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Greenan Castle stands atop a sea cliff 2.5 mi (4.0 km) southwest of Ayr, South Ayrshire in Scotland. These ruins were a 16th-century tower house built atop an earlier motte and bailey fort. The remains of the original 15th century stone tower house are open to view for no admission fee.
Visiting Greenan Castle
Parking
Although one may not park beside the castle, one may visit the castle from a stunning 2-mile (3.22-kilometre) beach walk from Ayr centre. You may park at the car park at Greenan Road and follow the well-used path to the beach. The castle stands to your left, and one may access the exterior via a path further past the castle that winds up the steep grassy slope.
Price
Free
Opening
Open year-round; visit at any reasonable time during daylight hours.
Location & Access
2.5 mi (4.02 km) South-West of Ayr Railway Station,
Ayr KA7 4HX Scotland, NS31NW 1
One may access Greenan Castle from the car park at Greenan Road to walk up to the castle and to a grassy path. Visitors may walk extended this trail to take in the beauty of the beach. You may find more information on the Greenan Castle walk here.
Know Before You Go
- There are no signposts for Greenan Castle, but one may find it easily due to its prominent position over the beach at Doonfoot.
- If you plan a castle visit, you should bear in mind the instability of the structure and take care when approaching the ruins.
- Sturdy footwear is a must for those planning a climb to the castle.
History of Greenan Castle
Greenan Castle stands on a site that has been used for fortification since the 1100s. Once a promontory fort, it became a motte and bailey structure in the 12th century. The Lord of Isles built a Tower House in the 1500s, which passed to the Kennedy clan. The castle lies abandoned since the 1800s.
Time Line
- 11th Century (Fortified Farmstead)
Four curved ditches arranged in concentric arrangement show evidence of an early fortified farmstead with a causeway to provide access.
-1124–53 (Motte and Bailey)
During David II’s reign, immigrants were likely encouraged to settle in the north and created a motte and bailey fort from timber and earth.
-1190 (Ownership)
Historical records show that Roger de Scalebroc granted fishing rights and a ‘toft below his castle of Greenan. For three centuries, ownership of the castle remains a point of speculation.
-1475 (Lord of Isles)
Greenan castle is under the ownership of John, the Earl of Ross, otherwise known as the Lord of Isles. He then passed the lands onto John Davidson.
-1510 (Stone Castle Building)
Historians believe that Thomas Davidson built the Grenan castle over the earlier motte and bailey structure. This tower house was three stories high with a basement, a great hall with an internal turnpike stair in the thick walls.
-1576
Paul Reid, otherwise known as the Burgess of Ayr, assumed ownership of the Greenan castle for a short time before selling the castle to John Kennedy of Balterson in 1588.
-1603 (Upgrades)
John Kennedy extensively remodels the existing castle, adding a curtain wall, three-story wing and a new entrance. The courtyard would have included several buildings related to castle activities, such as a brewhouse, kitchen and stables.
-1601 (Clan Wars)
The castle became the scene of inter-clan battle after the murder of Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean. Ownership passes through various clan members until the mid-1700s.
-1766
Sir Thomas Kennedy, the Earl of Cassillis, assumes ownership of Greenan castle, and from then on, the castle falls into disrepair.
-1789 (Ruins)
Historical records refer to the castle as being without a roof and speculate that the castle fell into disuse sometime after the last Jacobite revolts.
-1995
Historic Environment Scotland confers the status of a scheduled monument on the Greenan Castle.
Greenan Castle Occupants
- 1190: Roger de Scalebroc erects a motte and bailey fortress on the Greenan Castle site
- 13th century: Roberts daughter Christina and her husband Roderick (Ruairi) MacGillescop assume ownership
- Mid 15th century: John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, takes ownership either through a royal grant or familial relations to Christina and her husband, Roderick MacGillescop
- 1475: John of Islay granted the barony of Greenan to John Davidson
- 1564: Pual Reid Assumes a burgess of Ayr ownership of the castle
- 1603: Historians believe John Kennedy built the stone castle, and it is he and his wife’s initials on the 1603 datestone at Greenan castle
Images of Greenan Castle
Images Supplied and licensed from Shutterstock Standard Licence Package
Greenan Castle Q&A
How Big Is Greenan Castle?
A tower house once stood within the earlier inner defences of a motte and bailey castle. A ditch of 75.5 ft (23.01 m) across and 6.5 ft (1.98 m) deep cuts off the fore of the promontory, which spans 91.8 ft by 52.4 ft (27.98 m by 15.97 m).
The bailey in the south measures 229.66 ft by 85.30 ft (70 m by 26 m) and encircled by an external ditch of 44.95 ft (13.7 m) wide and 9.84 ft (3 m) deep. The tower is oblong that measures 34.44 ft by 27.56 ft (10.5 m by 8.4 m) and has three floors and a garret with a vaulted basement. A rubble wall extends along the crest, which may be part of earlier construction.
Is It Safe To Visit Greenan Castle?
In recent years, local authorities stabilised Greenan Castle and then passed the bill for repairs to the current owner. Further work may be necessary to make the site safe. The ground floor entry is already closed off, with bricks and brickwork support added to the wall facing the ocean.
An unfortunate death occurred at Greenan castle in 2012 when a visitor fell from the castle and died from his injuries. Because the structure and position of the castle are unstable, the council has bricked off interior access. However, one can admire this historical monument from the exterior along with the breathtaking views.
Since a man lost his life falling from the castle ruins, the public has demanded warning signs around the castle site. Visitors should take care of the precipitous drops and the ageing stonework’s unstable nature when visiting the site. Visitors should also ensure they wear proper footwear when visiting the site.
Is Greenan Castle a Scheduled Monument?
Historic Environment Scotland designated the Greenan Castle as a scheduled monument on
February 21, 1955. The historical significance of the site is twofold. Firstly the castle tower stands on an earlier fort whose earthworks are of great archaeological importance. The field characteristics and earthworks reveal the development of defended sites in the medieval period.
Secondly, the iron age promontory fort forms integral to understanding Iron Age defence systems and social organisation. Of particular significance is the unusual entrance feature on the outer defence lines.
How Old Is Greenan Castle?
The Greenan Castle site was in use centuries before the current castle. At first, the cliffs’ protection drew early inhabitants to use the site's strategic advantages. The Site bears the vestiges of an unusually structured iron age promontory fort with an obliquely laid entrance to the keep.
The later motte and bailey structure was typical of its time and made of wood and earthworks surrounded by a palisade and ditch protection. Historians believe that Lords of Isles built the castle proper in the 15th century before the site changed hands to the Kennedy clan.
Once the site of an earlier promontory fort, the ruinous 16th-century tower house still keeps its centuries-old vigil over the Isle of Arran. Because an unspecified American owner privately owns the castle, heritage organisations could not preserve the site, and the structure has fallen into instability over time.
Is Greenan Castle Haunted?
Unlike most castles of the 1600s, Greenan does not have sightings of the paranormal. However, there is a rumour that the castle connects to underground passages that link it to Dunure Castle. Some legends claim a vast network of undiscovered tunnels lies below the two castles, but someone has yet to prove this definitively.
Location of Greenan Castle
The 16th century tower house likely sits on the site of an older, more ancient fort, which no longer exists. Often early forts were made of timer and earthworks and are unlikely to leave visible archaeological remnants. Historians suggest the Greenan castle was likely originally a promontory fort and later converted to a motte and bailey structure.