Skelmorlie Castle

Skelmorlie Castle stands on a promontory on the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire. The oldest part of the present building dates from 1502 and was once the stronghold of the Montgomery Clan. The modern village of Skelmorlie lies just to the north along the coast. The castle occupies a defensive position between a small burn and the Skelmorlie Water. Its name appears on maps from the 17th century as North Skelmoirluy, Skelmurly and Skelmorly. The origin may come from words meaning ‘shelter leeside of the great rock’. The castle is worth the journey for its long history tied to the Montgomerie family. Sir Alexander de Montgomerie granted the lands to his second son George in 1461, founding the cadet branch of the Montgomeries of Skelmorlie. Sir Robert Montgomerie, the seventh laird, was knighted by James VI and made a baronet by Charles I in 1628. The castle also holds the ornate Skelmorlie Aisle in Largs, built as a tomb for Sir Robert’s wife Margaret Douglas. Her tragic death in a riding accident led to tales of her ghost haunting the castle. Visitors find a mix of old and newer parts of the castle. The 1502 core survives alongside 17th-century additions such as angle turrets and altered parapets. The Skelmorlie Aisle contains a finely decorated tomb with three lead coffins. One panel on the aisle ceiling shows a painted view of the castle. The surrounding grounds sit between the burn and the Skelmorlie Water, offering quiet walks by the shore. The castle’s setting on the firth provides views across to the hills beyond.