Guide To Visiting Douglas – Home Of The Black Douglas
Not many people exploring Scotland will spend time visiting Douglas in Lanarkshire. It’s a shame, because they’re missing out on a historic wee gem that’s still home to Scotland’s greatest warrior!
It’s been a special place for me ever since I first made the walk out to Douglas Castle. Walking the old streets here, you can just tell it’s an old place. The irregular layout of the village, the worn stone walls and the narrow, winding streets all point to a long history. It feels like a trip to Douglas is a trip back in time.
This tiny place is the root of all with the name Douglas today. The great noble house of the Black Douglases sprung from this village and they would gather rich lands across Scotland, England, France and even Sweden! No matter how powerful they became, this was still a special spot for them. They remained Earls of Douglas throughout.
Hopefully, with this guide to Douglas in Lanarkshire, you’ll come to appreciate it as much as I do!
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Where Is Douglas?
Douglas is a very small village in Lanarkshire, just 45 minutes south of Glasgow! It’s found just a short trip from the M74 motorway with the A70 running through it. There is plenty of free parking on the street and nothing is very far for walking around!
It’s definitely easier to reach Douglas with your own transport. Here’s the best place to find car hire in Scotland and if you’re nervous about driving here, this article might help you!
It is possible to reach Douglas by public transport, but it takes much longer. You would need to take a train to the largest local town Lanark before the 9 bus or 259 bus to Douglas. Be aware that the buses are not very frequent. If you need to, then book train tickets through Trainline here!
Who Was James The Black Douglas?
By the middle of the 1400s, the Black Douglases were by far the most powerful family in Scotland. Their rapid rise through the ranks of Scottish nobility was all thanks to one remarkable man – James Douglas. If you’ve ever seen the film Outlaw King then you might already know a little of his story.
James was active around the year 1300, but he wasn’t the first Douglas to live here. His ancestors had been around for at least 150 years before him and their name came from the area – Dubh Glais meaning a dark stream. Thanks to James’ father William the Hardy refusing to bow down to the King of England, the Douglases were stripped of their land.
In 1306, young James Douglas joined the newly crowned King Robert the Bruce, quickly cementing his place as one of his closest lieutenants. He became known as Scotland’s fiercest warrior, winning skirmishes against all the odds. James even managed to capture the impregnable Roxburgh Castle in an ingenious manner.
He waited until the feast of Shrovetide when the garrison would be busy feasting and drinking. Then, his men covered themselves in cowskins and crept towards the walls. In the darkness, the guards just saw a herd of grazing cows and had no idea what was happening until it was too late and the Scots were swarming over the walls.
After victory at the Battle of Bannockburn, James was prolific in raiding the North of England. After the Scottish victory at the Battle of Bannockburn, Douglas was prolific in raiding the North of England. He was seemingly unstoppable, overcoming impossible odds and he picked up a new nickname. In Scotland he was known as the Good Sir James, but in England he was the Black Douglas!
James was so terrifying that English mothers used him as a boogeyman!
“Hush ye, hush ye, or the Black Douglas will come and get thee.”
It might have been a nickname from his enemies, but his descendants quickly adopted the title. It was a name to strike fear into anybody who might stand against them!
How To Visit Douglas Castle
As one of the most important historical sites in the village, a visit to Douglas Castle is essential. There have been many versions of a fortress here over the centuries, regularly destroyed and rebuilt from the ashes. Sadly, there isn’t an awful lot left to see today.
There’s one solitary tower standing on a mound, like the rest of the building has been suddenly torn away. It dates from around the early 1700s and once stood like a romantic garden ornament in the grounds of an enormous replacement. The Duke of Douglas wanted his new home to be even bigger than Inveraray Castle, although he died before it could be finished.
Sadly, in the 1900s, coal mining beside the castle led to it becoming unstable. Too dangerous to be allowed to stand, the enormous building was entirely demolished and you would hardly be able to tell it was ever there today. Just because there isn’t much left though, doesn’t mean it isn’t worth visiting Douglas Castle.
The walk from the village is a peaceful one on a good flat track, suitable for all abilities and alongside a beautiful wee loch. At the beginning of the walk, you’ll see the Polish Memorial Garden. It was created in 1940 by soldiers from the Polish army stationed here during WWII!
The Douglas Larder
If there’s one story you need to remember from this guide to Douglas, it’s about the Douglas Larder. This is probable the most famous event to take place at Douglas Castle, showing just how ruthless the Black Douglas could be!
In 1307, James Douglas was granted permission from the King to recapture his home. However, Bruce couldn’t spare any of his army to help with a siege, so James was going to have to rely on his brains. He arrived in the area with just a handful of men, quietly convincing other disgruntled locals to join him in secret.
On Palm Sunday, the garrison of Douglas Castle left to attend a church service at St Brides. James and his men travelled to the service in disguise before rising to the cry of DOUGLAS, slaughtering their enemy. Anybody still alive was dragged back to the castle, beheaded and piled inside the storeroom.
James didn’t have the men to garrison the castle, so he had to destroy it. His men gathered together everything they could carry, piled the rest inside the castle and set it on fire. The well was poisoned before they left and this grisly episode has become known as the Douglas Larder!
