Scottish Castles Association

Busbie Castle as it was

Situated near Kilmarnock Busbie was an unusually handsome tower house with some exceptionally fine detailing.

Built around 1600 it rose to some 50 feet with both square and round turrets. The entrance was on the ground floor giving access by stair to the first floor hall, with its large fireplace and window seats. The ground floor was provided with wide mouth gun holes.

The castle was abandoned in the 18th century but hung on in a precarious state until 1952 when it was demolished on the grounds of safety.

It remained a pile of overgrown rubble until this in turn was swept away to enable a terrace to be added to a smallholding. Some stones, however, can still be seen heaped around the terrace base.

Consider now that if this castle had been saved what an addition it would have made to our Scottish landscape – instead what a loss.

Where Busbie Castle was - what a loss