Turnberry, Dunure, Greenan and Portencross Castles
Did you know that many of the castles to be found in Ayrshire have ancient monument status and not all are inhabited/used today and some are ruins but all are worth a visit. In this final part of my blog on Ayrshire Castles and Country Houses I’m going North up the Ayrshire Coast from Turnberry Castle to Dunure Castle to Greenan Castle then onto Portencross Castle……Enjoy
Turnberry Castle
The ruin of Turnberry Castle is situated just 17 miles South of the County Town of Ayr and occupies a rocky piece of land which now also houses the Turnberry lighthouse. It can be accessed by crossing the Trump Turnberry Golf course from the coastal road (the A719) close to the fishing village of Maidens. There are a number of sections of ruined wall which indicate that it was once an impressive courtyard castle, and it is best appreciated at low tide, when it is possible to walk out onto the rocks to see the walls of the ruined castle.
It’s thought that the castle was probably built in the 13th century and was a property of the Earls of Carrick. It was at Turnberry Castle that King Robert Bruce 1 (the son of Marjorie, Countess of Carrick and Robert de Bruce of Annandale – later granted the title of Earl of Carrick) was born.
In 1297, during the early Wars of Independence, the castle was burned by William “le Hardi” Douglas. After his coronation and swift exile in 1306, King Robert Bruce returned to Scotland in 1307, landing at his former home Turnberry, which had been repaired and reoccupied by the English. He did not succeed in taking it, but forced the garrison to abandon the castle. In 1310 it was slighted (the act of deliberately damaging a high-status building, especially a castle or fortification, which could include its contents and the surrounding area) on the instructions of Bruce in line with many other castles, but evidence shows that between 1326 and 1370 show that it was repaired. Unfortunately the castle does not feature again in records, so we do not know its subsequent history.
The castle appeared to be defended by a substantial curtain wall and ditch across the peninsular, presumably with a gate entered via a wooden bridge across the ditch. There is no evidence of wall towers, but it seems probable that the land-facing wall was supplied with these. The northern end of the ditch was overlooked by the large keep. The rest of the peninsular was surrounded by curtain walls which followed the irregular outline of the rocks, here and there bridging awkward inlets instead. There was at least one sea gate, defended by a large portcullis, and it was through this gate that Bruce entered the castle in 1307. The sea gate leads to a badly ruined vault forming the basement of the keep, and was supplied with stairs leading up to an enclosed courtyard. An eroded cave in the rocks may have been a second sea gate. Today this leads to what may have been another covered vault, or else the castle dock. There is no evidence to suggest there was permanent access to this area from the castle, so if this cave existed in the 13th century, access to the dock would probably have been by removable ladders! The irregularly shaped outer ward is largely destroyed and is occupied by the Turnberry lighthouse which was built in 1873.
Although access is possible to Turnberry Castle today, it is not signposted. Take care as the site of the castle can be dangerous, particularly in the wet, and there are no safety fences. If you do go and visit the ruins of Turnberry Castle you can always grab a coffee at Turnberry Lighthouse……
Dunure Castle
The now ruined Dunure Castle (just 5 miles South of Ayr on the beautiful coastal road – the A719) was once the main fortress of the powerful Kennedy family, the Earls of Cassilis. Today the Kennedys are much more closely associated with Culzean Castle (which I featured in my first blog in this series). Culzean is less than four miles down the coast from Dunure Castle but for several centuries from the 1200s, Dunure Castle was by far the more important of the two.
The castle’s origins probably date back to at least the 1200s when a stone keep was built on an easily defensible rocky outcrop overlooking the Firth of Clyde. The Kennedy family prospered, with one member marrying a daughter of King Robert III while another went on to become Bishop of St Andrews and the founder of St Salvator’s College. As they prospered, so their castle expanded. New ranges of buildings were added at a lower level slightly inland, and a curtain wall was erected to surround the whole castle. The new buildings included a kitchen range and a chapel, a great hall and a prison, plus living accommodation for the family and their retainers.
Dunure Castle featured several times in history during its active life including hosting Mary Queen of Scots for three days from 4 August 1563. She was a guest of Gilbert Kennedy, the 4th Earl of Cassilis. Mary made a number of progressions around her realm during her short reign, and Dunure thus joins a long list of those who would be able to display a “Mary slept here” plaque.
By the mid 1700s, Dunure Castle was a ruin but by the mid 1800s its potential as a visitor attraction was being recognised, and this brought a halt to the systematic destruction of what was left. Luckily now after many years as a derelict and dangerous ruin, the castle has been consolidated and is now partly accessible to visitors – so make a plan to go and see it – it’s on a headland just to the South of the beautiful wee village of Dunure (where some of Outlander was filmed)……..
