Bothwell Bridge

About this place

Site of the 1679 Battle of Bothwell Bridge, marked on the bridge over the River Clyde.

The bridge over the River Clyde here marks the site of the 1679 Battle of Bothwell Bridge, in which government forces defeated a large gathering of Covenanters, Presbyterian dissenters resisting the religious policies of the time, in one of the bloodier episodes of Scotland's turbulent 17th-century religious conflicts. A marker on the bridge explains the battle's history for visitors, giving context to what would otherwise be simply a road crossing. It's a brief, informative stop rather than a full attraction in its own right, well suited to combining with a visit to nearby Bothwell Castle. It's free to visit, and the bridge and surrounding paths are largely accessible.

Make a day of it — within 5km