FoSC held a drop in event at Strathaven library in the Powmillon room on Friday 16th January 2026 from 1pm to 7pm.
The aim was to share what we know about the state of the castle, the size of the challenge to deal with the known issues, and our plans to address these. We were joined by members of the Community Council who supported the event and are working in collaboration with FoSC in saving our castle. South Lanarkshire Council also supported the event and helped FoSC with producing the material used on the day.
The display consisted of material from the condition assessment of the castle (called the structural report) from April 2023, together with a detailed assessment of the “stack” to the rear of the castle (undertaken in August 2025) and a comprehensive costing exercise which had been undertaken in late 2024. It should be noted that the condition assessment was done from ground level and so is limited in its level of detail, so the costing is considered an initial budget-setting estimate.
This display allowed people to see photos of the issues, the severity, and the potential cost to put them right. It was arranged based on each segment of the castle. (sample images below)
We showed that the entire consolidation effort needs a budget of £350,000 – that will stop the deterioration and enable us to open the castle to everyone again. The majority of the issues with the castle are due to deterioration of the mortar joints and the stones becoming loose so the type of work needed is pretty uniform but pretty specialized.
An initial scheme of removing the trees and vegetation that are taking hold in the joints of the structure is expected to need £34,000 and we are really eager to secure this level of funding in the first quarter of 2026. If we can achieve this then we will be looking to raise funds to start consolidation work in the next 12 to 18 months. Our Community Council is working very hard to help us find sources of these funds and support our applications for them. We are also very fortunate that SLC are keen to see the Castle conserved and have offered to provide necessary contract support once funding has been achieved.
On the day we also had postcards of the castle and helium filled balloons (available for a donation!) and we made refreshments available for all who came. A steady stream of visitors representing the full spectrum of ages and genders in Strathaven enjoyed the lemon drizzle cake and a cuppa while they chatted about the castle’s future. Everyone was enthusiastic and interested and everyone had something interesting to say. The conversations that took place were heartwarming, interesting and very helpful to us.
We were visited by other organisations looking to work with us and potential funders looking to find out more about who we are and what we are doing. We learned a great deal about the castle and its environs from a number of people who have history with it and people who have a special interest in the place. This reaffirmed our belief that Strathaven Castle is not just an ancient monument but is a central component of the DNA of the community itself.
A really important aspect of the event was for those who came to show support for our proposals for the castle by signing our register. On the day we garnered over 80 signatures, which is fantastic as this helps us demonstrate to the holders of funds for community use that the Strathaven community is fully in support of this cause. If you couldn’t get to the Library on Friday our supporters register will be available in Strathaven for many weeks, both in shops and pubs and in the library. Data from the census of 2022 indicates that Strathaven has a population of about 8,000 people and about 4,000 households so we really need to amass many thousands of signatures to be confident of demonstrating community support to prospective funders. We need YOUR support.
If you couldn’t get to the library we’d love to hear from you. Please send us a message on our Facebook page or send us an email and share your memories, thoughts, anecdotes or even pictures of the castle with us. And, please, find the supporters register in Strathaven and add your name, it really will help us.