Follow
Historic Buildings of Ayrshire
Now East and North Ayrshire
See Historic Buildings of Britain and Ireland - Main Page
Image right - Dumfries House
© Copyright Gordon Brown and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. Geograph
If you have information about any of the Buildings mentioned below please share it here. If you have ancestors linked to any of the places please add them to the project.
The object of this project is to provide information about historic buildings in the county of Ayrshire, with links to sub-projects for specific buildings as appropriate. GENi profiles of people associated with those establishments can be linked to this project and/or to individual projects where they have been set up.
Historic Buildings of Ayrshire
... in alphabetical order
❊ Indicates an available image in Gallery attached to the project
Including Castles, Abbeys, Manor Houses, Mansions, Stately Homes, Country houses, Estate houses, Courts, Halls, Parks and other listed buildings of historic interest
A
- Aiket Castle - Tower house, late 15th Century, Barony of Aiket
- Ailsa Craig Castle - Tower - ruin
- Ardmillan Castle
- Ardrossan Castle - Ruin
- Ardstinchar Castle
- Auchens
- Auchencloigh Castle - Tower House, 15th Century
- Auchendrane Castle
- Auchenharvie Castle
- Auchincross
- Auchincruive
- Auchinleck Castle
- Auchinleck Old House
- Auchinloss
- Auld Hill
- Auld Tower
- Ayr Castle
B
- Ballochmyle
- Ballochtoul Castle
- Baltersan Castle
- Barbieston Castle
- Barclanachan
- Bargany Castle
- Barnweill Castle
- Barr Castle - a.k.a. Lockhart Tower - Tower House, 15th Century
- Blair Castle
- Blairquhan
- Borland Castle
- Bradan Castle
- Brigend Castle
- Brisbane House
- Broadstone Castle - no remains - demolished in 1850 to build nearby farm
- Brodick Castle - Historic House - Isle of Aran
- Brunston Castle
- Busbie Castle - Tower House, 14th Century - scant remains, demolished in the 1950s
C
- Camregan Castle
- Caprington Castle - Tower House, 15th Century - Residence
- Carleton Castle
- Carleton motte
- Carmel Bank
- Carnell Castle - Tower House, 15th Century - Residence/hotel
- Cassillis House
- Castle Hill
- Castle Hill, Merkland
- Castle Hill, Waterhead
- Castle Knowe
- Castle William
- Castlehill, Ayr
- Cessnock Castle - Tower House, 13th Century - Restored as Residence
- Cessnock Castle
- Chapel Hill
- Chapelhouse
- Clonbeith Castle - ruin
- Cloncaird Castle
- Coilsfield Castle
- Corsehill Castle - Tower House, Ruined. Corsehill, Lainshaw, Robertland and Dunlop
- Corsehill House
- Craigie Castle
- Craigneil Castle
- Craufurdland Castle - Tower House, 14th Century, used as residence
- Crosbie
- Crosbie House
- Culzean Castle
- Little Cumbrae Castle - Tower, 16th Century - ruin
- Cumnock Castle
- Cunninghamhead Castle - no remains, near Irvine
D
- Dalduff Castle
- Dalmellington Castle
- Dalquharran Castle
- Dame Helen’s Castle
- Dean Castle, Courtyard Castle, 14th Century. Restored 1935-6 as a museum
- Dinvin
- Dowhill Mount
- Drongan Castle
- Drummellan Castle
- Drumsoy Castle
- Dumfries House ❊ - Palladian country house, located within a large estate west of Cumnock. Designed and built between 1754 and 1759, by John and Robert Adam. Noted for being one of the few such houses with much of its original 18th-century furniture still present, including specially commissioned Thomas Chippendale pieces, now owned in charitable trust by the The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust, which maintains it as a visitor attraction and hospitality and wedding venue. Both the house and the gardens are listed as significant aspects of Scottish heritage. In the 15th century, the estate was known as Lochnorris, and belonged to the Craufords of Loudoun. In 1635 the estate was purchased from the Craufords by William Crichton, 2nd Earl of Dumfries (1598–1691). The estate, and the title, passed via his daughter to his grandson William Dalrymple-Crichton, 5th Earl of Dumfries and 4th Earl of Stair (1699–1768). He commissioned the Adam brothers to design a new house for the estate. In 1814, the house was inherited by John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, and the property remained in the Crichton-Stuart family until 2007. The Crichton-Stuart family retained their main residence at Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute. In the later 20th century, the house was lived in by the Dowager Marchioness of Bute, Lady Eileen, until her death in 1993. The 6th Marquess died a few months later, meaning the house passed to her son the 7th Marquess, the racing driver known as John Bute.
