Blairquhan Castle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blairquhan Castle
Entrance front of Blairquhan Castle
Location	Straiton, South Ayrshire, Scotland UK grid reference NS 36531 05468
Built	1824
Built for	Hunter-Blair family
Architect	William Burn
Architectural style(s)	Tudor revival
Listed Building – Category A
Designated	14 April 1971
Reference no.	LB19094
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
Criteria	Historical Horticultural Architectural
Designated	1 July 1987
Reference no.	GDL00063
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Blairquhan is a beautiful castle located near Maybole in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is a great example of a Regency era building. For a long time, it was the home of the Hunter-Blair Baronets family. They owned the castle until 2012, when a company from China bought it.

Blairquhan is a very important historical site. It is protected as a Category A listed building. This means it is a building of special architectural or historic interest. The castle's large gardens and grounds are also listed in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland. This list includes the most important gardens in the country.

History of Blairquhan Castle

Four different families have lived at Blairquhan or on its lands over hundreds of years. Each family added their own story to the castle.

Early Owners and Changes

The first family to build on this land was the McWhirters. They built the first tower house around the year 1346. Later, the Kennedy family took over the estate through marriage. They built more parts of the old castle around 1573.

In the early 1600s, the Whiteford family became the owners. However, in 1798, they sold Blairquhan to Sir David Hunter Blair, 3rd Baronet. Sir David's father, Sir James Hunter Blair, 1st Baronet, had married Jean Blair. Jean was the daughter and heir of John Blair of Dunskey. When Jean inherited her father's estate in 1777, the family added "Blair" to their surname.

Building the New Castle

In 1820, Sir David Hunter Blair decided to build a new house. He hired a famous Scottish architect named William Burn to design it. The old castle was in bad shape because of fires and not being looked after. So, it was taken down to make way for the new building.

The new castle was built in the Tudor-style. This style looks like buildings from the Tudor period in England. Some old decorative pieces and carved stones from the original castle were saved. They were used in the kitchen courtyard of the new house. The new mansion was finished in 1824. Inside, it has many old furniture pieces and a special collection of paintings by Scottish artists.

In late 2012, Sir Patrick David Hunter-Blair, 9th Baronet, sold Blairquhan. It was bought by Ganten Scotland, which is part of a Chinese company. This company bottles mineral water and sells it around the world.

The Castle Grounds and Gardens

You can reach Blairquhan by driving about 3 miles (5 km) along the River Girvan. The castle grounds are very special.

Preserving the Estate

James Hunter Blair (1926–2004) was a younger brother of a previous owner. He loved plants and trees. He spent most of his life working to restore the castle and keep the estate grounds beautiful. The grounds have very old trees and a special walled garden.

One very old sycamore tree stands near the castle. People think it might be a "Dule Tree." This was a tree where important meetings or even hangings took place in the past. It was likely planted in the early 1500s. In 1997, the tree's wide top was cut back a lot. This helped save its weak trunk from falling apart completely.

Blairquhan as a Visitor Spot

To help pay for keeping the castle running, James Hunter Blair started using the 2,000-acre (800 ha) estate for events. It became a place for private parties, like weddings, and company events. It was also used for filming movies and TV shows.

The current owners still use the castle this way. You can rent the whole castle for your own special event. Blairquhan Castle has been seen on TV. It was featured in the UK show Beauty and the Geek. The castle's inside rooms and outside grounds were also used in the 2006 film The Queen. This movie won an Oscar and starred Helen Mirren. In the film, Blairquhan stood in for Balmoral Castle.