Barr Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barr Castle |
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| Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, Scotland GB grid reference |
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 Barr Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°47′18″N 4°38′18″W / 55.7883°N 4.6382°W |
| Height | 12M |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Private |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Site history | |
| Built | 16th century |
| In use | Until 18th century |
| Materials | Stone |
Barr Castle is an old tower house. Today, you can see its ruins on a low hill. It is located south of the village of Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
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History of Barr Castle
Barr Castle was built a long time ago, in the 15th or early 16th century. This means it's over 400 years old!
Around the end of the 16th century, the castle became owned by the Hamiltons of Ferguslie family. They lived there for about 200 years. In the late 1700s, the Hamiltons sold the castle. They moved out and built a new, more modern home.
Today, Barr Castle is a special historical site. It is protected as a scheduled monument, which means it's an important part of Scotland's history.
What Barr Castle Looks Like
 Front view of Barr Castle
 Close-up of the main entrance
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Barr Castle is a simple rectangular building. It measures about 7.8 meters from east to west and 10.7 meters across. The tower stands about 12 meters tall. You can still see parts of the chimney and gable on its south side.
The outside of the castle is quite plain. It gets its impressive look from its large size. The walls are made of rough stone blocks. The corners use specially cut stones called quoins. The only fancy part left is a carved stone above the main entrance. It has the initials of Margaret Hamilton and John Wallace.
The main door to the castle is on the west side, at ground level. This door was added later. The original entrance was on the first floor, and people used stairs to reach it. You can still see window openings on all four sides of the building. There are also signs on the walls that show changes were made later. These changes probably happened in the late 1600s to make the tower a bigger home.
In the past, there was a courtyard with other buildings around the castle. Most of these buildings are now gone.
Inside, the ground floor had two rooms with low, arched ceilings. The main door opened into a small hallway. From here, you could enter the two rooms or go up the circular stairs. The kitchen had a very large, low fireplace.
The entire first floor was one big hall. Light came in from windows on all four sides. Unlike many Scottish castles, this hall had a flat, low ceiling. The second and third floors were each divided into two rooms. Each room had its own small toilet, called a garderobe. There were also small storage spaces built into the thick walls.
The top of the castle had battlements. These were walls with gaps that helped protect the castle. There was a walkway all around the top of the building. The corner towers, called turrets, used to have roofs. Stone gutters helped drain rainwater from the roof.
You can find several carvings on the castle walls. For example, the letters IW and MH are above the main entrance. IH and IC 1680 are above a doorway on the stairs. WO 1699 is carved on the battlements. These are the initials of different Hamilton family members who owned Barr Castle. They also include John Wallace and his wife Margaret Hamilton, and John Hamilton and Jean Cochrane.
The Glen Family and Barr Castle
Barr Castle was first built by the Glen family. When Alexander Glen passed away in 1629, the castle went to the Hamiltons of Ferguslie family.
The Hamiltons of Barr
Margaret Hamilton was the oldest daughter of Allan Hamilton of Ferguslie. She married John Wallace. As part of their marriage agreement, John Wallace agreed to take the Hamilton name and family crest. So, in 1647, he was officially allowed to become John Hamilton. This is how the Hamiltons of Barr family began.
Alexander Hamilton of Barr was Margaret and John's great-grandson. He was born in 1670. He was listed as 'of Barr' in a tax record from 1695. He also helped manage local affairs for Renfrewshire. Alexander died in 1747 and was buried in Lochwinnoch.
Alexander's grandson, John Hamilton, later sold the estate to the MacDowall family. John died in 1825 and was also buried in the family tomb in Lochwinnoch.
MacDowall Family Ownership
Since the 18th century, Barr Castle has been owned by the MacDowall family. As of 2011, Fergus MacDowall of Garthland owns it. He is the leader, or Chief, of the Clan MacDowall. Because he owns it, Barr Castle is considered the main home of the MacDowall clan.
However, the MacDowall family doesn't have a long history with the castle itself. Their connection is mainly through owning the land since the 1700s. The carvings and writings on the castle walls are mostly from the Hamilton family, who lived there in the 1600s.
