Rough Hill

Hidden amidst the tapestry of Glasgow’s hills lies Rough Hill, a place etched in the annals of medieval history. Rough Hill isn’t just a hill. It cradles the remnants of a forgotten fortress, a motte-and-bailey castle that once commanded the surrounding landscape. Imagine a time when a mighty stone tower, its walls nearly two meters thick, stood proudly on this very spot. The castle at Rough Hill occupied a strategic promontory, guarded by the Kittoch Water to the north and a tributary flowing to the east. A formidable ditch, fifteen meters wide, once protected its southern and western flanks. Today, the ditch is barely discernible, a whisper of the past. The motte itself, a raised earthwork, still rises about three meters high, its flat top a silent testament to the castle’s imposing presence. Rough Hill Castle, a stronghold of the powerful Douglas family, met its demise in 1455. James Douglas, the 9th Earl, lost his estates after clashing with King James II. The lands, including Rough Hill, were bestowed upon James Hamilton, the 1st Lord Hamilton. Over time, the stones of the castle were plundered, repurposed for local drystone walls. Around 1743, during this dismantling, a hidden vault was unearthed, only to be filled in again. What secrets did it hold? What treasures lay hidden within its depths? We can only speculate. Now, little remains of Rough Hill’s glorious past except scattered stones and a flattened platform. These are the echoes of a vanished castle, a reminder of the ebb and flow of power, ambition, and time. Nearby, just across the Kittoch Water, lies Castle Hill. These two sites, separated by the river and a stretch of land known as Castleflat, hint at a larger, interconnected history, waiting to be explored.