Next, in this previously unseen photo, is a rather rare view of Calderwood Castle, from the rear. Situated high above the nearby Rotten Calder river, the photo exclusive to Blantyre Project online, taken by early photographer David Ritchie around 1900 gives a good sense of scale and shows well just how grand this former building once was.
Ek historian and fellow local historian Chris Ladds once told me, “The building was demolished mostly in the 1940s by a scrap dealer, and had been damp for many years previous, with several rooms burnt out by fires. By 1951 only the central tower remained which was listing and was demolished on safety grounds as children were playing in it whilst it was on the verge of collapsing.”
With thanks to Alex Bowie for sharing.
Thanks for posting Paul, so sad that these old places disappearing from our land scape, adding to the diminishing of care for our communities.