Fascinating Buildings

Castle of Montgomery by Tarbolton/ Ayrshire
This impressive mansion is where Mary Campbell (Highland Mary) worked in the 1770s. She has remained famous for the affect she had on Scotland's best know poet, Robert Burns. People from around the world have been intrigued by the story of Burns and Highland Mary, but never been able to find an image of the Castle of Montgomery to fully understand the setting for one of Scotland's most intriguing romances. Burns interpretation of this mansion as a castle is probably the reason images of this building have been so hard to detect.

The house served as a hotel for some time before being destroyed by fire in the 1970s? Reports state the ornate fireplaces were removed before the fire started, leading to rumours the destruction of the building was for insurance claim purposes. The grounds around the walled garden are now used for holiday homes and lodges under the name Middlemuir Heights.
www.greenock-town.co.uk/highland_mary
www.burnsheritagepark.com.

Dalquharran Castle / 16 miles southeast or Ayr/ Ayrshire
Dalquharran Castle was designed by Robert Adam for Thomas Kennedy. The castle remained in the Kennedy family until it was bought by a Timber Merchant from Troon in the early 1900s, who set about stripping the timber from the estate and leased the castle to the Scottish Youth Hostel Association. Dalquharran remained a youth hostel until the Second World War, when the Langside School for the Deaf, evacuated from Glasgow, moved in. The Castle and lands were sold to one John Stewart, a produce merchant from Girvan, who later moved into Dalquharran with his family, and farmed the estate with his son that he adopted, one of the war children. Although the Stewart family co-habited the house with friends, it proved too large and expensive to maintain. As the local authorities continually demanded high rates for the building, John Stewart was forced to remove the roof , as it was the only way to avoid paying the taxes. This is something that would never have been allowed a couple of decades later.

I have added windows to the shell of the building to show just how good a condition the castle was in when it was de-roofed. Even 40-odd years after the roof was removed, it still looks in remarkable condition. The castle was to be restored early in the 21st Century to serve as a luxury hotel for Ritz-Carlton overlooking a championship golf course, designed by Jack Nicholas. The current world financial slump has led to that venture being delayed while awaiting investors. Only some clearing of the land and inside of the building has taken place so far.
sites.scran.ac.uk/ada/documents/castle_style/dalquharran .

Hamilton Palace / by Glasgow
From 1695 - 1842, the Dukes of Hamilton built, and extended, Hamilton Palace on land close to Cadzow Castle east of Glasgow. The Palace was considered the finest residence in Scotland outside that of the royals. Many historians believe the Palace was the largest non-Royal residence in the Western World.

The 10th Duke, Alexander, was credited with turning Hamilton Palace into one of Britain’s most spectacular residences, filling it with priceless art and furniture. He was Ambassador to Czarist Russia.

The demise of Hamilton Palace was the result of the cost of upkeep and nearby coal mines resulted in dangerous subsidence as the coal beneath was removed. The decline began in 1882 when art was sold off to raise funds by William, the 12th Duke.

After Alfred, the 13th Duke, lent his home for use as a naval hospital during World War I, the Palace was returned to him in a state of requiring extensive restoration. As there was not enough funds to restore and run the Palace, the building was demolished in 1921.

The site of the Palace is now occupied by the Hamilton Palace Sports Grounds. Most of the Palace grounds were incorporated into Strathclyde Country Park.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Palace .

Loudoun Castle 5 miles northeast of Kilmarnock by Galston
The earliest part of the castle is a tower built in the 1400s for the Craufurds of Loudoun. The first Earl of Loudoun John Campbell added buildings to the south of the original tower in the 1600s. The present day look of Loudoun Castle is attributed to work carried out for Flora Mure-Campbell in the early 1800s. That work incorporated the old buildings in its design.

Loudoun Castle has remained an imprseive ruin since being destroyed by fire in 1941. The grounds of Loudoun Castle were turned into a Family Theme Park in 1995, becoming one of Ayrshire's top attractions. The castle and park are still owned by descendants of the Campbells. You can view just how good a condition the exterior of the castle is by enlarging the image on the right. I have added windows to show what Loudoun may look like if it is ever restored, as it surely will be one day.
www.loudouncastle.co.uk.