Sundrum Castle is one of the oldest inhabited castles in Scotland. The barony of Sundrum was granted to Sir Duncan Wallace and his wife Eleonora Bruce, Countess of Carrick in 1373. Sir Duncan Wallace, Sherriff of Ayr, commissioned the construction of the castle the same year. Sundrum was the home of the Cathcart family for four centuries until 1753 when it was sold by 9th Lord Cathcart to John Murray of Broughton for £18,000. John Hamilton, son of John and Margaret Hamilton

On Friday 29th of August 1862, Jane Garven, who was married to Robert Fisher, gave birth to a baby boy in the mining village of Crosshouse in Ayrshire. Jane, born in 1833, was the daughter of a blacksmith and had worked as a domestic servant before her marriage to Robert. At that time Jane and Robert lived in Orr’s Land in Crosshouse which ran along the Carmel Water behind the main street in the village (looking towards Kilmaurs Road) Robert Fisher was born in Dundonald, in

I have many happy memories of Craig House. My grandmother worked there as a seamstress in the 1960s and 70s when Craig House was used as a residential school for boys (Girls were sent there a few years later alternating with the boys on a month-by-month basis) I remember sitting in Gran’s Mini passing by Laigh Milton Mill and the Laigh Milton Viaduct as we drove towards ‘The Craig’ and always feeling slightly in awe of such an imposing building. We didn’t use the front entran

An excerpt from "King Street To King's Road" ‘Although I remember Seafield as an imposing and intimidating building for sick children, I can now admire and esteem such a wonderful building which sadly has been abandoned and allowed to decay. That said, I believe plans are afoot to convert the old hospital into flats. It was designed and built by Sir William Arrol in 1887. Sir William was a Civil Engineer who had been contracted to build a replacement for the Tay bridge follow

The photographs above were taken by Jacqueline Heron Wray 2021. Belleisle, Alloway, Ayr. Where Belleisle stands was once known as Netherton of Alloway. The land was purchased by Dr Alexander Campbell from Ayr and was passed to his brother Archibald, a writer in Edinburgh. The estate was then inherited by their nephew John Campbell. When John died, Hugh Hamilton, who had become wealthy from sugar plantations in Jamaica, bought the estate, extended it and it became known as Bel

Famous people from Ayrshire! Part one Robert Bruce I, the Bruce, King of Scotland Robert was born in Turnberry Castle, Girvan in 1274. He died at Cardross Castle Dunbartonshire, the cause was thought to be leprosy but this has recently been disproven. His mother, Margaret Carrick, died on the 27th of October 1292. Robert was born on the 11th of July in 1274. He was distantly related to the Scottish royal family through his father. He was born in Ayrshire, and could speak Gae