Scheduled MonumentsScotlandClonbeith Castle

Clonbeith Castle

Scotland
HES SM314
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Clonbeith Castle is a scheduled monument located in Ayrshire, Scotland, protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM314. The castle stands on bedrock of the Clackmannan Group, sedimentary rocks formed during the Westphalian period, which dominate the geology of this region. This foundation provided a stable, defensible base for medieval fortification, characteristic of lowland Scottish castle siting practices.

The monument represents the significant tradition of castle building in Ayrshire, a county with a rich heritage of defensive structures from the medieval and early modern periods. Its scheduled status reflects recognition of its importance as a historical and archaeological asset, preserving evidence of settlement patterns and lordly power in the district.

The castle's survival in the landscape, despite the passage of centuries, demonstrates the durability of medieval stone construction and the enduring marks such structures leave upon the Scottish countryside. The Clackmannan Group bedrock beneath Clonbeith Castle continues to shape the physical character of Ayrshire's built heritage and natural environment today.

Clonbeith Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM314. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Clonbeith Castle?

Clonbeith Castle is a scheduled monument located in Ayrshire, Scotland, protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM314.

Who is responsible for protecting Clonbeith Castle?

Clonbeith Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM314.

What other scheduled monuments are near Clonbeith Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kilwinning,waggonway & bridge,SE of Saugh Trees (2.7 km), Kilwinning Abbey (4.2 km), Lawthorn Mount,mound (4.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Clonbeith Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Clonbeith Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Clonbeith Castle

Clonbeith Castle stands on Clackmannan Group, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is sedimentary rock cycles, clackmannan group type.

The wider landscape

Around Clonbeith Castle

Battle of LangsideBattle (1568) · ~18 miles