Newark Castle is located on the south bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to one of the last surviving shipyards in Scotland. With a name that literally means ‘new building work’ it is one of three such named castles in Britain.

The tower house was first built for the powerful Maxwell family in the late 15th century. A century later it was extensively remodelled by the notorious Sir Patrick Maxwell. He is best remembered as a murderer and a wife beater, actions for which he was never held to account.