Historic Buildings and Gardens

Maybole Castle

Maybole, Ayrshire KA19 7DD

website: www.maybole.org

Maybole Castle is the oldest inhabited house in the town having been built about the middle of the sixteenth century (believed to be around 1560). It was the town house of the Earls of Cassillis who spent most of the winter months in Maybole, and was the largest and finest of the twenty-eight lairds' houses written about by Abercrummie in 1696.It was built in the style of a typical Scottish castle, with square tower and round turrets, and strong enough to protect its occupants from unfriendly neighbours, of whom there were many at that time. The main hall was above vaulted cellars which still remain and above the hall were the sleeping apartments. The retainers' quarters were on the other side of a gateway which gave entrance into the castle yard, built round the well, locally known as "The Pump". 

The tower is capped by a lovely little oriel window with heads carved round it which local people wrongly believe represent the heads of Johnnie Faa and his gypsies. The corbels to the roof of the little room at the top of the tower (known as the Countess's Room) are carved with male and female heads and symbols of fertility. The walls are extremely thick (in some places about seven feet) and it must have been a safe retreat in troublesome times when the Earls lived in it, with their own men around them in the small township clustered on the hillside below it.

It was from Maybole Castle that the Earl of Cassillis and his men sallied forth to the fight at Ladycross in December 1601, when young Bargany was killed in the bitter feud between the Cassillis and Bargany families. Locally there is an old tale of the Countess of Cassillis being imprisoned at the top of the tower, after she had allegedly eloped with Johnnie Faa, King of the Gypsies, but while the story is a delightful one, facts disprove it.

As years passed the Earls spent less of their time in Maybole, and gradually the old Castle fell into disrepair and was practically abandoned except for a few old retainers who lived in outbuildings. In 1805 the Earl of Cassillis agreed with the town council that the part sited where the Post Office now stands could be demolished to allow a road to be formed from the foot of the High Street to Duncanland Toll at the bottom of Redbrae. When the old buildings were removed the Earl decided to repair the Castle and in 1812 re-roofed it and built some additions. The gardens and park had walls erected round them and from 1812 the Castle has remained as it is now, apart from repairs to the roof following a fire in 1919.

The Historical Society has been very active in promoting Maybole Castle since May-Tag (founded by the Community Council in 1986 as a training company to promote local unemployment) moved out and has said, "The Castle goes from strength to strength and we have a very good relationship with the factor and through him the Estate and Trustee. We are putting together proposals and plans for opening the castle regularly to the public; improving and expanding the display material in the castle; and the future of the castle as a heritage centre".

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