Bothwell Castle

Woke to solid, wet haar but had seen the weather forecast and planned a trip west, to Uddingston.

The mist was patchy all the way to Harthill but gradually thinned by the time we arrived at Bothwell Castle. Now under the care of Historic Scotland this early C13 castle has undergone sieges during the Wars of Independence, battered by English armies, remodelled in C14 and C15 but never completed, but even by the late C17 was in ruin. 

We were the only visitors and the sun was creeping between the clouds so we ate our picnic on a seat in the quadrangle, surrounded by the donjon (keep) to the west, great hall to the east and the prison and postern gate to the south, overlooking the Clyde. Much of the castle is inaccessible and fenced off as repairs are underway, especially to the exterior round the postern gate, this area above the steep slope down to the river and the Clyde Walkway. We resisted the urge to take the path down, unwilling to make the climb back up but were rewarded by the sight of a peacock butterfly on ragwort flowers.

Driving the five or so miles (a relatively short walk as the crow flies) brought us to Blantyre and the birthplace of David Livingstone (see extra). He was born in March 1813 in an old textile mill (the building on the left of the photo), which housed 24 families, started work in the mill at the age of ten but became a missionary and explorer in Africa, seeking to stop the slave trade.

The museum is excellent, beginning on the 2nd floor with a room of the type the family occupied and then, throughout the entire building, telling his history and achievements in a variety of displays and artefacts. The staff are delightful and the cafe excellent. There is a splendid statue depicting Livingstone with two assistants and the lion, created by Ray Harryhausen and sculptor Gareth Knowles who scaled up Harryhausen's model and cast in bronze (extra 2).

By then the sun was warm so we pottered home on the A71, meeting the haar on the outskirts of town, finding the dewdrops on the  spiderwebs exactly as when we left.

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