Castle Semple Loch
| Castle Semple Loch | ||
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| Castle Semple Loch taken from Temple Hill | ||
| Geographical location | Renfrewshire , Scotland | |
| Tributaries | River Calder | |
| Drain | Black Cart Water → Clyde | |
| Places on the shore | Lochwinnoch | |
| Location close to the shore | Glasgow | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 55 ° 47 '49 " N , 4 ° 36' 40" W | |
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| length | 2.5 km | |
| width | 600 m | |
| Middle deep | 1.5 m | |
Castle Semple Loch is a freshwater lake in the Scottish Lowlands. It is located about 20 km southwest of Glasgow right next to the small town of Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire . The lake is easily accessible both by car via the A737 and by train from Glasgow. It is therefore a popular excursion destination and, accordingly, often overcrowded on weekends and public holidays.
Castle Semple Loch was originally part of a private estate of the same name, but is now open to the public and part of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park . In the west of the lake there is a water sports center immediately adjacent to Lochwinnoch, which among other things houses a rowing club. A bird sanctuary owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is on the north bank.
Castle Semple Collegiate Church
At the eastern end of the lake are the ruins of Castle Semple Collegiate Church , which was built in 1505 by John Lord Sempill. The collegiate church stands on the spot where the medieval Castle Semple was previously, but of which no ruins have been preserved today.
Castle Semple Collegiate Church has a square steeple to the west and a three-sided apse to the east. The well-preserved ruins still show numerous details of the late Gothic building and can be easily reached via a footpath from Lochwinnoch. It is under the protection of Historic Scotland .
Castle Semple House
Castle Semple House was a neo-Gothic mansion on Castle Semple Loch. It was built in 1735 for Col. William MacDowell, who had the Castleton House, which had stood in the same place, demolished for the new building. Castle Semple House was the center of the 3.64 km² Castle Semple Loch estate, which completely enclosed the lake. Castle Semple was especially famous for its lavish gardens.
In 1935 Castle Semple House burned to the ground. The ruins of the mansion were finally demolished in 1960. Only a few impressive archways and a small Folly Temple are preserved today , which only served the aesthetics of the entire complex and never served religious purposes. This so-called Castle Semple Temple is located on a hill called Temple Hill at the northeast end of the lake and offers a beautiful view over Castle Semple Loch.
Web links
- Brief description of the lake
- Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park website
- Historic Scotland
- Webcam with live images from the lake