Portencross Castle - North Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted by: 
creg-ny-baa
N 55° 41.961 W 004° 54.267
30U E 380311 N 6174262
Historic information sign outside Portencross Castle perched on the Firth of Clyde coast of Ayrshire.
Waymark Code: WM1947W
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/23/2023
Views: 1
Portencross Castle dating from the 14th century is strategically placed on the southern end of the Hunterston Peninsula on the Ayrshire coast. The L-shaped castle has been undergoing restoration work and this is outlined along with historical information on a sign placed on the pathway leading to the castle. The text reads as follows:
'Portencross Castle is a scheduled monument of national importance. It has been here since the mid 1300s.
Robert the Bruce gave the surrounding lands of Arnele to the Boyd family for supporting him in the War of Independence. The Boyds built the castle on its present site. They enlarged it later in the 1300s and into the 1400s to its present L-shape. The original great hall and cellar are still intact.
The Boyds chose to put the castle on this spot to defend sea routes and access to the islands in the Firth of Clyde and beyond. Portencross Castle is important because King Robert II (reign: 1371-1390) used it during the period when the Stewart dynasty was being established. The old harbour was once an important ferry port for access to Rothesay Castle and to the royal deer forest on Little Cumbrae (known locally as Wee Cumbrae).
The friends of Portencross Castle (FOPC) undertook the conservation work on the castle in order to make the building safe to visit and hold local events. FOPC has been supported extremely well through grants and financial assistance from many organisations and individuals and through the work of volunteers. FOPC raised just over £1 Million to take forward the conservation work on the castle. The main grant assistance came from Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The work finally began in 2009.'