Hamilton's royal past

Hamilton has a long and fascinating history shaped by royalty, religion and local families. This page gives you a quick guide to the town’s past and where you can explore it today.

How Hamilton began

The area was once called Cadzow. Its early links to the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde include a story from the year 568, when St Kentigern (also known as St Mungo) visited the royal hunting lodge and converted the king and queen of the Britons to Christianity.

In the 1100s the land became a Royal Barony. Later, Robert the Bruce granted it to Walter FitzGilbert, the ancestor of the Hamilton family. The name of the town officially changed from Cadzow to Hamilton in the mid‑1400s, and it became a Royal Burgh about 100 years later.

Castles, estates and landmarks

Cadzow Castle was first built during the reign of Alexander II. It was rebuilt in the 1500s and once sheltered Mary, Queen of Scots during her escape from Loch Leven Castle. Only parts of the structure remain today, and you can see them within Chatelherault Country Park.

Chatelherault itself was designed in the 1730s by architect William Adam as a grand hunting lodge for the Hamilton family. Adam also designed Hamilton Old Parish Church, which is still in use and is the oldest building in the town.

Other landmarks include the Mausoleum with its high stone dome. Hamilton Palace, once one of the largest homes in Scotland, was demolished in the 1920s. The site now forms part of Strathclyde Country Park.

How the town grew

Hamilton became an important stop on the stagecoach route between Scotland and England. By the late 1800s the cotton and coal industries brought rapid growth, and the arrival of the railway helped the town expand even further.

Find out more

You can explore Hamilton’s history and see items from its past at Low Parks Museum.