Kelburn Castle, North Ayrshire
Photo © Supergolden, 9 June 2007
Kelburn Castle - Photo ©
Sarah and Iain, 26 Dec. 2007
Kelburn Castle, North Ayrshire Photo © Supergolden, 9 June 2007 |
Kelburn Castle - Photo © Sarah and Iain, 26 Dec. 2007 |
Kelburn Castle seen from the south, showing the graffiti mural painted in early 2007. The older part of the castle is on the right, with the 18th century additions to the left.
Kelburn Castle is a large house near Fairlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the seat of the Earl of Glasgow. Originally built in the thirteenth century (the original keep forms the core of the house) it was remodelled in the sixteenth century. In 1700 the first Earl made further extensions to the house in a manner not unlike a French château which is virtually how it appears today.
In 1977 the house and grounds opened to the public as a country park. It is one of the oldest castles in Scotland and has been continuously inhabited by the same family for longer than any other.
In 2007, after experts told the owners that the concrete facing would eventually need to be replaced to avoid further damage to the stone walls, the Earl invited graffiti artists to paint the walls. The concrete removal process may not start until 2009. The project was featured on the BBC television programme The Culture Show. Also in 2007, Kelburn featured in another BBC programme, Crisis at the Castle which documented the financial problems of running the castle.
The castle suffered minor fire damage on 16 February 2009. The fire service was called to a blaze at around 1:45 am where flames had engulfed a top-floor room and spread to the roof. Around 25 firefighters battled the blaze for more than five hours before it was extinguished at around 7:20 am. The blaze is not being treated as suspicious.
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