Historic Places in East Ayrshire

Rowallan Old Castle near Kilmaurs in Ayrshire is a ruined fifteenth-century tower house associated with the Muir family, who were among the significant families of this part of Ayrshire throughout the later medieval period. The castle is the ancestral home of the family of Archibald Campbell Muir, later Earl of Rowallan and Chief Scout of the British Empire from 1945 to 1959. The ruins stand within the grounds of the later Rowallan Castle, a nineteenth-century Scottish Baronial house that is now converted to private residential use. The surrounding landscape of east Ayrshire around Kilmaurs and Kilmarnock provides access to the heritage of Dean Castle in Kilmarnock and the broader Burns Country of Ayrshire.

Dean Castle in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, is a medieval castle complex comprising a fourteenth-century keep and fifteenth-century palace in a country park of considerable scenic quality. The seat of the Boyd family for several centuries, the castle was restored in the early twentieth century by the eighth Lord Howard de Walden who assembled remarkable collections of arms, armour and early musical instruments now displayed within. The arms and armour collection is one of the finest in Scotland spanning several centuries of European martial culture. Dean Castle Country Park provides extensive grounds for walking, cycling and wildlife watching, gifted to the people of Kilmarnock and providing one of the most accessible and varied heritage and recreational destinations in East Ayrshire.

Loudoun Castle near Galston in Ayrshire is a ruined nineteenth-century Gothic Revival castle built around an earlier castle core, the former seat of the Campbell Earls of Loudoun. The castle was largely destroyed by fire in 1941 and has remained as a dramatic ruin ever since. The dramatic ruin with its tall Gothic towers standing within what became for a time a theme park before its closure in 2010 is one of the more unusual heritage sights in Ayrshire. The Loudoun Earldom was one of the significant Scottish noble titles of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with the Campbells of Loudoun playing important roles in the Covenanting movement and the political upheavals of the period.

Newmilns Tower, also known as Ducat Tower, is a 16th-century tower house located in Newmilns, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was built around 1530 and was originally owned by the Campbells of Loudoun. The tower has a rectangular shape, measuring 30 by 24 feet, with walls 5 feet thick and three storeys plus an attic. It features a parapet, corbelled-out rounds at the corners, and a chamber in each floor, along with a vaulted basement. The entrance is at ground level, protected by a heavy oak door. The tower's great hall on the first floor includes an open fireplace, a garderobe, a large window, and two cell doors with heavy locks, remnants of its use as a prison. The tower is surrounded by orchards and gardens, as noted by Timothy Pont in the 17th century.

Sorn Castle in the village of Sorn in East Ayrshire is a medieval castle substantially rebuilt and extended over the centuries, now operated as a luxury self-catering venue for exclusive use events and holidays. The castle incorporates fabric from the fourteenth century within a building that reflects the taste and ambitions of successive owners who added towers, wings and decorative details appropriate to each period of occupation. The village of Sorn on the banks of the River Ayr is a pleasant East Ayrshire settlement within the landscape associated with Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, whose birthplace at Alloway and various other Burns Country sites are within easy reach.

Caprington Castle is located less about 2 miles from Kilmarnock in Ayrshire. The building is now a mansion with battlements - the original keep, and the original turnpike stair are incorporated into the current building. Caprington Castle has been the Cuninghame family for many generations. The earliest parts of the castle date from the 15th or 16th centuries. The castle was remodelled in Georgian style around 1780. Further renovations were carried out around 1820 in a baronial style.

Barr Castle is located near the village of Lochwinnoch. The castle was a four storey tower house, with the main hall was on the first floor, accessed via a turnpike stair. The chambers were in the upper floors. The castle is now in ruins, and the gable ends of the castle have collapsed. There is little remaining of the courtyard.