Greenan Castle
Greenan Castle is a 16th-century ruined tower house, around 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south-west of Ayr It’s perched on the top of a sea cliff and was originally a promontory fort converted into a motte-and-bailey (a fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade) in the 12th century. In the 15th century a tower house was built by the Lords of the Isles, which later passed into the hands of the Kennedy family.
The lands of Greenan were forfeited by John, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles in 1476 for treason against James III. In 1493 James IV granted the Lands of Greenan to William Douglas, son of Archibald, Earl of Angus. The castle passed through various members of the clan before ending up in the hands of Thomas Kennedy, Earl of Cassillis in 1766. Around this time the residential use of the castle seems to have stopped and today the structure is a ruin.
The entrance lintel to the Castle has the inscription, JK 1603 FMD, for John Kennedy of Baltersan and his third wife, Florence MacDowell, who held the lands, Greenan Mill, and salmon fishing rights on the River Doon at that time.
Today the Castle looks amazing on the skyline as the sun is setting – and there is a lovely circular walk from the town of Ayr along the beachfront that takes you past the Castle and back along the old railway line – past the Brig’O’Doon and back into town……..if you get the chance take a wander by………and just enjoy what’s left of Greenan Castle.
Portencross Castle
This is the final Castle I’m going to include in my blog series Castles and Country Houses of Ayrshire. This is all about Portencross Castle which is located further up the Ayrshire Coast near the town of West Kilbride. It isn’t the biggest Castle but has a beautiful setting. An unassuming tower house, it stands alone on a low headland between a long sloping beach and a small natural harbour.
Portencross has been inhabited for thousands of years. An archaeological dig found evidence of an Iron Age settlement (The Iron Age was from around 800BC to 100 BC) on Auldhill, just behind Portencross Castle. The Castle was constructed in three phases starting around 1360. It was the home of a branch of the Boyds family of Kilmarnock who were given the lands around Portencross by King Robert I as a reward for their help at the Battle of Bannockburn. Though it’s hard to imagine it Portencross was once the preferred venue for the signing of important royal charters and Robert II, grandson of Robert the Bruce, was a frequent visitor.
Abandoned in the 18th century, Portencross later took on an unexpected new life as a base for local fishermen, who mended their nets in its cellar right up to 1980. The dangerously dilapidated fortress underwent extensive building conservation works in 2009 thanks to the amazing fundraising efforts of the Friends of Portencross, who have now opened this tiny treasure to the public – so so why not book a tour and find out all about Portencross Castle………..
I hope you’ve enjoyed this Blog Series – and each article has given you ideas for the many amazing Castles and Country Houses there are in Ayrshire – just waiting for you to visit – enjoy…….
Did you know that on the beautiful Island of Arran (often called Scotland in miniature) you can find Brodick Castle (which is packed with treasures) along with its lovely gardens, woodland walks, adventure playground and waterfalls. This is a must see during your visit to Arran. (I’ll be writing another Blog post – All About Arran in the near future – so look out for that).
The Drawing Room – Entertaining and impressing illustrious guests would have been an important part of life at Brodick during the Victorian era. Built as part of the extension of the castle in 1844 this magnificent room with a grand and opulent interior definitely has the ‘wow’ factor. It houses many grand family portraits as well as an intricate Jacobean-style plaster ceiling, designed by skilled Italian stuccadores. Its pictorial heraldry tells us much about the Hamilton family who owned the Castle for many years.
The Dodo Claret Jug – This beautiful object is connected to the 12th Duke of Hamilton, who had a penchant for animal-themed tableware. Many fascinating and unusual pieces from his collection can be seen in the castle. A number of these pieces were designed by the renowned craftsman Alexander Crichton, who was often referred to as the ‘fairytale silversmith’ because of his whimsical creations. Crichton based his animals on John Tenniel’s illustrations in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and it’s said that bringing these fantastical creatures to life was the triumph of Crichton’s career. They were one of the Duke’s most prized possessions – in fact, the dodo jug is completely unique.
iles of trails to choose from. These pass by woodland, waterfalls and bathing pools, all helping to conjure up an island charm that will enchant children and adults alike.
The Isle Be Wild adventure play park is ideal for explorers of all ages to enjoy – one section is for toddlers and younger children and one is for older children. This epic woodland playground features zip wires, high towers, bridges across burns and jungle-style walkways – a real paradise for our younger visitors. The play park also includes the Red Squirrel Kiosk, perfect for tasty ice creams, hot dogs and hot/cold drinks.
Dean Castle dates from the 14th Century. It was built by the ambitious, influential and well-travelled Boyd family, the Lords of Kilmarnock. The buildings and estate continued to be lived in and developed until the mid-1700’s, when a large fire devastated the site. The Boyd family moved on shortly after that and the site passed through the ownership of several important and influential people, until it was inherited by the 8th Lord Howard de Walden. 
