Rowallan Castle - Statement | Historic Environment Scotland

Updated November 2016.

Rowallan Old Castle is a privately-owned, nationally important scheduled monument in Ayrshire, less than half an hour from Glasgow. The site contains the standing remains of a 13th-century hall house and a later tower as well as a Renaissance courtyard house which is well-preserved and restored externally. It also has significant surviving internal features.

This historic complex sits within a later designed landscape which has at its centrepiece a Baronial revival style ‘new Castle’, designed by Sir Robert Lorimer around the turn of the 19th/20th century using some of the existing buildings and landform. The principal use of the Rowallan Estate today is leisure and tourism, with a Colin Montgomerie designed golf course, club house and hotel.

On 20 February 2015 Historic Scotland announced our intention to rescind guardianship of the Old Castle to the owner Niall Campbell, provided that he signs a legal agreement which commits him and any future owners to conservation, maintenance, and access requirements.

Provided that all the conditions have been met, the current guardianship agreement will be terminated on 1 April 2015.

The main objectives when considering the future of the site were:

how to conserve the building and guarantee its future protection
to ensure that it is re-used as a living monument, in a manner consistent with its history and cultural significance
to maximize public access
to provide economic and cultural benefits for the community, the owner, and Historic Scotland
to significantly enhance the tourism offer in East Ayrshire

Scottish Ministers are satisfied that, should the agreement be signed and the terms met, then the policy objectives described above can be achieved.

Scottish Ministers remain absolutely committed to conserving Rowallan Old Castle as a nationally important monument for future generations to enjoy.

The owner’s agent submitted an application for scheduled monument consent for works to enable the castle’s change of use to overnight residential accommodation on 1 April 2015. Scheduled monument consent was granted by Scottish Ministers, through Historic Scotland, on 25 June 2015.