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About Cornhill Castle

A hidden gem in the Biggar countryside

Nestled in the beautiful Scottish countryside, our scenic Cornhill Castle is surrounded by spectacular scenery and is filled with luxurious details for the perfect stay, a magical wedding day and an overall unforgettable experience.

Located just an hour’s drive from Glasgow and Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, we’re not far away from the main city links, but are spoiled by the tranquility and beauty of the idyllic Biggar countryside. 

Discover all that Cornhill has to offer and find out about the rich history of our enchanting castle venue.

Stay at Cornhill

At Cornhill Castle, we offer a variety of luxury accommodation, from classic, contemporary double rooms and grand, opulent suites, to our luxury Castle Lodges, with private outdoor hot-tubs. 

Our castle rooms and suites offer the ultimate retreat featuring contemporary touches and luxurious details, while our newly opened lodges provide the perfect Scottish escape any time of year. Whatever you choose you can relax in luxury, and take in the views spanning across to Tinto Hill and over the River Clyde.

We offer the best available rates if you book direct with us. Plus, we also offers seasonal discounts and special rates throughout the year.

Dine at Cornhill in The Ghillie

Inspired by our surroundings, The Ghillie restaurant is a true feast for the senses. Capturing the best of what Scotland has to offer, our seasonal mix of local produce and dining options is the perfect excuse to visit The Ghillie.

With a warming fire, dark wooden surrounds and subtle earthy tones you can settle back and relax as you look through our menus featuring many Scottish-themed favourites.

Say ‘I do’ at Cornhill

Nestled away in the secluded countryside, Cornhill Castle is the perfect Scottish castle wedding destination. With an idyllic location, exquisite gardens and luxurious interiors, Cornhill Castle is one of Scotland’s most romantic venues to tie the knot. 

With a variety of wedding packages on offer, we can help you bring your fairytale to life and make your wedding dreams a reality.

Get Together at Cornhill

Our versatile Castle can transform itself for any occasion. The location, space and facilities make us an ideal choice for any corporate events, family functions or a good old get-together. And we also add a tasteful touch of style and grandeur to any event.

Our Grand Ballroom is perfect for the more extravagant events, while our smaller public areas provide the ideal space for the more intimate occasions. Paired with our luxury accommodation, exclusive dining options, acres of grounds and secluded location, Cornhill Castle is an ideal venue for any event or occasion, all year round.

Our History

Find out a little bit more about the history of our enchanting Cornhill Castle and start planning your countryside retreat.

We’ve been a Castle on the Clyde since 1851 and if walls could talk, Cornhill Castle could tell a few stories.

For centuries, the stately building has enjoyed its secluded location beside the River Clyde with spectacular views across the Lanarkshire hills.

But it wasn’t always this majestic. The first mansion was not much larger than a farmhouse. It was built by the Bruce Campbell family. Today, it still exists as an annex to the main house. By 1851 the house was in the ownership of William Handyside from Midlothian, who in turn sold it to Alexander Kay, a Glasgow East India merchant in the 1860s. And this was when the building began to take shape.

Mr Kay was a busy man who had six daughters. Although Cornhill occupied a rural location, which he loved, he was still able to travel daily to Glasgow. 

The well-connected business man enlisted the services of architect William Leiper, who had designed Glasgow’s Dowanhill Church as well as the Doge’s Palace on Glasgow Green, built for Templeton’s carpet manufacturers.

The architect designed the grand building it is today. It’s an elegant Renaissance style French Chateau, built entirely of light coloured freestone sitting majestically by the banks of the River Clyde.

Further owners and transformations were to come. The Young family renovated the interior and by the 1930s it was redecorated again by either Mr Alexander Rennie Stenhouse, a Glasgow insurance broker or by Mr and Mrs W McCosh.

In the late 1940s, under the ownership of the regional council, the house became a home for the elderly. Then in 1998, Cornhill was bought by Mr and Mrs Fraioli, and under a major refurbishment made the amazing transformation to a much loved, and well visited hotel.

A ballroom suite was added in 2008 along with a wedding pavilion and many happy couples have pledged their vows and started those first steps towards married life at Cornhill. It’s become an important part of the community, as well as for people who travel far and wide. It’s a perfect rural escape from the city but it’s also easy to get to equally from either Glasgow or Edinburgh or from further south or north.

And to its present day, and another part of the Cornhill journey.

Manorview Hotel Group added the hotel to its portfolio in early 2016. Since then, the group have continued their investment into the castle, with recently renovated luxury bedrooms and beautiful public spaces. Within the castle grounds, we have also added 7 luxury lodges with hot tubs which all boast stunning views across to Tinto Hill and over the River Clyde. The family-run business already own seven other boutique hotels across the central belt of Scotland.

With a reputation for respecting and loving old buildings by giving them the care and attention they deserve, you can be assured beautiful Cornhill Castle is in very good hands.

And the rest, as they say, is history...