Martnaham Castle
| Martnaham Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
 Martnaham Castle ruins |
||
| Creation time : | 16th Century | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg, island location | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Standing position : | Scottish nobility | |
| Construction: | Quarry stone with mortar joints | |
| Place: | Coylton | |
| Geographical location | 55 ° 25 '23.9 " N , 4 ° 32' 15.1" W | |
| Height: | 85 m ASLTemplate: height / unknown reference | |
|
||
Martnaham Castle is the ruin of an island castle on an island in the middle of Martnaham Loch on the border between the Scottish administrative divisions of East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire , about 3 miles from Ayr and 2 miles from Coylton . The surrounding lands once belonged to the Campbells of Loudoun , later to the Kennedys of Cassillis .
history
The ruins of the old castle on the island, recorded as "Martnam Ynch" (sic), near the middle of the lake are still visible today; the access leads from the south bank over a stone dam from the mainland to the island. It is not known when the castle was built. It was inhabited until the 16th century. The remains come from a large building with a floor area of about 21 × 7.5 meters; the foundations of an extension, about 12 × 5 meters in size, are visible to the northeast of it. The main block was divided into three rooms, the walls consist of mortared rubble , 0.8 meters thick and preserved up to a maximum height of 2 meters. The architectural design of the building suggests that it was built in the 16th or 17th century. A possibly rectangular building at the entrance to the Steindamm was probably an earlier gatehouse . The area was densely forested for many years.
Martnaham Castle was believed to be part of a chain of fortresses that formed a line of defense; this also included Drongan Castle and Auchencloigh Castle . Love sees the castle as the original seat of Old King Cole and thus connects it with the nearby Loch Fergus , which is named after King Cole's opponent and conqueror. Around 1661, John Bonar , a schoolmaster from Ayr, wrote a poetic description of the local legend about King Cole:
“The britones marchet, tuo days before the feild,
To Marrok's mote, for easment and for beild;
Afore the night they waughter liquor fyne,
Lyke filthe beasts lying like drunken swine "
The castle was the caput of the old Baronate Martnaham. The area is said to have been besieged in the 1650s. Groome describes Martnaham Castle as "the ivy-covered ruins of an old country house".
In 1612 John Monipennie wrote "the Loch of Matuane with a strong tower".
Paterson described some interesting details of the ruin in the 1860s:
“Only parts of three gables have survived. The walls are not very thick, so it appears that the main reliance on the security of the isolated location [of the castle] was. An artificial dam, which could be cut off if desired, leads to the ruin and the island itself is obviously of the same kind - made of pressed earth. It is densely overgrown with trees in which a colony of crows has been breeding for ages. The garden is said to have been made of earth brought over from France or Ireland to keep vermin out. The Marquis of Ailsa has a hunting and fishing hut on the shores of the lake which is well stocked with pike and perch , the latter of which has been used for the past 30 years. "
Crannóg
Island and dam Martnaham Castle resemble a crannóg , which was adapted to shallow water, as found in other lakes in Ayrshire, z. B. Lochspouts Loch , Buiston Loch , Lochlea , Loch Brand or Kilbirnie Loch .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b James Paterson: History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton . Volume I. Chapter I: Kyle . J. Stillie, Edinburgh 1863-1866. P. 215.
- ↑ James Paterson: History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton . Volume I. Chapter I: Kyle . J. Stillie, Edinburgh 1863-1866. P. 216.
- ↑ Timothy Pont, Joan Blaeu: Coila Prvincia, [or , The province of Kyle / auct. Timoth. Pont] . National Library of Scotland. 1654. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ↑ Martnaham Castle . In: Canmore . Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ↑ Thorbjørn Campbell: Ayrshire: A Historical Guide . Birlinn, Edinburgh 2003. ISBN 1-84158-267-0 . P. 222.
- ^ Dane Love: Ayrshire: Discovering a County . Fort Publishing, Ayr 2003. ISBN 0-9544461-1-9 . P. 277.
- ↑ DC Cuthbertson: Autumn in Kyle and the Charm of Cunninghame . Herbert Jenkins, London. P. 124.
- ^ John Smith: Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire . Rlliot Stock, London 1895. p. 165.
- ^ Mike Salter: The Castles of South-West Scotland . Folly, Malvern 2006. ISBN 1-871731-70-4 . P. 53.
- ^ Francis H. Groome: Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland . Caxton Publishing, London 1903. p. 1186.
- ↑ Michael C. Davis: The Castles & Mansions of Ayrshire . Spendrift Press, Ardrishaig 1991.