Little Cumbrae Castle

Little Cumbrae Castle stands on a small tidal islet called Castle Island off the east coast of Little Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde. The islet is known in Gaelic as eilean tùr nan uaislean, meaning ‘islet of the nobles’ tower’. It is a small square tower house built in the 16th century by the Earl of Eglinton. The castle was meant to protect deer and rabbits from poachers on the main island. Earlier, in the 14th century, Walter Stewart may have built a hunting lodge here for his son Robert II. King Robert III also visited the island to hunt. The castle played a part in Scotland’s turbulent 17th century. During Cromwell’s time the Earl sent his wife with forty soldiers to keep her safe inside the castle. Later, Archibald Hamilton was imprisoned in the dungeon before being taken to Stirling and hanged. Cromwellian forces destroyed the castle in revenge. Charles II allowed the Earl to keep forty men stationed there to defend it. The castle’s position made it a stronghold when Ardrossan Castle was under threat. Visitors find a compact Category A listed tower with a vaulted great hall and kitchen on the first floor. The entrance was reached by a ladder to the first floor, with the ground floor added later. The castle has two vaulted cellars, small original windows and gunloops. Round angle turrets stand at three corners, and chequered corbelling runs around the top. The tower house is surrounded by the remains of a rampart and ditch. From the islet there are wide views across the Firth of Clyde to the Ayrshire coast.