Scottish Castles Association

Thanks to a well-planned itinerary and our generous hosts, the tour covered a range of properties south of Ayr revealing six centuries of development of castles and fortified houses through changing domestic needs and architectural tastes. Although we had researched an introductory talk for each site, it was often the owners’ intimate knowledge of the history of the building that was the highlight of the visit.

Day One

Cassillis House

Walking round the base of the harled tower, perched high above the River Doon, one realises the strength of the site chosen by the 14th century Montgomerie lairds. This great rectangular tower came to the Kennedys through marriage in 1373, eventually giving title to their earldom, and has remained with them until relatively recently. The tower was heightened in the 16th century. Sir William Bruce, the “king’s architect” was advising the earl in his remodelling by adding a massive turnpike stair tower with elaborate corbelling and decorative stonework. Another Scottish architect of note, David Bryce, was commissioned in 1830 to create the grand and comfortable addition in the newly emerging Scottish Baronial style romantically echoing the skyline of the earlier tower house.

Kirkmichael House

The Macnab family welcomed us into their home with its complex architecture and history reflecting social change. On an elevated site, the Kennedys’ 15/16th century block with stair turret, still visible at the rear, was extended in the 18th, and then a tall Scottish Baronial tower and crowstepped wings enveloped the original in around 1860. The house was sold to the Miners’ Welfare Fund in 1920 and later became a residential school for children with learning difficulties. It was brought back into private ownership in 1977 and our tour of the interior allowed us to see the different building styles and many period features, all blended seamlessly together in a triumph of sympathetic interior design by our hosts.

Cloncaird Castle

If Kirkmichael was partially enveloped, then Cloncaird was doubly so! Perched defensively above the Kelsie Burn, the 16th century tower of four storeys and a garret was held by the Mures. Of that, only the corbelled stair tower can now be glimpsed to the rear, as the house was converted into a most fashionable “gothic” mansion in the Gillespie Graham style in 1814, giving comfort, wonderful symmetry with the trademark dominating drum tower romantically situated in landscaped grounds. The ownership of the castle has passed through several families and even had a period as a convalescent home. It is again a private residence in the care of the Belchers who have developed the courtyard of the domestic offices behind the mansion into a glazed atrium event space with many of the cottages on the estate available for self-catering.

Dalquharran Old and New

At Dalquharran we saw the full range of changing styles of castellated architecture for the wealthy and powerful Kennedy lairds over four centuries. The original large elongated keep of Gilbert Kennedy circa 1474 stands high above the Girvan Water and probably was moated. In 1679 it was transformed into a renaissance mansion, “the stately castle of Dalquharran ...is the best house in Carrick”. In another 100 years, fashions had changed, and Robert Adam was brought in to replicate his work at Culzean by building a new mansion further up the hill. Finally in 1880, similarly styled wings were added to provide more accommodation for a family with nine children pushing the laird towards bankruptcy.

The highlight of our visit was the discussion with the owners, the Paton family, and representatives from the Dailly Community Development Trust on plans for the buildings and immediate estate. The area has already been opened up to the public with provision of wide accessible paths made from mining waste. Research is being conducted into using the water in these old, flooded mines as a geothermal source. Their intention is to look at ways to give the buildings to a charitable trust, supported by the Dailly community, giving economic and social benefit to those living and working locally.

Penkill Castle

The first visit of the day where Kennedys were not mentioned! The strongly sited 16th century square keep with its turrets and vaulted basement belonged to the Boyds. Thomas Boyd added a grander 17th century block with stair tower, presumably with the dowry from his marriage to Marion Mure of Rowallan in 1628, to give the classic L shape. In 1857, having fallen into disrepair it was extended in quite exuberant fashion with the addition of the huge drum tower and hall block to the east.

The real fascination of the visit was learning of the connection to the Pre-Raphaelites and being given a tour of the listed interiors. Alice Boyd, sister of the laird, became a pupil and lover of the married painter William Bell Scott and she inherited the property in 1865. Summers were spent at Penkill with Pre-Raphaelite artists and friends who hung their works in the east hall and Bell Scott decorated many of the interiors including an enormous mural lining the staircase in the drum tower. The Dromgoole family have been custodians of this artistic legacy for some 30 years and spoke of the tribulations involved in maintaining this nationally important artistic legacy.

Carleton Castle

The final visit of day one was to Carleton Castle, a small tower of five storeys belonging to the Cathcarts. A great location strategically placed between two burns, and which once guarded the road which ran along this high ground with views out to Ailsa Craig. It replaced the much earlier, 14th century, manor house sited on the nearby Little Carleton Motte. We could see the evidence of the vaulted basement and hall and the unusual intra mural stair spanning two storeys. Although built of random rubble, fine sandstone blocks were used for the corners and window surrounds. A strangely placed drain or garderobe chute(?) that can be seen high in the image gave rise to much discussion!

We were regaled with the salutary tale of Sir John Cathcart who, legend would have it, amassed his wealth by losing eight rich wives who met an “accidental“ end, falling from a walk along the nearby cliffs. The ninth was more circumspect and turned the tables; she survived the walk, Sir John did not.

