More than 30 firefighters tackled a large fire at a historic castle and former hospital last night.

Lennox Castle, in East Dunbartonshire, was seen ablaze shortly before 6pm, and fire crews battled into the night to contain the flames.

Nearby homeowners reported that a large part of the tower of the 19th century building had been lost.

The former mental hospital has been derelict and fenced off since 2002, when the last of the patients left.

The castle grounds are the site of Celtic's recently-opened £8m state-of-the-art training facility, though it has not been damaged in the fire.

Jock Porter, 78, of Lennoxtown, said: "I was out in my garden shortly after 6pm when I saw huge flames leaping out of the building.

"The smoke was stretching right across the sky to the Campsies. I can see that part of the tower has gone in the fire.

"I doubt if the fire engines would have got close to the castle, because the road is blocked off by a giant lump of concrete."

Local residents were distraught to see a much-loved landmark going up in flames.

Elizabeth Mooney, 59, said she had lived opposite the castle for 20 years. "I'm terribly sad to see it go up. It has such a great history. I know people who were born in that hospital."

Lennox Castle has been listed as a building at risk since 2002 and local groups have campaigned to save it from falling into ruin.

The castle was commissioned in 1837 by John Lennox Kincaid, and built by the architect David Hamilton.

It was used as a hospital during the First World War, but did not become a hospital outright until March 1927, when Glasgow Parish Council bought it, along with 1222 acres of the estate.

When Lennox Castle Hospital officially opened in 1936 it was hailed as being "100 years ahead of its time".

Katie Porter, 58, told The Herald that there had been plans to redevelop the building. "We keep hearing that the owner had wanted to turn it into luxury flats, and since Celtic moved in there was talk of a hotel."

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said 13 appliances, including one high-reach appliance, tackled the blaze.