The castle itself was constructed in the 1830s, but in the early 20th century, the space was converted into a psychiatric hospital that would go on to gain a reputation for being one of the most notorious in the world.
The Lennox Castle Hospital was eventually shut down in 2002, and with it went the sad and difficult history of the institution. Its crumbling and deserted former home is now forgotten, just like the hospital’s history.
The Glasgow Council began making plans for a new “Mental Deficiency Institution” in 1925. A few years later, in 1936, the complex that is now known as the Lennox Castle Hospital opened its doors to patients. Lennox was hailed as being decades ahead of its time when it first opened, and it was the largest and best equipped hospital of its kind in all of Britain.
Building the hospital required more than one million pounds, and it could accommodate 1,200 patients. There were separate dormitories for male and female patients, each of which held approximately sixty people in two wards. These dormitories were located in the hospital.
Patients also had access to a central Assembly Hall, which contained a stage, equipment for cinema shows, and recreational facilities. Each of the two communal dining halls had seating for 600 people.
The situation at Lennox Castle Hospital quickly began to deteriorate, despite the fact that it had a positive beginning. The hospital suffered from severe staffing and funding shortages, in addition to severe overcrowding. Patients who were especially susceptible to harm were abandoned in the expansive wards of the hospital.
It was generally reported by friends and family members of patients that hospital staff did their best despite a lack of resources, but conditions in the hospital were described as “wretched and dehumanizing.” In the 1980s, conditions had deteriorated to the point where the Medical Director of the hospital at the time, Doctor Alasdair Sim, stated that he had never worked in a “worse pit” and that he was “sick to his stomach about the plight of these poor people.”
One quarter of patients at Lennox Castle Hospital were found to be dangerously underweight and malnourished, according to a study that was published in the British Medical Journal in 1989. Some people believe that the Lennox Castle Hospital was involved in more than just negligent behavior.
Former patients recall being subjected to cruel punishments that were disproportionate to the severity of their offenses. Just for failing to address a member of the staff with the title “sir,” incidents occurred such as being hit with a baseball bat and being forced to run around the castle barefoot for a certain number of laps.
As a result of the allegations of abuse, neglect, and terrible conditions, Lennox has been compared to the cult television series American Horror Story: Asylum, which has been drawing comparisons between the two in more recent years. Those who attempted to escape would be apprehended, placed in solitary confinement for up to six weeks, given excessive amounts of medication, and denied the right to have any visitors or contact with the outside world.
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Patients who did not require medication were nevertheless given it in order to keep them subdued and ensure that they did not cause any disturbances in the overcrowded conditions. In point of fact, only about 10 percent of those staying at the hospital actually had a genuine need for anti-psychotic medication.
There have been multiple reports of patients at Lennox Castle Hospital not receiving adequate care, which has resulted in their deaths or serious injuries. One man was discovered in the middle of the night with a fire started in the bathroom, and he passed away the following day. Another patient passed away as a result of a heart attack, which was brought on by extreme anxiety while the patient was being physically restrained. A third patient suffered a serious injury when a nurse threw a scalding cup of tea on him.
The Lennox Castle Hospital finally shut its doors in 2002, after many decades of isolating patients from the rest of the world and their families.
Before the hospital was closed down for good, the last few patients who were still there were either reintegrated back into the community where they lived or transferred to more contemporary psychiatric units.
Since that time, the eerie location has been abandoned, and the buildings have suffered significant damage as a result of their neglect. The once magnificent Lennox Castle is now nothing more than a ruined shell. The area is still deserted, save for the occasional urban explorers who are curious about the abandoned hospital and want to see it for themselves.
In spite of the fact that numerous plans have been proposed to renovate the castle and construct new homes on the grounds, none of them have been successful up to this point.
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On the grounds of Lennox Castle, the Celtic Football Club constructed a brand new training facility in the year 2007. It is quite possible that many of the players and staff come and go without having any idea about what took place at the former hospital, which is located less than a half mile away from their cutting-edge training ground.