Kilmahew Castle

Last updated

Kilmahew Castle
Cardross, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
NS351786
Kilmahew.jpg
Kilmahew Castle
Coordinates 55°58′21″N4°38′34″W / 55.97250°N 4.64278°W / 55.97250; -4.64278 Coordinates: 55°58′21″N4°38′34″W / 55.97250°N 4.64278°W / 55.97250; -4.64278
TypeRectangular tower house
Site information
OwnerCatholic Church
Controlled by Clan Napier until 1820
Various owners 1820 to present
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionRuin
Site history
BuiltUnknown, but after 1290
Built byUnknown member of the Clan Napier
In use15th century to 21st century
MaterialsStone

Kilmahew Castle is a ruined castle located just north of Cardross, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The castle is close by the ruins of St. Peter's Seminary. Also close by is Kilmahew Burn. Kilmahew is named after its patron saint, Mochta (Mahew).

Contents

History

Kilmahew castle was built upon the lands granted to the Napiers by Malcolm, the Earl of Lennox around the year 1290. The castle itself was built sometime in the 16th century by the Napier family, who owned it for 18 generations. The Napiers who owned Kilmahew are notable for being the progenitors of members who had notable contributions in the field of engineering, such as Robert Napier, the "Father of Clyde Shipbuilding," and David, James and Montague Napier, who owned the engineering company of Napier & Son.[ citation needed ]

The estate was inherited by George Maxwell of Newark and Tealing (1678–1744) in 1694, when he assumed the name of his maternal grandfather, John Napier of Kilmahew, but having no legitimate children he was the last of the name, although the Napier of Kilmahew coat of arms survives as a quartering of those of Noble of Ardmore, who therefore now represent the family in heraldry. [1] Following his death the estate was successfully claimed by an illegitimate daughter, Jean Smith, who married David Brydie, and was finally sold to Alexander Sharp in 1820 in repayment of gambling debts. In 1839, the estate was acquired by James Burns of Bloomhill (a neighbouring estate), the son of Rev. Dr. John Burns, [2] eventually dying in the Castle in 1871.

The ruins were acquired by the Archdiocese of Glasgow, along with the surrounding estate, in 1948. [3]

In 2020, Kilmahew Castle was acquired by The Kilmahew Education Trust as part of the 140-acre (57 ha) Kilmahew Estate which also includes St. Peter's Seminary and John Fleming's Walled Gardens. [4]

Design

The castle was originally a four-storey 16th century tower house. Modifications made in 1744 are attributed to the architect John Douglas. Some obvious gothic modifications were done during the 19th century by Alexander Sharp, who owned the castle at the time. [5]

Related Research Articles

Cadzow Castle

Cadzow Castle, now in ruins, was constructed between 1500 and 1550 at a site one mile south-east of the centre of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The earlier medieval settlement of Hamilton was formerly known as Cadzow or Cadyou, until it was renamed in 1455 in honour of James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton. The castle sits above a gorge overlooking the Avon Water in what is now Chatelherault Country Park, but was previously the hunting and pleasure grounds of the Duke of Hamilton's estate of Hamilton Palace - this area being known as Hamilton High Parks. The ruin is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Edinburgh Napier University is a public university in Edinburgh, Scotland. Napier Technical College, the predecessor of the university, was founded in 1964, taking its name from 16th-century Scottish mathematician and philosopher John Napier. The technical college was inaugurated as a university in 1992 by Lord Douglas-Hamilton, becoming Napier University. In 2009, the university was renamed Edinburgh Napier University.

Duart Castle Castle in Scotland

Duart Castle, or Caisteal Dhubhairt in Scottish Gaelic, is a castle on the Isle of Mull, beside the Sound of Mull off the west coast of Scotland, within the council area of Argyll and Bute. The castle dates back to the 13th century and is the seat of Clan MacLean. One source states that the castle was "brought back from ruin in 1911".

Galston, East Ayrshire Municipality in Scotland

Galston is a municipality in East Ayrshire, Scotland, which has a population of 5,001 (2001) and is at the heart of the civil parish of the same name. It is situated in wooded countryside four miles up-river from Kilmarnock and is one a group of the small towns located in the Irvine Valley between the towns of Hurlford and Newmilns. To the north of the town is the ruin of Loudoun Castle, the site of Loudoun Castle theme park from 1995 to 2010. In 1874 the population was 4,727.

Dunollie Castle

Dunollie Castle is a small ruined castle located on a hill north of the town of Oban, on the west coast of Scotland in Argyll. The site enjoys views over towards the island of Kerrera and a view of the town, harbour, and outlying isles. The castle is open to the public as part of the Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds.

Auchinleck House

Auchinleck House is an 18th-century mansion in Scotland. It is situated near the town of Auchinleck near Cumnock and Ayr in East Ayrshire. The Auchinleck Estate has been inhabited since the 13th century, and the remains of Auchinleck Castle and Auchinleck Old House stand in the estate. The house is protected as a category A listed building, while the two ruined dwellings are scheduled monuments.

