Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Loch Doon Castle

Loch Doon Castle

Scotland
HES SM90203
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Loch Doon Castle is a late medieval stronghold situated on an island in Loch Doon in south Ayrshire, Scotland. The castle comprises an unusual heptagonal stone enclosure wall with towers, constructed in the late 14th or early 15th century, likely by the Carrick family who held significant power in the region during this period. The fortress served as a defensive position commanding the loch and the surrounding landscape, reflecting the strategic importance of the locality during the medieval period. The castle was dismantled and relocated from its original island site to higher ground in the 1930s as a preservation measure against rising water levels caused by hydroelectric development.

Loch Doon Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90203. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Loch Doon Castle?

Loch Doon Castle is a late medieval stronghold situated on an island in Loch Doon in south Ayrshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90203.

Who is responsible for protecting Loch Doon Castle?

Loch Doon 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 SM90203.

What other scheduled monuments are near Loch Doon Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Loch Doon Castle, original site & remains of, 570m NE of Craigmalloch (0.5 km), Donald's Isle, Loch Doon, settlement 750m SSW of Lamdoughty Farm (1.8 km), Woodhead lead mines and smelter,Carsphairn (4.8 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Loch Doon Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Loch Doon 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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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Loch Doon Castle, original site & remains of, 570m NE of Craigmalloch
Post-Medieval · Original site & remains of, 570m ne of craigmalloch0.5 km
Donald's Isle, Loch Doon, settlement 750m SSW of Lamdoughty Farm
Loch doon, settlement 750m ssw of lamdoughty farm1.8 km
Woodhead lead mines and smelter,Carsphairn
Carsphairn4.8 km
Knockdon, enclosure 700m NE of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure7.7 km
Munteoch, settlement and field systems
Post-Medieval · Settlement and field systems9.6 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Loch Doon Castle

Loch Doon Castle stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.

All Scheduled Monuments