Clan Rising
Little Cumbrae Castle today

Scotland · Partial ruin

Little Cumbrae Castle

Little Cumbrae Castle is a small 16th‑century tower house standing on a tidal islet off the east coast of Little Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde. Built by the Earl of Eglinton, the compact rectangular tower is a Category A scheduled monument and was used as a hunting stronghold and refuge in the early modern period.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1568

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1568

What Little Cumbrae Castle looked like in its prime.

A compact rectangular three-storey stone tower house on a low tidal islet, built of rough grey-brown rubble with a continuous course of chequered corbelling below the parapet. Round angle turrets project at three corners, small slit windows and gunloops puncture the walls, and a first-floor entrance sits above ground level. The roof has a wall-walk and crenellated parapet; the immediate setting is short grass, rocky shore and shallow tidal pools reflecting the tower.

Its story

The story of Little Cumbrae Castle.

The castle sits on Castle Island, in Gaelic, the 'islet of the nobles' tower', a tidal island off the east coast of Little Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde. The Hunters of Hunterston were for centuries Hereditary Foresters of the island, but in 1515 Hugh, Earl of Eglinton was made keeper, the Privy Council doubting Robert Hunter's means to resist those wasting the King's lands. Hunter won a Royal Charter of the island in 1527, yet soon after the Crown sold it to the Earl of Eglinton, whose rights were confirmed in 1555. The small square tower was built by Lord Eglinton in the 16th century, possibly as a base against deer and rabbit poaching.

The tower is strikingly similar to Fairlie, Law and Skelmorlie castles: a vaulted first-floor great hall and kitchen, two vaulted cellars, chequered corbelling and round angle turrets at three corners, with a first-floor entrance originally reached by a removable timber ladder. In 1568 the glasswright George Elphinstoun was employed by the Earl of Eglinton to fit glass windows. In 1599 Robert Boyd of Badinhaith lived here and planned a trading harbour, opposed by the island's Montgomery families, who had no wish to improve communications with the outside world.

In Cromwell's time the Earl of Eglinton sent his wife to the fortlet with a garrison of forty men-at-arms, its inaccessibility making it his principal stronghold while Ardrossan Castle lay vulnerable to artillery. The Earl was taken prisoner after Worcester in 1651, and the Marquis of Argyll advised Lady Montgomerie to offer the castle to the authorities or demolish it once munitions and cannon were removed. The 6th Earl imprisoned Archibald Hamilton, a friend and correspondent of Cromwell, in the dungeon here before he was taken to Stirling and hanged.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1568.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Little Cumbrae Castle, including 3 interiors: vaulted great hall (first floor), first-floor kitchen, vaulted ground-floor cellars. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from Little Cumbrae shoreSeaward approach (by boat)Tower base and first‑floor entrance exteriorBattlement and wall-walk (roof)Vaulted great hall (first floor)First-floor kitchenVaulted ground-floor cellarsSite of former rampart and ditch

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Whose castle

Clans who held Little Cumbrae Castle.

The families that held Little Cumbrae Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Montgomerie

    Held by the Montgomerie Earls of Eglinton, who bought the island from the Crown after 1527, rights confirmed 1555, and built the tower in the 16th century.

From the archive

Little Cumbrae Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

FIRST FLOOR, Little Cumbrae Castle

FIRST FLOOR

1889 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 3 (1889)

Public domain

SECTION, Little Cumbrae Castle

SECTION

1889 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 3 (1889)

Public domain

GROUND FLOOR, Little Cumbrae Castle

GROUND FLOOR

1889 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 3 (1889)

Public domain

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Little Cumbrae Castle.

Overtoun Bridge, ScotlandBridgeOvertoun Bridge37 km away

Questions about Little Cumbrae Castle

What is the history of Little Cumbrae Castle?

Little Cumbrae Castle was built in the 16th century, possibly as a base against deer and rabbit poaching. The Montgomerie Earls of Eglinton acquired the island from the Crown and built the tower. It later served as a refuge and stronghold, including during Cromwell’s time, when a garrison of forty men-at-arms was stationed there.

What is inside Little Cumbrae Castle?

Inside Little Cumbrae Castle are a vaulted first-floor great hall, a first-floor kitchen and vaulted ground-floor cellars. The great hall and kitchen were on the first floor, while the entrance was also reached at that level, originally by a removable timber ladder.

Why was Little Cumbrae Castle built, and what was it used for?

Little Cumbrae Castle was built as a hunting stronghold and refuge, possibly to prevent deer and rabbit poaching. Its inaccessibility later made it the principal stronghold of the Earl of Eglinton while Ardrossan Castle was vulnerable to artillery. It also sheltered people during the conflicts of Cromwell’s time.

Where is Little Cumbrae Castle?

Little Cumbrae Castle is on a small tidal islet off the east coast of Little Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde, within North Ayrshire. The islet is called Castle Island, or Allin Tuirail, and is reached from the surrounding shores or by boat.

When was Little Cumbrae Castle built?

Little Cumbrae Castle was built in the 16th century. Its first-raised year is not recorded, while 1568 is associated with the fitting of glass windows by the glasswright George Elphinstoun. A different architectural account gives the tower house as early 15th century, so its precise construction date is not settled in the supplied material.

Which family or clan held Little Cumbrae Castle?

Little Cumbrae Castle was held by the Montgomerie Earls of Eglinton. They bought the island from the Crown after 1527, had their rights confirmed in 1555, and built the tower in the 16th century.

What did Little Cumbrae Castle look like in its prime?

Little Cumbrae Castle was a compact rectangular, three-storey stone tower made of rough grey-brown rubble. It had round angle turrets at three corners, small slit windows, gunloops, chequered corbelling, a wall-walk and a crenellated parapet. The first-floor entrance stood above ground level on the tower’s rocky tidal-islet setting.

Is Little Cumbrae Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Little Cumbrae Castle is still standing as a partial ruin. It appears not to have been restored after the old Statistical Account described the fortlet as destroyed by Cromwellian forces, although that account gives the destruction as possible. The surviving tower retains its three main storeys, turrets, arrow slits and gunloops.

Was Little Cumbrae Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Yes, Little Cumbrae Castle was attacked. In 1599, Montgomerys led about thirty men who broke down the doors, destroyed materials intended for Robert Boyd’s proposed harbour and smashed the furniture. The castle was also reportedly taken by Cromwellian forces and destroyed, although the account describes that destruction as possible.

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