Portencross Castle

In the castle's earliest days, it was known as "Arneil" (alternatively spelled "Arnele" or "Ardneil") and was held by the de Ross family. After the victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, King Robert the Bruce gave the estate to Sir Robert Boyd of Kilmarnock a year later. Replacing a small castle on Auld Hill, Portencross castle was rebuilt in the mid- to late-14th century on a rock promontory at the bottom of Auld Hill, overlooking the Firth of Clyde by Boyd's grandson, also named Robert Boyd. From this location, King Robert II probably signed 15 charters dated at Arnele between 1371 and 1390.

Portencross Castle was probably first constructed as a stone-built hall house and there may have been a barmkin protecting the structure. The next phase of building was to add upper storeys and an attic in the late 1400s. Around this time a ground-floor entrance was also added. The Boyds retained ownership of the castle until 1737 and made further alterations, including adding upper attic rooms and extending the spiral staircase to reach them. The local fisherman continued to use the castle after it was unroofed in 1739 and they may have made a number of small alterations.