Day Two

Thomaston Castle

Thomaston was originally a courtyard castle of the 13th Century built for a nephew of Robert the Bruce. Corry of Kelwood came into the property in 1507 and was probably the builder of the red sandstone mansion that is evident today. It was low built with elaborate corbelling and well provided with windows, but protected by streams and marshland, as we learned from our hosts. Almost unique to Thomaston is the pend that carries the castle entrance through the base of the stair tower. Thomas Corry was famously “put to the horn”, (declared bankrupt and outlawed), in 1588 and the castle passed to the MacIlvains of Grimmet and thence the Kennedys through marriage. It was then, most appropriate that the Marquis of Ailsa, Chief of Clan Kennedy, born in Cassillis House, should be our host and give a family nuance to the history some of us had researched. MacIlvain of Grimmet, resident at Thomaston, listed as the Kennedys’ wine merchant, for instance, smuggled the merchandise. The several Kennedy strongholds were needed to protect the family from each other in the many infamous family feuds. He also spoke of Culzean Castle being given over to the National Trust for Scotland and of Maybole Castle currently undergoing restoration, but unfortunately the work is running late and over budget.

Knockdolian Castle

At first Knockdolian has the appearance of an elaborate “conversation piece” in the grounds of the nearby Victorian mansion, but closer inspection showed us that it commanded a strong defensive position perched above the River Stinchar and was protected on other flanks by deep ravines cut by streams which have since been culverted to create the garden. The Grahame family were lairds when the original tower was built. It was later heightening to four storeys and crowstepped garret; the decorative corbelling, turrets, and remains of the cap-house over the spiral stair were plain to see. It did indeed turn out to be a source of much conversation and discussion!

Kirkhill Castle

Kirkhill Castle, or Glebelands, is an attractive L-plan, three storey fortified house dated to 1589 by the marriage stone on the window lintel illustrated. The TK is Thomas Kennedy descendant of Alexander Kennedy of Bargany and whose grandson of the same name became Provost of Edinburgh, making a fortune dealing in arms, and inheriting Dalqharran which we had just visited. The house still has, what was then, state-of-the-art security in the form of iron yetts on many of the windows and our hosts, Emily and Giles Skiba, told us that a recent Historic Environment Scotland inspection had found, what we could see, that the walls and wall-heads were still in relatively good condition. This was despite the actions of Col Barton, an eminent soldier with 40 years’ service in the 12th Lancers, who fought with Wellington in the Peninsular war and at Waterloo, and who built the new house in 1845 with the very prominent regimental coat of arms displayed above the main door. He decided rather than have the estate staff live in the old house, he would take the roof off to turn it into a romantic ruin! The Annual Waterloo Dinner with cavalry horse as the guest of honour was held here for many years and the current Duke of Wellington lives nearby.

Kirkhill sits in very attractive policies with a restored walled garden which the Skibas are developing as an event and outdoor exhibition space, a definite benefit to the local community.

Bargany House

No vestige remains by the Girvan Water of the “great lofty tower in the courtyard with stone towers in each corner” which was described in the 17th century. It was used as a quarry to build the new unfortified mansion, a three-storey block with projecting wings forming a courtyard, probably by John Hamilton, second Lord Bargany in 1681. This period of building was clear for us to see in the rear elevation, for to the front, extensions in the 18th and 19th centuries brought forward the wings, filled in the courtyard, added a large service wing to one side and Victorian series of state rooms on the other.

The Bollons family have recently purchased the house and we were given a tour of the grand interiors they are preparing to furnish.

Killochan Castle

This castle was quite definitely furnished! The interiors matched the grandeur of the architecture.

We, in turn, were furnished with a comprehensive, but succinct, introductory talk by SCA member Simon Forder who had researched the history of Killochan for the previous owners. We learned of the Wallaces holding the lands from the Earls of Carrick 700 years ago and the coming of the Cathcart dynasty, which had also owned Carleton, seen the previous day. Simon postulated an early 15th century start to the great tower and linked the many changes in its history to the various architectural curiosities that we should look out for on the tour of the interior. Of particular note was the splayed window with its iron yett piercing the thickness of the wall of the Great Hall, maximising light, but still providing security, a most unusual feature shared solely with Castle of Park in Wigtownshire.

Killochan is again owned by a Cathcart family and Sharon Lamont, estate manager, thankfully fitted our visit into their busy bookings diary and explained how the opulent and lavish interiors enhance the experience of Killochan as a venue for exclusive hire for weddings and private events when not being used by the family.

Newark Castle

The New-Wark of Bargany is a prime example of the development of castellated to domestic architecture set out in an almost linear timeline before our eyes: the 16th century tower of Kennedy of Bargany perched on its rock and the addition from the following century increasing accommodation and providing the spiral stair which we eventually took to give us far reaching views to Greenan Castle on the coast and out to Ailsa Craig from the wall-walk and turrets. In 1601 it was in the possession of the Crawfords, but it was bought by the Earl of Cassillis in 1703. The house was later extended. As a nod of recognition to more modern times, a casual castle enthusiast may stop at “David Cousins was the architect commissioned to extend the house in 1860”.

However, it has been the home of the Walker family since Edwardian times, Archibald Walker of the Distillers Company taking the lease and employing the leading Scottish architect, James Miller, to build a large, elegant, and equally imposing west wing in 1906/7. He eventually purchased the estate 40 years later. Mrs Walker, our host, was able to bring much-needed reality based on practical experience to our study of the building showing us a display of early photographs and Miller’s architectural drawings and making it quite clear which end of the house was the most favoured! The old is preserved thanks to the amenity of the new.

Postscript

At dinner on the Saturday evening, John Hunter our former Chairman, spoke passionately of the theme of our forthcoming October conference to be held in conjunction with the leading heritage bodies in Scotland, “Use it or Lose it”. Our tour had illustrated some of the ways our architectural heritage can be preserved and used; as private homes, commercial enterprises, and community assets. Equally well, there were other sites where the owner spoke frankly of “uninhabitable money-pits”. We were also told of the bureaucracy that can prevent owners adopting practical and cost-effective solutions to preservation. At the conference we look forward to reaching consensus on how these issues can be addressed.

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