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Kilbirnie Castle

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, Volume 1David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross, Edinburgh, 1887

Kilbirnie Castle is a ruined 15th tower which belonged to the Barclay and Crawfurd families.

The lands of Kilbirnie were owned by the Barclay family, and it may have been them who built the first castle here. The castle takes the form of an almost square keep of four storeys, the lower two of which were vaulted. It measures around 12.8m by 9.9m on plan with walls around 2.0m to 2.5m thick.

Kilbirnie Castle/

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, Volume 1David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross, Edinburgh, 1887

In 1470 Sir John Barclay of Kilbirnie and Crawfordjohn died, leaving an only daughter, Marjory. She inherited her father’s estates and married Malcolm Crawfurd, son of Malcolm Crawfurd of Loudon and an heiress of Galbraith of Easter Greenock and so Kilbirnie passed into the Crawfurd family.

Around 1627 Sir John Crawfurd of Kilbirnie and Easter Greenock built a hall block projecting east from the south-east corner of the keep, measuring around 22.7m east to west by 7.7m.

Kilbirnie Castle/

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, Volume 1David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross, Edinburgh, 1887

The castle burned down in 1757 and was left as a ruin.

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Alternative names for Kilbirnie Castle

Castle of Kilbirnie; Kilbirnie House; Kilburny; Killbirny House; Old Place of Kilbirnie; Place of Kilbirnie; The Place

Clans associated with Kilbirnie Castle

Barclay

Crawford

Surnames associated with Kilbirnie Castle

Barclay

Boyle

Crauford

Craufurd

Crawford

Crawfurd

Lindsay

Where is Kilbirnie Castle?

Kilbirnie Castle is in the parish of Kilbirnie and the county of Ayrshire.

Grid reference: NS 30357 54113

Lat / long: 55.7505700, -4.7045148

Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Kilbirnie Castle

OS map 341
Greenock, Largs & Millport (Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park)
OS Explorer map 341


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Directions to Kilbirnie Castle

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Weather at Kilbirnie Castle

19°C
max 20°C / min 18°C
3km/h SSW
1010mb
77%
23%
03:33 21:07

Few clouds
Weather observed at Kilbirnie at 20:57
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References (books)

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland Volume 1
David MacGibbon
Edinburgh, 1887
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore
Wikipedia

Castles near Kilbirnie Castle

Kersland

3.3km away

Glengarnock Castle

3.3km away

Pitcon (site of)

3.5km away

Ladyland Castle

4.3km away

Roughwood Tower (site of)

4.6km away

Woodside Castle

4.6km away

Lorabank Castle (site of)

5.1km away

Grangehill (possible) (site of)

5.3km away

Hill of Beith Castle

5.3km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Kilbirnie Castle

Auld Hill fort

13.4km away

Gleniffer Braes standing stones

16.1km away

Drybridge cursus

18.0km away

Langbank West crannog

20.9km away

Langbank East crannog

21.7km away

Longhaugh Point standing stone

22.2km away

Dumbarton Rock fort

22.5km away

Dumbuck crannog

22.7km away

Langbank crannog

22.9km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Kilbirnie Castle

Dunadd Class I rock carving

61.1km away

Old Kilmadock 2 Class I symbol stone

63.0km away

Old Kilmadock 1 Class II cross slab

63.0km away

Hawkhill Class III cross-slab

71.2km away

Blackford Class I symbol stone

83.6km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

88.6km away

Bore Stone of Gask Class II cross slab

92.8km away

Fowlis Wester Class II cross-slab

93.9km away

Fowlis Wester Church Class III cross-slab

93.9km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Kilbirnie Castle

Whitecleugh silver chain

61.0km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

73.7km away

Borland silver chain

75.9km away

Whitlaw silver chain

119.3km away

Haddington silver chain

122.6km away

Norrie's Law hoard

123.1km away

Traprain Law silver chain

129.6km away

Hoardweel silver chain

148.3km away

Torvean silver chain

192.4km away
more Pictish sites....

Accommodation near Kilbirnie Castle

Moorpark House Hotel
hotelKilbirnie
1.3km away
Burnhouse Manor Hotel
hotelBarrmill
8.7km away
Bowfield Hotel & Country Club
hotel, restaurant, barHowwood
10.1km away
Brisbane House Hotel
hotelLargs
11.5km away
Ardeer Farm Steading
bed and breakfastStevenston
12.3km away
Uplawmoor Hotel
hotelUplawmoor
13.0km away
Lynnhurst Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barJohnstone
15.2km away
St Andrews Guest House
bed and breakfastIrvine
15.6km away
Menzies Irvine
hotelIrvine
15.9km away
Kidron House Hotel
hotelIrvine
16.6km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Kilbirnie Castle

Bowfield Hotel & Country Club
hotel, restaurant, barHowwood
10.1km away
Lynnhurst Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barJohnstone
15.2km away
Premier Inn Glasgow (Paisley)
hotel, restaurantGlasgow
17.8km away
Premier Inn Kilmarnock
hotel, restaurantKilmarnock
19.6km away
Wee Café, Craufurdland
caféKilmarnock
20.1km away
Best Western Gleddoch House Hotel & Leisure Club
hotel, restaurant, barLangbank
20.2km away
Bull Inn
barPaisley
20.3km away
Ramada Glasgow Airport
hotel, bar, restaurantPaisley
21.0km away
Holiday Inn Glasgow Airport
hotel, restaurant, barPaisley
21.1km away
Premier Inn Glasgow Airport
hotel, restaurantPaisley
21.4km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 18th of May 2012 at 6:14 pm. Updated on the 25th of August 2024 at 2:23 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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