17 Old Ruins to Explore in South Ayrshire Council

A medieval castle ruin sitting high up on the hills above ballantrae which was built by clan kennedy that succumbed to the conflict over Crossmaguel Abbey in 1601. There is a good walk that passes the castle. The original castle was wedge-shaped and had three square towers connected by battlement walls. The gatehouse was on the north side, and the keep was in the southeast part of the courtyard with a long hall house alongside.

A large impressive mansion and Category A listed, T-plan building of a late 16th-century date converted to the L-plan during the early-to-mid-17th century; its ruins stand about 1 km W of Dundonald, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Parish of Dundonald. It was held at various times by the Wallace, Cochrane and Montgomerie families.

The Alloway Auld Kirk, which dates back to the 16th Century, is a ruin in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland, celebrated as the scene of the witches' dance in the poem "Tam o' Shanter" by Robert Burns. William Burnes, father of the poet, is buried in the graveyard together with his wife Agnes and daughter Isabella as well as two of his nieces.

Bachelors' Club is a National Trust Property where you can discover more about Robert Burns’s formative years in an authentically restored attraction. In this 17th-century thatched house, Robert Burns and friends formed a debating club in 1780. You can see where Burns and his friends gathered to debate the big issues of the day!

This is a late medeival high single arched bridge crossing the River Doon at the south end of Alloway. It is believed to have been built in the 1400s: until then it had been necessary to cross the river using a ford. As a result a new bridge was built a couple of hundred yards downstream. This opened to traffic in 1816, and today still carries the main road through Alloway south towards Maybole and beyond.

Burns Cottage, the first home of Robert Burns is located in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It was built by his father, William Burness in 1757. Burns, Scotland's national poet, was born there on 25 January 1759. It is a simple two-roomed clay and thatch cottage and has been fully restored to become part of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

A majestic mansion house, which is home to a stunning 14th century tower and historic and luxurious mansion house hidden within beautiful, prize-winning gardens and over 2000 acres of parkland in Ayrshire, Scotland. The present form of the house dates back to 1843, although the earlier towers adjoin the newer additions.

The Cassillis Estate, based in Maybole, is nestled amongst 310 acres of land in the sprawling countryside. The castle, which has 112 rooms, is set in a 285-acre estate, and the tower is harled and washed in yellow. It was now one of the iconic attractions in this area and it attracts a lot of tourists to here.

Craigie Castle, in the old Barony of Craigie, is a ruined fortification situated in the Civil Parish of Craigie, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It consists of the ruins of a 13th-century groin-vaulted hall house and later castle. The hall house was vaulted in the 15th century, and remodelled into a tower house with ranges of outbuildings. The castle had two courtyards, and was defended by ditches.

Culzean Castle is a beautiful fantasy castle created by Robert Adam in 1772-1790 for the 10th Earl of Cassillis. Culzean is notable for its elegant oval staircase, circular saloon, painted ceilings and delicate friezes, this is one of Adam's greatest creations. The clifftop castle lies within the Culzean Castle Country Park and is opened to the public. From 1972 through 2015, an illustration of the castle was featured on the reverse side of five pound notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Dundonald Castle is a splendid example of a medieval tower house, with a fine barrel-vaulted ceiling in the lower hall. Explore the high-vaulted halls and gloomy dungeons of this splendid stronghold, perched on a hill above the village. The main tower was built in the 1370s by King Robert II to mark his succession to the throne. Its heritage is explored in the visitor centre.

Greenan Castle is a 16th-century ruined tower house, around 2+1⁄2 miles southwest of Ayr in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated at the top of a sea cliff, it was originally a promontory fort converted into a motte-and-bailey 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.

Kirkoswald Parish Church is located in the small village of Kirkoswald, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is a parish church in the Church of Scotland. The church is unusual in that its design was, at the very least, strongly influenced by Robert Adam, one of Scotland's outstanding architects. He was working at the time on his masterpiece, Culzean Castle, and there are many Adam features about the church. It was built in 1777 and is essentially unchanged since.

Maybole Castle, a former seat of the Earls of Cassillis, dates to 1560 and still remains, although aspects of the castle are viewed as "of concern". The Castle is the oldest inhabited house in the town having been built about the middle of the sixteenth century. It was built in the style of a typical Scottish castle, with square tower and round turrets, and strong enough to protect its occupants from unfriendly neighbours, of whom there were many at that time.

Dalquharran Castle is a category A listed building in South Ayrshire, Scotland, designed by Robert Adam and completed around 1790. The first recorded lord of the property which already included a castle, was Gilbert Kennedy, as stated in a 1474 Charter for the nearby Crossraguel Abbey; the estate was later owned by the Kennedy family for centuries.

St John’s Tower in Citadel Place is all that remains of Ayr’s medieval parish church, dedicated to St John the Baptist. The church appears to have been founded in the late twelfth century, and it was enlarged during the following centuries. In 1315 King Robert the Bruce convened a parliament or assembly in the church to decide the succession to the Scottish throne.

Turnberry Castle is a fragmentary ruin on the coast of Kirkoswald parish, near Maybole in Ayrshire, Scotland.[1] Situated at the extremity of the lower peninsula within the parish, it was the seat of the Earls of Carrick. Turnberry Castle is adjacent to Turnberry Golf Course. Turnberry Castle is surrounded on three sides by the sea, and the landward side is occupied by a golf resort. The ruin has been affected by the actions of centuries of severe weather and erosion by the sea, leaving little m