Scottish Castles Association

Gilkerscleuch was destroyed by fire in the 1950s

Gilkerscleuch stood among the hills near to Crawfordjohn in rural Lanarkshire and was a building of some beauty.

It dates from the early 17th century and in 1632 belonged to the Hamilton family. It was thoroughly renovated in 1907 to convert it into a shooting lodge and so skilfully were the additions made if is difficult to make out the old from the new.

It was a rubble built L-plan with a circular stair tower in the re-entrant; thick walls; small windows and steep crow stepped gables.

In 1921 in came into the hands of the Mitchell family (of tobacco fame) but in the 1950s it was totally destroyed by fire.

In 1965 the burnt out remains were demolished and the stones carted off to be used as road bottoming. A modern house now occupies the site.