Brief Description
Castlehill is what remains of an 18th- and 19th-century estate, now surrounded by housing development in the town of Ayr. The house was demolished in the 1960s and the grounds have been used as a public park since the late-20th century. The park is notable for its areas of woodland which include some interesting mature specimen trees.
History
The first planting noted on maps of Castlehill dates from the early-19th century, although there was a house there much earlier. A new house was built in 1804 by Patrick Ballantine. The estate passed out of the Ballantine family in 1909. The land was bought by Kyle and Carrick Council in the 1990s, since when the area has been open as a public park.
Visitor Facilities
Castlehill Estate is open to the public throughout the year.- Access & Directions
Access Contact Details
Castlehill Estate is open to the public throughout the year.
- Authorities
Electoral Ward
- Ayr Masonhill
- References
References
- Peter McGowan Associates with Christopher Dingwall, 'Castlehill', in {Ayrshire Garden and Designed Landscape Survey} (Prestwick: South Ayrshire Council, 2007) [on CD-ROM]Ayrshire Garden and Designed Landscape Survey
- Close, R. (ed), {Ayrshire and Arran: An Illustrated Architectural Guide} (Edinburgh: The Rutland Press, 1992), p. 6Ayrshire and Arran: An Illustrated Architectural Guide
- Gordon, J. (ed), {The New Statistical Account of Scotland} ([n.p.]: [n.pub.], 1845), Vol. V, pp. 273-88The New Statistical Account of Scotland
- Captain M. J. Armstrong and Son {A New Map of Ayrshire} (1775)A New Map of Ayrshire
- William Roy {Military Survey of Scotland} (1750)Military Survey of Scotland
- Joan Blaeu {Atlas Novus - South Carrick/North Carrick/Kyle/Cunninghame} (Amsterdam, 1654)Atlas Novus - South Carrick/North Carrick/Kyle/Cunninghame
- Coventry, M., {The Castles of Scotland} (Edinburgh: Goblinshead, 1997), p. 253The Castles of Scotland