Ardmillan Castle

The mansion-house of Ardmillan is pleasantly situated near the coast, a few miles southwards from the town of Girvan. It consists of two portions erected at different dates, the earlier part following the Scottish Baronial style of architecture, with crenellated battlements, turrets, and crow-step gables, while the later is in the domestic style of last century. The front elevation is of ashlar, relieved by two pilasters surmounted by elegant vases. The close porch, which gives access to the mansion, reproduces the outline of the front of the building in miniature. 

The name of Ardmillan is inseparably associated with that of the late James Craufurd, who occupied an honourable place on the Scottish Bench as Lord Ardmillan for over twenty years. He was the son of Archibald C. B. Craufurd, Esq. of Ardmillan, and was born at Havent, Hants, in 1805. His education was begun at Ayr Academy, and completed at the Universities of  Glasgow and Edinburgh. Having chosen Law as his profession, he was called to the Bar in 1829, while Jeffrey was Lord-Advocate and Cockburn was Solicitor- General. He was appointed Advocate- Depute along with Lord Deas in 1840, under the Melbourne Government; became Sheriff of Perthshire in 1849, and Solicitor-General in 1853 when the Aberdeen Ministry came into power. On the death of Lord Robertson in 1855, he was raised to the Bench, taking the title of Lord Ardmillan from his patrimonial estate ; and he retained this honourable position until his death in 1876. He was the first Scottish Judge before whom the celebrated Yelverton Case was brought up, and the decision which he gave against the claimant, Theresa Longworth, was sustained by the highest Law-Courts in the kingdom. 

The mother of the late Lord Ardmillan was known throughout Ayrshire for the many benevolent bequests which she made. Amongst other benefactions, she laid aside 1000, the interest of which was to be paid to the parochial schoolmaster of Girvan, on condition of his teaching forty poor children gratis, and a special fund was provided for the instruction of ten of these forty children in the practice of music. 

The coal-measures in the neighbourhood of Ardmillan are not extensive, but copper-ore of superior quality has been found on the estate, and is supposed to exist in great profusion. 

Ardmillan is found to have been in the possession of the Kennedys of Bargany so early as 1476, and the estate continued in a younger branch of this family designated ” Kennedy of Ardmillane” for nearly two hundred years. It came at last into the hands of James Craufurd of Baidland in 1658 through his marriage with Marion Kennedy; and the frequent intermarriages between these two families served to keep the estate amongst them. The name of Craufurd was  thus associated with the estate of Ardmillan for over two centuries. The present representative of the family is Thomas MacMicken Craufurd, Esq. of Grange House, Ayrshire.