| Airth Castle | |
|---|---|
 Airth Castle, seen from the south | |
| Coordinates | 56°03′41″N3°46′17″W / 56.06131°N 3.77138°W |
Listed Building – Category A | |
| Designated | 25 October 1972 |
| Reference no. | LB2102 |
  Location of Airth Castle in Falkirk | |
Airth Castle is a castle overlooking the village of Airth and the River Forth, in the Falkirk area of Scotland. Until 2023, the castle operated as a hotel and spa.
According to an account attributed to Blind Harry, in 1298 William Wallace attacked a previous wooden fortification on this site to rescue his imprisoned uncle, a priest from Dunipace. A later castle was destroyed after the defeat of King James III at Sauchieburn in 1488. The southwest tower is the earliest part, dating to the period immediately thereafter. An extension was added on the east side in the mid 16th century. [1]
Airth Castle was owned by Falcones. Mary Bruce, a daughter of the laird of Airth, was a companion of Mary, Queen of Scots in England. [2] The family were Jacobite sympathizers who were forced to sell after the failure of the 1715 rising.
The castle is a major historic building that retains much medieval fabric. As such, Historic Environment Scotland has designated it a Category A listed building. [3] The ruins of the former parish church of Airth are within the grounds.
Airth Castle is owned by Airth Castle Limited and was operated by Airth Castle Hotel & Spa, a company formed in 2004. It was a popular wedding venue. The operator entered administration and ceased trading in March 2023. [4]
Parts of the Airth Castle Hotel building were destroyed when a fire broke out during the early hours of 23 September 2024. [5]
The castle, like many in the area, has a variety of ghostlore stories associated with it. These stories include:
Falkirk is one of 32 unitary authority council areas of Scotland. It was formed on 1 April 1996 by way of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 from the exact boundaries of Falkirk District, one of three parts of the Central region created in 1975, which was abolished at that time. Prior to the 1975 reorganisation, the majority of the council area was part of the historic county of Stirlingshire, and a small part, namely Bo'ness and Blackness, was part of the former county of West Lothian.
Borrowstounness is a town and former burgh and seaport on the south bank of the Firth of Forth in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Historically part of the county of West Lothian, it is a place within the Falkirk council area, 17 miles northwest of Edinburgh and 6+3⁄4 miles east of Falkirk. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, the population of the Bo'ness locality was 15,100.
The Stirling council area is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and has an estimated population of 92,530 (2022). It was created in 1975 as a lower-tier district within the Central region. The district covered parts of the historic counties of Stirlingshire and Perthshire, which were abolished for local government purposes. In 1996 the Central region was abolished and Stirling Council took over all local government functions within the area.
Airth is a Royal Burgh, village, former trading port and civil parish in Falkirk, Scotland. It is 6 miles north of Falkirk town and sits on the banks of the River Forth. Airth lies on the A905 road between Grangemouth and Stirling and is overlooked by Airth Castle; the village retains two market crosses and a small number of historic houses. At the time of the 2001 census the village had a population of 1,273 residents but this has been revised to 1,660 according to a 2008 estimate.
Wedderburn Castle, near Duns, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders, is an 18th-century country house that is now used as a wedding and events venue. The house is a Category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
Blackness is a small village and harbour at Blackness Bay, an inlet of the Firth of Forth in Scotland. It lies 3.4 mi (5.5 km) east-southeast of Bo'ness, 5.0 mi (8.0 km) west-northwest of South Queensferry and 3.8 mi (6.1 km) north-east of Linlithgow, within the council area of Falkirk. It was formerly part of the historic county of West Lothian.
Kelburn Castle is a large house near Fairlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the seat of the Earl of Glasgow. Originally built in the thirteenth century it was remodelled in the sixteenth century. In 1700, the first Earl made further extensions to the house in a manner, not unlike a French château which is virtually how it appears today. In 1977 the house and grounds opened to the public as a country park. It is one of the oldest castles in Scotland and has been continuously inhabited by the same family for longer than any other. The castle is protected as a category A listed building, while the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
Amhuinnsuidhe Castle is a large 19th-century private country house on Harris, one of the Western Isles of Scotland. It was designated as a Category A listed building in 1971 and is now operated as a hotel and shooting estate.
Ackergill Tower is located on the coast of Sinclair's Bay, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of Wick, Caithness, in northern Scotland. It was built in the early 16th century, and is a Category A listed building. The building is a five-storey oblong tower house. The four-storey wing to the rear was added in the early 18th century.
Kinross House is a late 17th-century country house overlooking Loch Leven, near Kinross in Kinross-shire, Scotland.
There are a number of reportedly haunted locations in Scotland.
Cromlix is a five star country house hotel near Kinbuck, Stirlingshire, Scotland. It was constructed as a Victorian mansion, then first operated as a hotel from the early 1980 to 2012 when it closed suddenly. It was bought by tennis player Andy Murray and the hotel re-opened in April 2014, being managed by ICMI management group until December 2022. The hotel was brought back into self-management from January 2023 and was totally refurbished, with upgrades to all bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas of the hotel.
Cluny Castle was originally built c.1604 as a Z-plan castle replacing either a house or small peel tower. Sited in the parish of Cluny, it is south of Monymusk and north of Sauchen in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. Owned by three separate branches of Gordon families over the centuries, it was used to shelter Jacobite rebels in the mid-18th century. Extensive additions were made in 1820 to the design of architect John Smith when it was in the ownership of Colonel John Gordon. The private chapel, once completed in 1870, was described by the British press as "one of the first and most beautiful oratories in the kingdom". Two wings of the castle and the adjoining private chapel were destroyed by fire in 1926, but the damage was mostly restored.
The Caledonian Edinburgh is a five-star hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. Opened in 1903, it is an example of a British grand railway hotel. Nicknamed "The Caley", it stands at the west end of Princes Street and is a category A listed building.
Gleddoch House Hotel & Golf Club is situated in a 360-acre estate in Langbank, Renfrewshire.
Airth Old Parish Church is a ruined church in the grounds of Airth Castle at Airth, in the Falkirk council area in Scotland.
The Old Municipal Buildings is a municipal structure on Newmarket Street in Falkirk in Scotland. The building, which accommodates the local register office, is a Category C listed building.