- Dundonald Castle
- Dunduff Castle
- Dunlop Castle - no remains
- Dunure Castle
E
Eglinton Castle - the ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton, located just south of the town of Kilwinning. The original Eglinton Castle was burnt by the Earl of Glencairn in 1528. The current castle was built between 1797 and 1802 in Gothic castellated style dominated by a central 100-foot (30 m) large round keep and four 70-foot (21 m) outer towers, it was second only to Culzean Castle in appearance and grandeur. The foundation stone of the new Eglinton Castle in Kilwinning was laid in 1797, the 12th Earl of Eglinton, was proud to have the ceremony performed by Alexander Hamilton of Grange, grandfather of the American Hero Alexander Hamilton.
Image Right - By John Claude Nattes - This image is available from the National Library of Scotland under the sequence number or Shelfmark ID J.134.f. You can see this image in its original context, along with the rest of the Library's digital collections, in the NLS Digital Gallery, Public Domain, WIKI
Sir Hugh Montgomery, 1st Earl of Eglinton
George Arnulph Montgomerie, 15th Earl of Eglinton
Hon. Francis Cuninghame Montgomerie
F
- Fairlie Castle
- Fullarton Castle
G
- Gadgirth Castle
- Giffen Castle
- Gilmilnscroft
- Glenayes
- Glengarnock Castle
- Greenan Castle
- Greenhill
H
- Helenton
- Hessilhead Castle
- Hill of Beith Castle - Tower, 17th century - demolished in the 1750s
- Hunterston Castle
J
- Jocksthorn
K
- Keirs Castle
- Kelburn Castle
- Kerelaw Castle
- Kerse Castle, before 1600 - no remains, Craufurd clan
- Kersland
- Kidsneuk
- Kilbirnie House - George Lindsay-Crawford, 21st Earl of Crawford (5th Earl of Lindsay)
- Kildonan
- Kilhenzie Castle
- Kilkerran Castle
- Killochan Castle Place
- Kilmaurs Place
- Kilmaurs Tour
- Kilmaurs Tower
- Kingencleugh Castle - L-plan Tower House, 17th Century, ornamental ruins part of the Kingencleugh House estate
- Kirkhill Castle
- Kirkmichael House
- Knock Castle
- Knockdaw Castle
- Knockdolian Castle
- Knockdon Castle
- Knockshinnoch
- Kyle Castle
L
- Ladyland Castle
- Laight Castle
- Lainshaw Castle - Lainshaw House incorporates part of the old Castle - Corsehill, Lainshaw, Robertland and Dunlop
- Lainshaw
- Law Castle
- Law Hill, Symington
- Law Mount
- Leifnorris
- Loch Doon Castle (Balloch Castle) - late 13th Century, rebuilt 1920s - ruins
- Loch Doon Castle
- Loch Fergus Castle
- Lochmodie Castle
- Loudon Castle
- Loudoon Castle - Courtyard Castle - by 1820s - substantial ruins. Destroyed by fire in 1941, formerly known as Windsor of the North, incorporated into a theme park between 1995 and 2010
M
- Martnaham Castle
- Martnaham Castle - Tower, 4th and 5th Centuries (King Coil), ruins
- Mauchine Castle - Tower, 15th Century, still standing - a.k.a. Abbot Hunter's Tower
- Maybole Castle
- Milton
- Monk Castle
- Monkredding House
- Monkton Castle
- Montfode
- Montfode Castle
- Montgreenan Castle
- Nether Whitehaugh
N
- Nether Whitehaugh
- Newark Castle
- Newmilns Tower - Keep, 1530s. Restored 1997 and used as a residence. Known as The Keep
- Newton Castle
O
- Ochiltree Castle
- Ochiltree House
- Old Ha’, Gadgirth
- Old Loudon Castle
P
- Penkill Castle
- Perceton
- Pinwherry Castle
- Pitcon
- Polkelly Castle - Tower, 14th Century - Removed, ruins used to build a road
