Giffen Castle
Tower House (Medieval)
Site Name Giffen Castle
Classification Tower House (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Dunlop Road
Canmore ID 42204
Site Number NS35SE 8
NGR NS 37727 50718
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/42204
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Beith (Cunninghame)
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Ayrshire
NS35SE 8 37727 50718.
(NS 37727 50718) Giffen Castle (NR) (site of)
OS 6" map (1970)
Giffen Castle (NR)
OS 6" map (1911)
Macgibbon and Ross suggest that Giffen Castle was built in the 15th century. At the time of Pont's survey (J Dobie 1876), it was a tower 30ft square, 40ft high, with walls 6ft thick. It fell into ruin soon after 1726 and finally collapsed in 1838.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1889
The remains of Giffen Castle now consist of three fragments of rubble masonry, the largest portion measuring 4.0m long by 2.0m thick and 1.9m high. The remainder of the castle was demolished about 1920 when the adjoining quarry was dug.
Visited by OS (DS) 30 August 1956
There are no remains of the castle in situ. The three fragments of masonry are in fact large tumbled blocks, and together with a mass of loose shaped stone, also from the castle, form a garden rockery. A stone lintel above the doorway of the adjacent Mains house is inscribed RC MC 1758. This appears contemporaneous to the single storey house and of doubtful association with the castle.
Visited by OS (JRL) 18 January 1983
NMRS REFERENCE
Sundial originally at Giffen, moved to Crumnock now (1969) at Crumnock House, Ayrshire.