Dumfries House
Woodland Walks and The Arboretum. 
The 15th Hole – Slaphouse – 480 yards – this is an excellent par 5 – teeing off from an elevated tee hitting through an avenue of trees to a slight left to right dog leg 
Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club – is the 26th oldest golf club in the world – co-founded in 1877 by Old Tom Morris – winner of 4 Open Championship titles.
from an elevated tee to an elevated green surrounded by punishing rough – a real risk and reward hole with the stunning Island of Arran in the background. It is 
A walk through the pines opens up into the new nine holes and provides a glimpse of what’s to come and also brings the first par three of the day. The fourth is challenging; no room to the left due to the burn and a sleeper edged green. Only one greenside bunker and small hillocks to the right and rear make hitting the green a little more difficult.
Irvine Golf Club – sometimes referred to as ‘Irvine Bogside’ owes much or its character and variety to the legendary course designer James Braid. It is highly regarded by the R&A being used as a final qualifying course for the Open Championship, when it is hosted by near neighbours, Royal Troon or Trump Turnberry.
There are several holes that call for thought and accuracy and none more so than the 4th hole – The Moor which is a par 4 requiring accuracy from both tee and second shot. The main West Coast railway line is out of bounds on the left, running the full length of the hole. A good tee shot will set up a short iron approach to the plateau green, and although the hole is devoid of bunkers, danger awaits the overhit approach, with the River Irvine and the railway line lying behind the green, whilst an approach hit short will leave a difficult recovery chip up to the green.
On the back 9 my favourite hole is the 14th – The Specs – a shortish par 4 where you need to avoid the bunkers on both sides of the fairway from the tee to set up a mid to short iron approach shot to the green which lies over a grass bank containing the 2 bunkers from which the hole takes its name. The green is two-tiered, making the accuracy of the approach important if a three putt is to be avoided.
Gailes Links (sometimes known as Glasgow Golf Club) has hosted major championship tournaments through the years and was designed by legendary golf architect Willie Park Jnr of Musselburgh. It was opened in 1892 by Glasgow Golf Club, the 9th oldest golf club in the world, whose members initially played on Glasgow Green and subsequently on Queen’s Park and Alexandra Park, all 3 areas which were owned and managed by the then Glasgow Corporation and were open to all Glasgow citizens whether or not they were club members. As golf mushroomed in popularity at the start of the 1890s and the Alexandra Park course became more and more crowded, the members decided to start looking for suitable ground in Ayrshire to establish a course which would complement the city one and, most importantly, which they themselves would control and manage – and soon homed in on Gailes and agreed the initial lease with the landowner, the Duke of Portland, in time for the course to be officially opened on 19th May 1892.
signature hole of the course, the 5th – a par five of 536 yards – a dog-leg with out-of-bounds to the right and a treacherous undulating green that’s guarded by strategically placed sand traps. Playing downwind the longer hitters may have a chance of hitting the green in 2 – other players should try and lay up to 100 yards out to give themselves a chance to make a birdie with an approach shot to the right side of the green leaving you with a makeable uphill putt.
On the back 9 my favourite hole is the 15th – a par 3 where although its only 140 yards to the front of the green it’s no pushover. Your tee shot must be accurate or a bogey or worse is on the cards. A narrow green is guarded by 2 deep pot bunkers on the right and a 10 foot drop on the left. The best play on this hole is a short to mid iron to the front of the green which will leave an uphill putt and the best place to attack for a 2 putt par.
Royal Troon is one of the greatest links courses in Scotland – founded in 1878 by a few enthusiasts, Troon Golf Club soon outgrew its purely local reputation. The Old Course today represents a stern golfing examination and in particular the inward half of Royal Troon is widely accepted as the most demanding of any Course on the Championship rota. It’s a challenging test of golfing ability with the wind and deep rough to contend with – with gorse and broom on each hole – where shot making is essential. 
From my (and many others) perspective the best hole on the course is the infamous Postage Stamp 8th – originally called “Ailsa” because there is a perfect view of the rocky islet of that name from the tee. The smallness of the putting surface accounted for the current name when William Park writing in “Golf Illustrated” said, ” A pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a Postage Stamp”. Much has been written about this 8th hole – the tee is on high ground and a dropping shot is played over a gully to a long but extremely narrow green set into the side of a large sandhill. Two bunkers protect the left side of the green while a large crater bunker shields the approach. Any mistake on the right will find one of the two deep bunkers with near vertical faces. There is no safe way to play this hole, the ball must find the green with the tee-shot. Depending on wind direction this 123 yard hole can play between a wedge and a 6 iron and can make or break anyone’s scorecard (including those of the top professionals!)
