Tarbert Castle
Tower House (Medieval)
Site Name Tarbert Castle
Classification Tower House (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) 'Tarbett Ruins'; 'at The Back Of Tarbet Hill, Immediately Nw Of Meadowhead'; Meadowhead Farm
Canmore ID 40999
Site Number NS24NW 12
NGR NS 215 470
NGR Description NS c. 215 470
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40999
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish West Kilbride
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Ayrshire
NS24NW 12 c. 215 470
Tarbet Castle stood at the back of Tarbet Hill, immediately NW of Meadowhead, and was originally the mansion of Ross of Tarbet, being mentioned in 1450. The building, 'an old ruinous keep, with narrow, thick walls and small slits for windows', stood until 1790 when the stones were largely used to build Meadowhead farm.
J Lamb 1896.
Tarbet Castle is said (J Montgomery, Meadowhead) to have stood in the field (centred NS 2152 4704) immediately N of the farm and W of the disused quarry. The field indicated is under crop. There is no trace of building material or of irregularities in the surface.
Visited by OS (DS), 13 September 1976.
No further information. The field in question is at present under pasture, and there are no reports of recent finds in the area.
Visited by OS (JRL), 5 November 1982,
NS 215 470. No traces remain of Tarbert Castle, a tower-house. 'Tarbart' is shown on Moll's map of 1725, and 'Tarbett ruins' on Armstrong's map of 1775.
E M Patterson 1984.
