Dean Castle
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Dean Castle

Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland – *No GPS coordinates

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  • Dean Road
    Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire KA3 1Xb Scotland

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Dean Castle, called Kilmarnock Castle until 1700, was the primary seat of the Boyd family for over 400 years. The castle is located about a mile north of the town of Kilmarnock, in the county of Ayr, in southwest Scotland. It is now open to the public as "Dean Castle Country Park," belonging to Kilmarnock and Louden District Council. The name "Kilmarnock" is an ancient one describing the location of "Marnock's Church." Marnock was a noted early Irish missionary to that area of Scotland. The name "Dean" is an old Scottish term for a wooded glen and is a common place name today.
The earliest part of the castle is a fourteenth century keep, constructed not long after the lands of Kilmarnock and West Kilbride were given by King Robert the Bruce to Sir Robert Boyd as a reward for his faithful service in thick and thin during Bruce's fight for Scottish independence against Edward I and Edward II of England. A fifteenth century addition, the palace and its adjoining tower, were built during a period of Boyd ascendancy while Lord Boyd was the guardian of James III.

The main castle buildings burned in 1735, reputedly caused by a careless maid. After the fire the Boyds vacated the site and moved into town. After Lord William Boyd was executed in 1746 for supporting the Stewart cause, the castle was sold.

Dean Castle, called Kilmarnock Castle until 1700, was the primary seat of the Boyd family for over 400 years. The castle is located about a mile north of the town of Kilmarnock, in the county of Ayr, in southwest Scotland. It is now open to the public as "Dean Castle Country Park," belonging to Kilmarnock and Louden District Council. The name "Kilmarnock" is an ancient one describing the location of "Marnock's Church." Marnock was a noted early Irish missionary to that area of Scotland. The name "Dean" is an old Scottish term for a wooded glen and is a common place name today.
The earliest part of the castle is a fourteenth century keep, constructed not long after the lands of Kilmarnock and West Kilbride were given by King Robert the Bruce to Sir Robert Boyd as a reward for his faithful service in thick and thin during Bruce's fight for Scottish independence against Edward I and Edward II of England. A fifteenth century addition, the palace and its adjoining tower, were built during a period of Boyd ascendancy while Lord Boyd was the guardian of James III.

The main castle buildings burned in 1735, reputedly caused by a careless maid. After the fire the Boyds vacated the site and moved into town. After Lord William Boyd was executed in 1746 for supporting the Stewart cause, the castle was sold.

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  • Added: 14 Dec 2016
  • Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2630018