Can anyone help me please,I am looking for information on GilbertField Castle,I have been told my G.Grandparents owned this property at some time in there life, and would love to hear more about the castle, i Have read that Robbie Burns lived there.
Hi Roseleen.
I was brought up in Cambuslang.
As a teenager I used to work at the shooting ranges on Dechmont Hill, not far from Gilbertfield Castle.
The castle ( it is more like a fortified house ) is at the bottom of Dechmont Hill, near Halfway, on the south side of Cambuslang.
I have never heard any mention of Robert Burns having lived there though.
According to the book published by Rhona Wilson, titled "Old Cambuslang" the castle was built in 1607 by Sir Gilbert Cunningham. It was also home to Lieutenant William Hamilton. I'm afraid it is not much more than a ruin now.
Regards
Gordon Dunsmuir.
sorry to take so long in getting back, have not been here, thank you for the information,my mothers cousins has sent me a photo of Gilbert castle in the 1900's, and i cant believe this place was owned by my mother's family she never said,mind she never said she had a grandma either,according to the papers of this place it was left to go to rack and ruin,by one of my great grandfathers son's/or step sons and he stole all the money and went to Canada
In the late forties I delivered milk for the Twaddle Farm, they were farmers and either owned or leased the surrounding lands including the castle.
The Twaddle's that ran the farm were 3 brothers John,Callen and Jimmy also a sister Dole, the milk was delivered by Peggy the Clydesdale pulling a wagon.
At a ground floor room of the castle there were about 6 giant steel hooks 18" diameter, we as kids thought the owners hung and tortured their prisoners on these you could see what looked like blood on them.
In hindsight it may have been the kitchen quarters where they hung the meat.....I think.
There was a rumour that a string of pearls belonging to Mary Queen Of Scots were hidden in the castle.
thank you for the replies,sorry it has taken me a while to get back,due to illness,it was good to see interest in this place,i am not yet convinced that my family owned this property,but maybe just stayed there,i am going on what i have been told by family in cambuslang
Hi Roseleen,
I have sent you an item (with photograph) separately concerning your search. Hopefully it proves useful. It was contained in a book called 'Cambuslang' by, Ian. L. Cormack, published in 1984.
