Sundrum Castle

Sundrum Castle is a 14th century tower which was extended in the 18th century.

When the first castle was built here isn’t known, however it probably replaced the nearby motte.

During the reign of Robert the Bruce the lands of Sundrum were granted to Hugh de Lacy. I haven’t been able to establish anything about this individual however Robert’s wife, Elizabeth de Burgh, was a descendent of the de Lacy family so there may be some connection there.

Later in the 14th century Sir Robert Wallace, knight, Sheriff of Ayr, was granted a charter of the lands of Somdrome and Quyltoun in the barony of Kyll by David II. In 1370 the lands of Sundrome, Dromiferne and Sywyld granted by David II to Sir Robert’s son, Sir Duncan Wallace, Sheriff of Ayr, and his wife, Eleanor de Brus, Countess of Carrick, which Sir Duncan had resigned.

The castle is thought to date to the 14th century so it may have been de Lacy or one of the Wallaces who was responsible for building it. Standing on a slight ridge on the south side of the Water of Coyle, it is rectangular in form and measure around 10.2m east to west by around 4.7m north to south with walls some 3.0m thick.

Originally it consisted of at least three main storeys and the entrance is thought to have been at first floor level at the east end of the north wall. A straight stair led down to the vaulted basement below which may have had an entresol level as there is an arch-pointed doorway midway down the staircase.

The main hall was on the first floor, with a fireplace in the west wall and intramural chambers at the north-west and south-east angles. A spiral staircase led up to the floor above which features a high vault which may also have had an entresol.

When Sir Duncan died without an heir around 1380 Sundrum and Auchincruive passed to his sister’s son, Alan de Kathkert.

The castle then remained in the Cathcart family until 1750 when it was bought by the trustees of John Hamilton, grandson of Hugh Hamilton of Clongall. Hamilton was responsible for extending and remodelling the tower in 1792 although it’s likely that the Cathcarts also increased the size of the building during their tenure.

The Hamiltons sold Sundrum in 1917 and in 1936 it was sold again and converted into a hotel. By the 1980s the castle was in a neglected state and in 1991 it was sold to property developers who built new houses to the west and renovated the main castle while splitting it into three properties. The castle remains private homes to this day.