Knock Castle, Largs

Knock Castle stands on the edge of Largs, a town on Scotland’s west coast. Built in 1851 for Robert Steele, a Greenock merchant, it was designed by J. T. Rochead in a castellated Tudor revival style. His initials and family crest appear on the parapets. The house was later sold to George Elder, a Scottish businessman with ties to Australia, who lived there until his death in 1897. After passing to Robert Hunter Craig, the castle was extended in 1908 and remains a category A listed building. Nearby, within the grounds, are the ruins of Knock Old Castle. Mentioned by cartographer Timothy Pont around 1608, it was likely built in the late 16th or early 17th century. The remains include a rectangular block with a round tower at one corner and the remnants of another at the opposite side. A courtyard wall, repaired in 1853 by Rochead, bears inscribed stones dated 1603 and 1604. The old castle’s walls are thin, just 0.6 metres thick, and its restored sections include a modern parapet with an angle turret. From its edge, views stretch west over Arran and Bute. The site is a category B listed building, recognised for its historical significance.