Cardross Human settlement in Scotland

Cardross is a large village with a population of 2,194 (2011) in Scotland, on the north side of the Firth of Clyde, situated halfway between Dumbarton and Helensburgh. Cardross is in the historic geographical county of Dunbartonshire but the modern political local authority of Argyll and Bute.

Thirlestane Castle

Thirlestane Castle is a castle set in extensive parklands near Lauder in the Borders of Scotland. The site is aptly named Castle Hill, as it stands upon raised ground. However, the raised land is within Lauderdale, the valley of the Leader Water. The land has been in the ownership of the Maitland family since 1587, and Thirlestane served as the seat of the Earls of Lauderdale. The castle was substantially extended in the 1670s by the first and only Duke of Lauderdale. Further additions were made in the 19th century. The castle is now cared for by a charitable trust, and is open to the public.

Clan Napier Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Napier is a Lowland Scottish clan.

Lauriston Castle

Lauriston Castle is a 16th-century tower house with 19th-century extensions overlooking the Firth of Forth, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies on Cramond Road South, between Cramond, Davidson's Mains, and Silverknowes. The substantial grounds, Lauriston Castle Gardens, operate as a local park. The castle was bequeathed to the Edinburgh Corporation and hosts the Lord Provost's annual Garden Party. The house is a Category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

Crichel House

Crichel House is a Grade I listed, Classical Revival country house near the village of Moor Crichel in Dorset, England. The house has an entrance designed by Thomas Hopper and interiors by James Wyatt. It is surrounded by 400 acres of parkland, which includes a crescent-shaped lake covering 50 acres. The parkland is Grade II listed in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

St Peters Seminary, Cardross Former Roman Catholic seminary near Cardross, Argyll and Bute, Scotland

St. Peter's Seminary is a former Roman Catholic seminary near Cardross, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Designed by the firm of Gillespie, Kidd & Coia, it has been described by the international architecture conservation organisation DOCOMOMO as a modern "building of world significance". It is one of only 42 post-war buildings in Scotland to be listed at Category A, the highest level of protection for a building of "special architectural or historic interest". It has been abandoned since 1987, and is currently in a ruinous state. In July 2020, the site was gifted to the Kilmahew Education Trust Ltd who plan to reinstate the educational elements of the Seminary Complex after a process of conservation and restoration. The wider Kilmahew Estate is to be brought back to its former glory with new landscaping and features but is currently closed to the public due to safety concerns.

Faslane Castle, Shandon Castle, and St Michaels Chapel

Faslane Castle and Shandon Castle were two mediaeval Scottish castles which once stood between the village of Garelochhead and the town of Helensburgh, near the shores of the Gareloch, in Argyll and Bute. In the 19th century, the castles were thought to have dated back to the Middle Ages. At that time period, they were situated in within the mormaerdom of Lennox, which was controlled by the mormaers of Lennox. Today nothing remains of Faslane Castle; though in the 19th century certain ruins of Shandon Castle were said to have still existed. Near the site of Faslane Castle sits the ruinous St Michael's Chapel, which has also been thought to date to the Middle Ages.

James Burns, was a shipowner born in Glasgow

Castle Kennedy Human settlement in Scotland

Castle Kennedy is a small village 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is on the A75 road, and is within the civil parish of Inch. The village is to the south of the Lochinch Castle estate, which includes the ruins of the 17th-century Castle Kennedy, as well as Castle Kennedy Gardens which are open to the public.

Monkcastle, North Ayrshire

Monkcastle, sometimes known as Old Monkcastle formed a small estate in the Parish of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire lying between Kilwinning and Dalry on the A737. The property was originally held by the Tironensian monks of Kilwinning Abbey and was probably the site of the abbot's country retreat. The 17th-century Monkcastle is a category B listed ruin, although it has been consolidated and stands next to a private house, constructed from the converted old home farm buildings. The 19th-century mansion of Monkcastle House is nearby, and is also category B listed. The castle may have been used as a dower house or retreat.

Schwarzenburg (Breisgau)

The Schwarzenburg, historically called Schwarzenberg, is a castle near Waldkirch in the district Emmendingen in the southwest of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.

Strathtyrum

Strathtyrum is a 400-acre (160 ha) country estate in the north-western outskirts of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It is accessed via the A91.

Auenstein Castle Castle in Switzerland

Auenstein Castle is a castle in the municipality of Auenstein in the Swiss canton of Aargau.

Kilmahew Burn River in Scotland

Kilmahew Burn is a small river, burn, that runs from the Kilmahew estate into the Firth of Clyde. It flows close by the ruins of Kilmahew Castle and St Peter's Seminary and passes through the town of Cardross. The bridge over it in Cardross that carries the main road is named Moore's Bridge and was built in 1688.

References

  1. The Nobles of Ardmore and Ardkinglas; Sir Andrew Noble, 1964
  2. The Book of Dunbartonshire; Irving, 1878
  3. "Avanti Report" (PDF). historic-scotland.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  4. "Scotland: Trust takes over former St Peter's Seminary". Independent Catholic News. 25 July 2020. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  5. "Annals of Garelochside". electricscotland.com. Retrieved 16 July 2008.