Ardrossan Castle
In complete contrast to the beautifully restored Dean Castle, the next one to visit on my list was Ardrossan Castle. To get there, you have to drive into town, and then take a side road and it’s situated on the outskirts on a hill, overlooking the Firth of Clyde. There is a small carpark, which is free. The castle is a ruin, but nevertheless is still worth a visit, and the view from the hill, especially if you continue on past the castle on foot is spectacular. It sits fifteen metres above sea level, is one of the oldest in Scotland, though little is known of its history. From the information boards, this site was first used for a castle by Simon de Morville, a Norman knight, around 1140 and was built across four phases. It is believed that during the fourteenth century, the gatehouse was rebuilt, likely due to damage during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Further work was carried out during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, though the castle fell into disuse. Oliver Cromwell, along with his troops removed much of the stone to use in the building of his Citadel in Ayr and Ardrossan Castle has been in ruins since 1648. On site there is a board containing an artist’s impression of how the castle would have looked if they had had drones back in the day. There is another information board highlighting various castle terms and what they are in Gaelic.
No surprise there is a story about the castle being haunted, with the ghost of William Wallace, who is said to wander around these parts. At the time of writing I don’t know why. His involvement with the castle dates from the Independence Wars from the thirteenth century, when the English army held the castle. Wallace recaptured it, by setting fire to buildings in the surrounding area, and when the English troops came out to investigate, Wallace’s troops killed them. They then took the bodies back into the castle and threw them into a vault, now known as Wallace’s Larder. After the wars, King Robert the Bruce gave the land and castle back to Fergus of Ardrossan. As a side note, and looking back to part 51 of this series, when I went to see the Declaration of Arbroath, Fergus was the only Lord from the West Coast of Scotland to attach his seal to this document.
It is in a great location, with a magnificent view. The name Ardrossan, consists of ‘ard’ meaning height, and ‘rossan’ which is a rocky promontory. It describes perfectly. If you walk on past the castle, there is a great view, along with an information board pointing out places of interest. From this vantage point on the coast you can look over to Ailsa Craig, Irvine Harbour, Holy Isle and Lamlash Bay, Saltcoats Promenade, Ardrossan Marina, Ardrossan Windfarm, Largs and the Paps of Jura.
Also of interest to see is an obelisk, over forty feet tall, which was put up in memory of Dr. Alexander MacFadzean, 1788-1849, a physician and philanthropist. I didn’t know about this and it was completely unexpected. Dating from shortly after this death, he was honoured for his work with those less fortunate.
Despite the ruins, I enjoyed the visit, taking in a good deal of history, and a magnificent view. If down that way, I think it’s well worth a look.
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