Castles · Scottish Lowlands
Greenan Castle
Greenan Castle — castle in South Ayrshire, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Ayr · 3.6 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Greenan Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in South Ayrshire, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 55.4386°, -4.6702°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Greenan Castle is a 16th-century ruined tower house, around 2+1⁄2 miles (4 kilometres) 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.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Greenan Castle is a 16th-century ruined tower house, around 2+1⁄2 miles (4 kilometres) 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.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
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 first known defensive structure on the site was a promontory fort, probably a fortified farmstead, enclosing around 1 acre. Four concentric curved ditches, each around 3 m wide, cut off the headland with the exception of a single causeway to provide access. It is not known how long this settlement was occupied, but the site was re-used in the twelfth century. Beside the tower are traces of a walled courtyard and outbuildings—probably stables and a kitchen block, as the…
Description
The entrance lintel has the inscription, JK 1603 FND, for John Kennedy of Baltersan and his third wife, Florence NickDowall, who held the lands, Greenan Mill, and salmon fishing rights on the River Doon at that time.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 55.4386, -4.6702
- District
- South Ayrshire
- Postcode
- KA7 4HX
- Parliamentary constituency
- Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
- Nearest railway station
- Ayr — 3.6 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q9704234 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Greenan Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Greenan Shore and Castle - geograph.org.uk - 380033.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Greenan Castle?
- Greenan Castle is in the Scottish Lowlands, United Kingdom (postcode KA7 4HX).
- Is Greenan Castle a listed building?
- Greenan Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Does Greenan Castle charge admission?
- Greenan Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Greenan Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Ayr, about 3.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode KA7 4HX.