 195,
Egan, G (1984 )
'Post-Medieval Britain in 1983',
Post-Medieval Archaeol, 18, 1984, 310,
Egan, G (1985 )
'Post-Medieval Britain in 1984',
Post-Medieval Archaeol, 19, 1985, 175,
MacGibbon and Ross, D and T (1887-92 )
The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth centuries,
5v, Edinburgh, Vol.3, 320-4,
Webster and Cherry, L E and J (1976 )
'Medieval Britain in 1975',
Medieval Archaeol, 20, 1976, 186,