County guide · The Castle Rolls
Best castles in Ayrshire
9 castles across Ayrshire, led by Culzean - the National Trust for Scotland's Robert Adam showpiece on the Firth of Clyde - taking in the island strongholds of Arran and the seashore tower at Portencross.
Map
Every castle on this list - 9 in total, 2 free to enter, 2 you can stay overnight in
Culzean Castle
South Ayrshire
Robert Adam clifftop castle; Eisenhower apartment and Brewhouse flat bookable
Dean Castle
East Ayrshire
Council leisure-trust run; free entry; restored 14th-century keep
Kelburn Castle
North Ayrshire
Country centre daily; castle by pre-booked guided tour; graffiti murals
Brodick Castle
North Ayrshire
Isle of Arran; castle, garden and country park
Dundonald Castle
South Ayrshire
Visitor centre run by Friends of Dundonald Castle; also listed under Friends of Dundonald Castle SCIO
Lochranza Castle
North Ayrshire Free entry
Free tower house on Arran promontory
Portencross Castle
North Ayrshire
Mid-14th-century tower house on the Firth of Clyde, former seat of the Boyd family, restored by a volunteer trust.
Glenapp Castle
South Ayrshire
Victorian baronial; Relais & Chateaux luxury hotel
Loch Doon Castle
East Ayrshire Free entry
Free; eleven-sided curtain wall relocated in 1935