Mauchline Castle facts for kids
Mauchline Castle, also known as Abbot Hunter's Tower, is a tall, rectangular castle built in the 1400s. It is located in Mauchline, East Ayrshire, Scotland. This castle was once part of a group of buildings that belonged to a monastery called Melrose Abbey. Today, it is a very important historical building.
History of Mauchline Castle
Before the year 1177, monks from Melrose Abbey owned land in Ayrshire. This land was roughly the same size as the Mauchline area today. The castle was built around 1450. It was part of a large farm, called a monastic grange, that belonged to the monastery.
We know the castle was built around 1450 because of a special stone carving. This carving, called a boss, is in the main hall on the first floor. It shows the symbol of Abbot Andrew Hunter, who was in charge of the abbey from about 1444 to 1471.
Later, in 1521, a person named Huw Campbell became the manager of the area. He eventually took full control of the land in 1606. Some of the square windows you see in the castle might have been added around this time.
In the 1700s, a lawyer named Gavin Hamilton lived in the castle. He was a friend of the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns. People say that Robert Burns wrote one of his poems, The Calf, here. It is also believed that Burns married his wife, Jean Armour, in the castle. The castle was repaired in the 1800s.
Structure of Mauchline Castle
Mauchline Castle is built from red stone blocks called ashlar. It measures about 10 meters (33 feet) long and 9 meters (30 feet) wide. The walls are very thick, about 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide!
The main entrance is on the south side, at ground level. Above the entrance, there is a small space where a statue might have once stood. To the left of the entrance, there is a spiral staircase, called a turnpike stair.
The castle has four main floors, plus an attic at the very top. The attic has special stepped gables, which are the triangular parts of the wall at the end of the roof.
The main hall is on the first floor. It has a special arched ceiling with stone ribs, and stone seats in the windows. Below the hall, in the basement, there are two rooms that don't get much light. The castle also has an unusual double toilet chute, called a garderobe, on the north side.
