Portencross Castle, West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK 01 Sept 2021
Portencross Castle, also known historically as Portincross Castle, is situated in Portencross, on the west coast of Scotland, about 3 km from West Kilbride. The site has been fortified since the 11th Century. The present tower castle is thought to date from the mid-14th Century and later. It remained in use until it was unroofed by a great storm in 1739 and gradually became ruinous. The castle was designated as a scheduled ancient monument in 1955. In the castle's earliest days, it was known as "Arneil" (alternatively spelled "Arnele" or "Ardneil") and was held by the de Ross family. After the victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, King Robert the Bruce gave the estate to Sir Robert Boyd of Kilmarnock a year later. Replacing a small castle on Auld Hill, Portencross castle was rebuilt in the mid- to late-14th century on a rock promontory at the bottom of Auld Hill, overlooking the Firth of Clyde by Boyd's grandson, also named Robert Boyd. It served as the caput of the Barony of Ardneil. From this location, King Robert II probably signed 15 charters dated at Arnele between 1371 and 1390.
Size: 5760px × 3840px
Location: Portencross , West Kilbride, Scotland, UK
Photo credit: © Alister Firth / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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