The 15th
century castle stands on a mound in the midst of a housing estate. The knoll has a moat
around its top, enclosing a flat courtyard in which stands the castle tower. The main hall
has a parallelogram plan, with square tower at the corners, two of which are gone. The
third is one storey tall, the fourth rises to five floors, and the uppermost was rebuilt
in 1847. A series of ladders lead to the viewing platform, affording panoramas over
Glasgow.
Crookston was built in the 12th
century by Robert de Croc but in 1330 was bought by Sir Alan Stewart. In 1361 it was
granted to his descendant Stewart of Darnley. Henry, Lord Darnley, was noted as the wife
of Mary, Queen of Scots; both visited in 1565. In 1757 the Maxwells of Pollok, who, by
gifting it to the National Trust in 1931, made it the Trust’s first property, bought
the castle. |
