‘Most haunted’ castle to be demolished over safety risk

● Inspectors say crumbling building should be flattened

A castle which legend has it was cursed with bad luck is set to be demolished after it was deemed unsafe.

Birkwood Castle, a former psychiatric hospital near Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, was being transformed in a multi-million-pound project and was due to open as a hotel next spring. But the developers, who had proposed a “stunning boutique hotel”, went into administration in January and the site was put up for sale. A structural inspection has now revealed that the B-listed building is a safety risk and recommended that much of it is flattened.

It is the latest calamity to hit the 18th century Gothic mansion, which is regarded by paranormal enthusiasts as one of the UK’S most haunted places. The hospital closed in 2002 and it fell into disrepair. In 2015, a year after it was bought by the developers, a tower and part of a wall fell down in a mystery collapse. It made such a noise that locals reported an explosion.

The administrators of Birkwood Estates Limited have submitted an application to South Lanarkshire Council asking for permission to demolish the majority of the structure. The castle’s bell tower and front entrance will be retained after they were made safe by building contractors.

A report submitted to the local authority said: “Following a partial collapse of the castle, the proposal is to part demolish the remaining structure – retaining the bell tower and porte-cochere feature at the front entrance – in a controlled manner in conjunction with the downtaking of the structural scaffolding restraint system.

“Following extensive site investigation work, the structural engineers, concluded there are significant areas of the building beyond repair and consider the building, due to the recent deterioration … to be an unsafe working environment in which to carry out future stabilisation/development works.”

A decision on the demolition will be made by the council next month. Donald Mcnaught, of Johnston Carmichael, joint administrator of Birkwood Estates, said they were still hopeful of finding a buyer to develop the site.

The £80 million masterplan for the site included the creation of a 56-room hotel, holiday chalets and more than 150 homes. The 86-acre estate originally belonged to the Mackirdy family and the castle was used as a private residence until it was donated to the local authority in 1923.