Archaeology Notes

Event ID 701337

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/701337

NS31NW 1 31173 19324

Greenan Castle [NR]

(remains of) [NAT]

OS 1:10,000 map, 1981.

See also:

NS31NW 26 NS c. 311 193 Salt Pans

NS31NW 27 NS 3122 1927 Fort

NS31NW 146 NS c. 312 193 Indeterminate Remains (on foreshore)

EXTERNAL REFERENCE

Architect: John Murdoch, Arch. 1877. Fueing plan of part of the lands of Greenan, the property of the Marquis of Ailsa.

Plans: at Darley Hay Partnership, Ayr.

(Undated) information in NMRS.

(NS 3117 1931) Greenan Castle (NR) (remains of) Greenan Castle is a simple oblong tower, said to have been erected by John Kennedy of Baltersan in 1603 (the initials J K and 1603 appear near the doorway). However, there was a previous fortalice on the site and much of the present work appears to pre-date the early 17th century.

It measures 35ft by 28ft over walls which rise four storeys to end in roofless angle-turrets at three corners, the fourth having been occupied by the caphouse and stair-head at the NW angle, now much broken-down. Part of the curtain walling remains of the S side of a courtyard which lay E of the tower. A deep ditch protects the approach from the landward (SE) side; the other sides are defended by cliffs. There has been a plinth or basement course around the sea- ward sides of the tower. The entrance, at basement level, is now built up; there has been a first-floor entrance, no doubt reached by a removable timber stair. The basement is vaulted.

Greenan was owned by the Davidson family in the 15th century, and passed to the Kennedies in 1588. The 'Castell of the Grenand' is noted by Abercrummie (Macfarlane 1907) as 'a high house...with some lower new work lately added to it but never finished'.

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1889; N Tranter 1970

Greenan Castle is generally as described. It is built of large, uneven blocks of stone and the remains are in a good condition. There are only slight remains of the courtyard wall, maximum height 0.8m, width 0.6m. This wall does not appear to be contemporary with the castle. Two ditches cut across the peninsula, 40.0m and 85.0m respectively, SE of the castle. The first ditch, very broad, is some 3.0m deep, but the second is much better defined with its scarp about 3.0m high and the counter- scarp some 1.5 m high.

Surveyed at 1:2500 (by OS (JD) 15 December 1955).

Visited by OS (WDJ) 16 November 1965

Greenan Castle is as described. The remark of an earlier pre-castle structure is emphasised by the motte-and-bailey style of the earthwork defences, the present castle occupying the 'motte' area. (See also NS31NW 27).

Revised at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (JRL) 1 October 1980

Charter evidence indicates that Roger de Scalebroc held a castle at Greenan in the 1190s. (At this period, the castle would presumably have been of motte and bailey type).

G W S Barrow 1980