- Portencross Castle
R
- Ravenscraig Castle - before 1604, ruins. Corsehill, Lainshaw, Robertland and Dunlop
- Riccarton Castle
- Rincarton Castle - before 1297 - No remains
- Robertland Castle - Tower, 16th Century - The motte and a few stones remain. Robertland House was built from its remains.
- Rowallen Castle - 16th Century - intact
S
- Seagate Castle
- Shanter Knowe
- Skeldon Castle
- Skelmorlie Castle
- Smithston Castle
- Sorn Castle - Tower House, 1409 - expanded in 1909 and used as a hotel
- Southannan
- Stair House
- Stane Castle
- Sundrum Castle
T
- Tarbert Castle
- Tarbolton motte
- Taringzean Castle
- Templehouse Fortalice - no remains - Corsehill, Lainshaw, Robertland and Dunlop
- Thomaston Castle
- Terringzean Castle - about 1696, substantial ruins in the grounds of Dumfries House
- Tower
- Trabboch Castle - L-paln Tower House, 14th Century, ruin
- Treesbank House
- Trochrague
- Turnberry Castle
U
- Underwood
W
- Waterhead Castle
- Witch Knowe
- Woodland
- Woodside Castle
References and Sources
Ayrshire Specific
General
- http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castles/county/#sthash.Xn3ZSCEQ....
- http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
- http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_houses_in_the_United_K...
- http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/historichouses/
- http://www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/historic_house...
- http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/
- Historic Houses Association - represents 1,500 houses in the UK
- Hudson's Historic Houses and Gardens - UK - guidebook of over 2,000 houses open to the public
- The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses - database of over 7,000 houses
- Lost Heritage - A Memorial to the Lost Country Houses of England - list of over 1,700 houses
- National Trust for Historic Preservation - online database of historic houses in the United State
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Houses_Association - http://www.hha.org.uk/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Houses_of_England
Getting Involved
Feel free to follow, request to collaborate
To join the project use the request link under "actions" at the top right of the page.
Visit
Geni's Project Plaza
Working with Projects
Wicked Wiki
Geni Wikitext, Unicode and images which gives a great deal of assistance.
See the discussion Project Help: How to add Text to a Project - Starter Kit to get you going!
Historic Buildings Projects for other Scottish Counties
See Counties of Scotland
Historic Buildings of Aberdeenshire
Historic Buildings of Argyllshire
Historic Buildings of Banffshire
Historic Buildings of Berwickshire
Historic Buildings of Caithness
Historic Buildings of Clackmannanshire
Historic Buildings of Dumfries-shire
Historic Buildings of Dunbartonshire
Historic Buildings of East Lothian (Haddingtonshire)
Historic Buildings of Edinburghshire
Historic Buildings of Fifeshire, Scotland
Historic Buildings of Inverness-shire
Historic Buildings of Kincardineshire
Historic Buildings of Kinross-shire
Historic Buildings of Kirkcudbrightshire
Historic Buildings of Lanarkshire
Moray, Morayshire or Elginshire
this project is in History Link 