Almond Castle
{{Short description|Ruined castle in Falkirk, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
Almond Castle is a ruined L-plan castle dating from the 15th century. It is located {{convert|3|mi}} west of Linlithgow, and north of the Union Canal, in Falkirk, Scotland. It was known as Haining Castle until the 17th century.Coventry Martin (1997) The Castles of Scotland. Goblinshead. {{ISBN|1 899874 10 0}} p.52 The structure is unsound and is {{Historic Environment Scotland|desc=Almond Castle |num=LB15314 |accessdate=31 August 2017}} protected as a scheduled monument.{{Historic Environment Scotland|desc=Almond Castle |num=SM1748 |fewer-links=yes|accessdate=31 August 2017}}
History
The estate originally belonged to the Crawford family, and they built the castle in about 1470. In about 1540 it passed by marriage to the Livingstones, who built an extension at the south west. They also built an extension along the south east wall in 1586.{{cite web |url= http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/linlithgow/almondcastle/index.html |work=Undiscovered Scotland|title=Almond Castle|accessdate=2014-07-31}} When James Livingstone was created Baron Livingstone of Almond in 1633 the castle's name was changed to Almond from Haining. After the Jacobite rising of 1715 the castle was forfeited to the crown by the Livingstone Earls of Callendar. It was abandoned in the 1750s.
In 1783 the ruin was sold to William Forbes by the York Buildings Company.
Structure
The ruin has a vaulted basement. The hall was on the first floor, while there is a kitchen in the wing. There is a courtyard, with a wall and ditch, enclosing the remains of 16th-century buildings. The castle was four storeys and a garret high.{{Historic Environment Scotland|cat=PLA|num=47808 |num2=NS97NE 3 |desc=Almond Castle |access-date=26 June 2025}} The entrance, on the long south east face, gave access to the first floor.
References
{{coord |55.9772|N|3.6735|W|display=title}}
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Category:Castles in Falkirk (council area)
Category:Scheduled monuments in Falkirk