Gadgirth Old Ha'

Gadgirth Old Ha’ is a ruined castle on a whinstone promontory above the River Ayr. It stands in the Parish of Coylton, once part of the old district of Kyle, now in South Ayrshire. The site overlooks the river where the B742 road crosses at Gadgirth Bridge. A small islet lies in the water at this point. The Chalmer family, originally the De Camera family, held the first castle here. The historian John Smith visited in the 1890s and found only a short stretch of wall still traceable. The remains include a section of masonry held with lime mortar against the rock. Another small section, about 2.3 metres long and 1.5 metres high, encloses an area roughly 8.7 metres by 6 metres. Traces of a ditch or moat run along the landward sides. A drawbridge is said to have once crossed this ditch. Visitors find a quiet riverside spot with the castle ruins on a rocky point. The main wall stretches about 5.5 metres long and rises 3.5 metres high. The river and islet frame the scene, while the B742 road runs nearby. The remains mark the site of the Chalmers’ first stronghold before they built a larger castle upstream in the 14th century.