Herb Riddle's photos with the keyword: Greenan_Castle

A moment to savour this old 16th century castle at Ayr, Scotland. This tower was actually the scene of some unsavoury events but I hope my photo shows only its beauty. ‘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. The first known defensive structure on the site was a promontory fort, probably a fortified farmstead, enclosing around 1 acre. Four concentric curved ditches, each around 3 metres wide, cut off the headland with the exception of a single causeway to provide access. It is not known how long this settlement was occupied, but the site was re-used in the twelfth century. 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. The castle passed through various members of the clan before ending up in the hands of Thomas Kennedy, Earl of Cassillis in 1766. Around this time the residential use of the castle seems to have stopped; today the structure is a ruin.’ WiKi Enjoy full screen.