Kilwinning Abbey Tower

We again walked from Irvine to Kilwinning.

We went back to Kilwinning Abbey so that we could go up the tower.
The last time we came the Tower was closed.



Ruth made it to the top
 of the Tower.

Ruth, Sean & Cathy at the top of Kilwinning Tower.

Kilwinning Abbey History

The ancient name of the town is 'Segdoune' or 'Saigtown', probably derived from 'Sanctoun', meaning the 'town of the saint'.Saint Winnings festival was on 21 January and the year of his arrival from Ireland was 715 AD. The site for the first church and later the abbey was revealed to Saint Winning by an Angel in a vision.

Kilwinning was a Tironensian Benedictine monastic community, named after Tyron in the diocese of Chartres. The abbey was dedicated to Saint Winning and the Virgin Mary, and founded sometime between 1162 and 1188 with monks coming from Kelso.

Views from the top of the Tower.

Go Visit it's Great!
Tight spiral staircase, a hundred and some stairs.
be carefull. The guided tour to the top is very interesting.

Kilwinning Abbey

The Walkers were in Kilwinning today

We walked from Irvine, to Kilwinning here in Ayrshire, the Abbey is amazing.

Kathy & Sarah having a good look round.

My Daughter Ruth came with us and had a great time.

Greenan Castle

Greenan Castle is a 16th century tower house, possibly on the site of an ancient fort, around 2.5 miles south-west of Ayr in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The entrance lintel has the inscription, for John Kennedy of Baltersan and his third wife, Florence MacDowell, who held the lands, Greenan Mill, and salmon fishing rights on the River Doon at that time.
　
The lands of Greenan were forfeited by John, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles in 1476 for treason against James III). In 1493 James IV granted the Lands of Greenan to William Douglas, son of Archibald, Earl of Angus.
Beside the tower are traces of a walled courtyard and outbuildings - probably stables and a kitchen block as the small tower has no kitchen within its walls. In this courtyard on the morning of 12 May 1602, Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean and his servant, Lancelot Kennedy, mounted their horses to ride to Edinburgh, having spent the night before with Thomas's half-brother, John Kennedy of Baltersan. Just a few miles away in the woods of St Leonards (now a suburb of Ayr), they were ambushed by Thomas Kennedy of Drummurchie, Thomas Kennedy, brother to the Laird of Bargany, Walter Muir of Cloncaird, Thomas M'Alexander, Thomas Wallace, a boy called Gilbert Ramsay and a borderer, Williame Irrwing. Sir Thomas was murdered in retaliation for the death of the young Laird of Bargany in December, 1601 at the Battle of Brockloch, near Maybole. Years later, the Muirs of Auchindrain (father and son) were executed for their "art and part" in this murder. The story inspired Sir Walter Scott to write a short play, "An Ayrshire Tragedy".
About a mile away is a large stone said to mark the spot where the Picts and Scots signed a peace treaty. Close to nearby Maybole is the ruin of Dunure Castle and the ruin of Baltersan tower house.

STIRLING CASTLE

Stirling Castle

We visited Stirling Castle on Saturday. Penny, Adam and Me

Adam loved the cannons and dad loved the history

We had a great guide who was very entertaining,
we also saw some other historical characters.

Stirling Castle was really great we had a brilliant time.

Pitsligo Castle

Pitsligo Castle is a ruined castle half a mile east of Rosehearty, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
It originated as a 15th century keep on the south side
There is an arched gateway in the west wall of the outer court, with the date 1656 and the arms of the Forbes and Erskines. In the inner court the date is shown as 1663.
At the north-east angle of the courtyard there is a tall flanking drum-tower.
The main tower had three vaulted stories, but almost all above the lowest has disappeared. There is a stair tower at the north-east corner which is better preserved.
There are panels dated 1577 over the courtyard doorway.

Kinnaird Head Castle and Lighthouse

Kinnaird Head (from Scottish Gaelic: An Ceann Àrd meaning the "high headland") is a headland or promontory projecting out into the North Sea. The headland lies within the town of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Kinnaird Head is of particular historical significance as it is the site of the first lighthouse in Scotland to be lit by the Commissioners of Northern Lights. The light was designed by Thomas Smith, built in 1787, and now forms part of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.

The Kinnaird Castle (one of The Nine Castles of Knuckle), was built in 1570 by Sir Alexander Fraser, 8th laird of Philorth and sold to the Trustees of the Northern lights in 1787, who turned it into a lighthouse. The last to reside in the castle were John Gordon of Kinellar (1684-1764) and his wife, Henrietta Fraser (1698-1751).

Museum of Scottish Lighthouses
The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses at Kinnaird Head incorporates the original lighthouse and a modern building housing collections of lenses and other artefacts from many lighthouses across Scotland.

The Winetower
is a small three story tower located approximately 50 metres from Kinnaird Head Lighthouse. It is reputed that in the cave below, one of the Fraser family imprisoned his daughter's boyfriend, leaving him to drown there. According to local tradition, the tower is said to be haunted

Ardrossan Castle

There's not much left of the castle and if you didn't know where it was there is no signs to tell you.

But we had fun rambling about, just watch your footing if you go theres a steep edge round the back.

This was interesting a small church and graveyard out in front of the castle, some engraving is on the stones but we could'nt make out the words.

 

Ardrossan Castle is situated on the west coast of Scotland in the town of Ardrossan, Ayrshire. The castle, defended by a moat, stands on a ridge above the town. There is a keep dating from the fifteenth century, and a vaulted range containing a kitchen and cellars. In a deep passageway there is a well. Part of the keep remains up to the corbels of the parapet, but it is in ruins. The original castle, owned by Clan Barclay, was partly destroyed during the Wars of Scottish Independence. This event, in which the English garrison were slaughtered, became known as "Wallace's Larder," a name which is still applied to the remaining vaults. Rebuilt by Clan Montgomery in the 15th century, Ardrossan later fell into disuse and was demolished by the soldiers of Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century.Ardrossan was originally called "Castle Crags", from the nature of the rocks jutting out as they once did from the Cannon hill on which the ruins of the castle stand, behind the present good hotel, the Tontine, and the opposite corner of the main-street, the site of which was once upon the same level. It was subsequently named Ardrossan, after the ancient family who owned the place, and was formerly part of the neighboring parish of Saltcoats. It came to the present family of Eglintoun, by intermarriage with the Ardrossan family; and they became possessed of the property and inherited the title of Barons of Ardrossan