Looking South, West to Arran, and North along the beach.
At the south end of the beach stands a tower which is the remains of Greenan Castle, which we'll visit later in the week.
Ayr main street is still very traditional and lined with small shops.
Further north from Ayr we stopped in to Dundonald Castle. It sits on top of a natural hill which afforded views across the the entire area. Because of its location, there has been a fort of one sort or another since about 500 AD, but the current ruins date from about 1450. The roof and much of the stone was taken to build a grand country house for the owner. This castle once was the home of King Robert I (Robert the Bruce) of Scotland, so in its day it was a grand palace as well as a castle.
The stonework is amazing, and the ceilings are known as barrel vaulted ceilings which is built like a long arch, so using its own weight to lock the stones in place and making for a very strong construction. It still must have been cold and draughty!
From the top floor, the views across the countryside are spectacular ...
Even if today it is a giant windfarm!
We also stopped in to Dean Castle in Kilmarnock, but unfortunately it was closed today so we had to make do with pictures of the outside. However, the tearoom was open and we had scones with butter and strawberry jam! The castle consists of a tower and a separate palace, both heavily fortified. The main gatehouse is equally impressive and we hope to visit it on our next trip.
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