Scheduled MonumentsScotlandCathcart Castle

Cathcart Castle

Scotland
HES SM2105
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Cathcart Castle is a medieval stronghold located in Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, with origins dating to the 15th century. The castle comprises a substantial stone tower house that served as a defensive residence for the local nobility, reflecting the architectural traditions of lowland Scottish fortifications of that period. The structure demonstrates the typical characteristics of a tower house design, with thick walls and a compact plan suited to both domestic habitation and military defence. The castle remains an important example of medieval Scottish baronial architecture and has retained significant portions of its original stonework, contributing to the understanding of 15th and 16th-century Scottish domestic and defensive building practices.

Cathcart Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2105. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cathcart Castle?

Cathcart Castle is a medieval stronghold located in Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, with origins dating to the 15th century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2105.

Who is responsible for protecting Cathcart Castle?

Cathcart Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM2105.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cathcart Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cathkin Park, former football ground, Glasgow (1.9 km), Busby Upper Mill, cotton mill 60m N of 1 Cartview Court (3.4 km), Castle Hill,motte (5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cathcart Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cathcart Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Cathcart Castle report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cathcart Castle

Cathcart Castle stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Carboniferous To Permian, bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.