How To Get Inside St Brides Church
You can visit the very church of St Bride where that surprise attack took place. Most of what we see today dates from the 2nd half of the 1300s, but elements of the earlier building remain. There’s a sign on the graveyard gate telling you which door to knock on to pick up the key. From the moment you set foot inside, you can tell that its a special place.
St Bride became the Douglas family patron and this was the main parish church for centuries. It fell into disrepair after a more modern church was built in the village, but thankfully the Earl of Home had it restored in the late 19th century and that’s his mother’s effigy in the middle!
There are war memorials to the Cameronian Regiment on the walls but the real draw are the effigies around the edge. Even when this was still in use for weekly worship, it was a mausoleum for the Black Douglas family. Many were buried elsewhere, but the most important of all, James Douglas himself, lies immediately to your left on entry.
As a side note, the unusual looking clock tower has a story of its own. It was installed in the mid 16th-century after being gifted by Mary Queen of Scots and is said to be the oldest working clock in Scotland. It wasn’t actually working when I visited, so I couldn’t check if it’s still a few minutes fast, a nod to the Douglas motto “Never Behind”.
The Effigies Of The Good Sir James Douglas
The tomb of James Douglas gave me a chill down the spine to see it in person. The bones of the man who I’d heard so many stories of lay inside. He was the most fearsome warrior in Scottish History, rising from fairly humble beginnings to become one of the Kings most trusted men. Douglas had even taken Robert the Bruce’s heart on Crusade to Southern Spain!
During the trip, James met an old English knight who couldn’t believe this was the famous Black Douglas. There was barely a scratch on this legendary warrior! Douglas simply replied that his hands were always fast enough to protect his face…
He wasn’t invincible though and during a brave charge at the Battle of Teba, the Good Sir James was killed. It’s said he was trying to save his companion William Sinclair when he realised all was lost. It’s a later story, but Douglas allegedly launched the casket towards the enemy crying “Lead on Braveheart and Douglas will follow thee”.
The Crusaders won the battle in the end and James’ body was recovered, the flesh boiled from his bones and returned to Scotland. This tomb was constructed by his illegitimate son Archibald the Grim as a fitting memorial. Ever since, the coat of arms for the Black Douglas have shown the heart of Robert the Bruce!
The Other Douglas Effigies
James isn’t alone in St Brides and there are two other medieval effigies to see when you visit Douglas. Just along the wall, the effigy of Archibald the 5th Earl is in surprisingly good condition. This was James Douglas’ great-grandson and by his time, the family were one of the most powerful in Europe. Not only did he have huge estates in Scotland, but he was also the Duke of Touraine in France.
The Earl is dressed in a crown and elaborate robes, with images below, possibly of his children. Clearly, he wanted to be seen as an important statesman rather than just a warrior.
Across on the other side, James the 7th Earl lies next to his wife Beatrice Sinclair in a rare double effigy. He was much larger than the stonemason has made him out be, nicknamed James the Gross due to his size. This Douglas should never have been Earl, but he was partly responsible for the murder of his 2 great-nephew, clearing the road for his power!
Visiting The Douglas Heritage Museum
Just outside of St Bride’s graveyard, it’s well worth visiting the Douglas Heritage Museum before you leave. It’s located in the old Dower House for the castle, although that was later transformed into a school, a chapel and then finally, in 1993 it became the museum. It’s run entirely by passionate, local volunteers.
Inside, you’ll find loads of interesting information about the village and people who have lived in it. There are displays about important members of the Douglas family and their exploits at home and abroad. The displays are absolutely packed with interesting artefacts and it’s a must visit for anybody with a link to Douglas.
The museum is open Saturday & Sunday afternoons from April to September, but get in touch with them to get access outside of this.
The Cameronian Regiment Of Douglas
Any guide to Douglas would be incomplete without one last important story from this wee village. It was the home of the Cameronians, an army regiment that played a crucial role in many historic engagements.
They were raised in 1689 by the James Douglas the Earl of Angus, made up of Presbyterian Covenanters who had been followers of the radical Richard Cameron. A statue of the Earl behind the heritage museum remembers their origin story.
It’s said that 1200 men volunteered in a single day to join the regiment! They would be put to the test quickly, successfully defending the town of Dunkeld from the Jacobites in their first year. The regiment took on a couple of different forms throughout the centuries, until being finally disbanded in 1968. It was a sad day and it’s marked by a monument not far from Douglas Castle.
Where To Stay In Douglas
Make your visit to Douglas more than just a daytrip and stay in or around the village. It also gives you an extra day, just in case you can’t pickup the key to St Brides when you first arrive!
Douglas Manor – One of the only places to stay in Douglas itself, this one bedroom holiday home on the main street is the perfect base for a short trip.
Station House B&B – Just a 10 minute drive outside of Douglas, this is a fantastic little B&B with a friendly host and a great breakfast!
Where To Visit After Douglas?
This area of Scotland doesn’t get nearly enough attention, so stick around and explore after your day in Douglas! If you’re looking for a beautiful local walk, then how about The Falls of Clyde? If you want to follow in the footsteps of another Scottish hero, how about this Robert Burns Trail?
If you’d like to visit Douglas, then how about going on a Scotland’s Stories Tour?
Just click this link to make an enquiry and book your private driving tour today!
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