St Bride's Church, Douglas
The mausoleum of the Black Douglases
in South Lanarkshire.
in South Lanarkshire.
This was once Douglas Parish Church and is of late 14th century origin. Parts were
re-roofed in the 19th century.
The Douglases rose to power with the support of Robert Bruce. Sir James Douglas died in Spain in 1330 (his tomb is within this church) while taking Bruce's heart to the Holy Land. That loyalty set the family against James II and they were eventually overthrown in 1455.
Their castle was less than a mile away but very little now remains. A link to photos of it is below.
The information boards in the churchyard give a lot more information and the church is in the care of Historic Scotland. Douglas Heritage Museum is next door but it's only open on weekend afternoons between April and September.
The Douglases rose to power with the support of Robert Bruce. Sir James Douglas died in Spain in 1330 (his tomb is within this church) while taking Bruce's heart to the Holy Land. That loyalty set the family against James II and they were eventually overthrown in 1455.
Their castle was less than a mile away but very little now remains. A link to photos of it is below.
The information boards in the churchyard give a lot more information and the church is in the care of Historic Scotland. Douglas Heritage Museum is next door but it's only open on weekend afternoons between April and September.
