Eglinton Castle

Eglinton Castle was a large Gothic mansion located in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the seat of the Earls of Eglinton (members of the Montgomery Clan) and was known for its grandeur and appearance. The castle was built between 1797 and 1802 and contained a central round keep and four outer towers. It was the most notable post-Adam Georgian castle in Ayrshire and contained various items of interest, including a chair made from the oak timbers of Alloway kirk with a brass plaque inlaid with Burns’ poem “Tam o’ Shanter.” The castle was the site of the Eglinton Tournament, a reenactment of a medieval jousting tournament, in 1839. The castle was eventually demolished in the late 1920s. The Eglinton family also owned other properties, including Little Cumbrae, Southannan, and Eaglesham, and were responsible for the development of the nearby Eglinton Country Park.