Ayrshire Castle

The highlights

• Staying in this Scottish castle offers such a unique stay. You will enjoy the castle’s remarkable features such as the prison space, a murder hole for pouring oil on intruders and a secret staircase.
• The location is amazing. It is a golfer’s and sailor’s paradise with fabulous courses and marinas. History lovers are also in awe. Loch Lomond is so captivating, you cannot miss it when you are staying at the castle.
• The castle is excellent for special occasions and celebrations. It can sleep many and the rooms are so atmospheric and memorable.

You should know

• The five floors are linked by a stone spiral staircase which is not ideal for guests with mobility issues or for very young children.
• The private garden is not fully enclosed so please keep an eye on adventurous children.
• Please let us know if you are celebrating a special occasion and would like to know about extra services that can be provided.
• Should you be thinking about Ayrshire Castle as a wedding venue, please note that marquees cannot be put up in the grounds.

The detail

Just how amazing would it be to stay in an ancient castle for a week! Ayrshire Castle comes with a fascinating history, a fabulous warm atmosphere and an endless list of nods from its glorious past. This exclusive Scottish holiday home at the foot of Law Hill has enjoyed many lives since it was built in the fifteenth century as a wedding gift for Princess Mary, daughter of James II of Scotland and her husband Thomas Boyd, the Earl of Arran. Its colourful history includes life as a court, life as a prison and six hundred years later, life as this one of a kind holiday home for up to fourteen guests. When booking Ayrshire Castle, you will be enjoying a holiday enveloped in stone walls and surrounded by tapestries, ancient relics, stone baths and a lavish atmosphere. The castle is surrounded by lush green lawns and amazing scenery. From its roof you can admire the Forth of Clyde and the Isle of Arran.

From its West Kilbride location, guests can enjoy golf at a number of world-famous courses, enjoy strolls on the Ayrshire coastal shoreline, fish in rivers and lochs or pop into the buzzy cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh on a shopping trip. Bookish guests will be in awe exploring Scotland’s literary past in the birthplace of the poet Robert Burns. West Kilbride enjoys some charming craft studios, galleries and some wonderful eateries. Ayrshire enjoys a rich history and heritage with the famous William Wallace and Robert the Bruce having their roots based here. The very first Scottish Parliament was held in Ayr following the Battle of the Bannockburn. Mary Stuart was born at Linlithgow Palace, the daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise.

Ayrshire Castle enjoys a fabulous blend of the medieval and the contemporary. Throughout the castle you will discover majestic four-poster beds, velvet drapes, wood burning stoves and flamboyant tapestries alongside a large television, iPod dock and underfloor heating. As well as modern roll-top baths, you will discover a unique stone one. The castle offers five floors with a spiral stone staircase connecting them all. The ground floor boasts two atmospheric vaulted rooms, one a utility room and the other the first of the six bedrooms. With regal style and plenty of charm, it also offers a one-of-a-kind ensuite bathroom. The first floor is home to the Great Hall and kitchen and the remaining levels are home to the remaining five bedrooms, bathrooms and a sitting room. The staircase continues to the roof level where there is an unusual ‘Caphouse’, formally the guard’s lookout.

The castle’s six bedrooms all enjoy their own personality, all reflecting the character of the castle. The Dungeon bedroom offers a quirky ‘ode to a drawbridge’ bed and a stone bathroom. You will think you have gone back in time but still enjoy the luxury of crisp cotton sheets. Above, you will find a four poster on a platform, heavenly surrounded by voile, you will find a heavily carved four poster surrounded by heavy, colourful drapes, you will find a four poster with a beautifully carved headboard and another with a tapestry backdrop. Most of the rooms enjoy a wood burning fire for chilly evenings. Tartan features throughout, another welcome feature. There are five bathrooms in all, some ensuite but all easily accessible to guests.

The Grand Hall and kitchen is absolutely fabulous, so characterful and charming. The kitchen has been fashioned out of what would have been the original cooking chimney at the far end of this magical space. It boasts a four ovened Aga, perfect for hearty breakfasts and delicious feasts. The atmospheric dining space comes next under vintage lighting followed by your attractive living space with its stone chimney, wood burning stove, sofa and chairs.

Ayrshire Castle certainly offers a unique and memorable stay. It is an ideal venue for photo shoots, for intimate weddings, corporate events and family and friends get togethers.

Features

Essential