Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Cowthally

Cowthally, a ruined castle in Carnwath parish, Lanarkshire, on the edge of a moss 1½ mile NW of Carnwath village. From the reign of David I. (1124-53) to 1603 it was the seat of the powerful family of Somerville, which, ennobled in 1430 under the title of Baron Somerville, became extinct in 1870 on the death of the nineteenth Lord. Burned by the English in 1320, but afterwards rebuilt, it was surrounded by moat and rampart, and accessible only by a drawbridge. James V. and VI. were both entertained here with great magnificence, the latter punningly remarking that the castle rather should be called Cow-daily, because a cow and ten sheep were killed there every day. See drum and the eleventh Lord Somerville's curious Memorie of the Somermlles (2 vols., 1815).


(F.H. Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4); © 2004 Gazetteer for Scotland)

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a ruined castle"   (ADL Feature Type: "historical sites")
Administrative units: Carnwath ScoP       Lanarkshire ScoCnty

Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.