Robertland Castle

Ayrshire: About 1.5 miles north-east of Stewarton, on minor road south of B769, just north of Swinzie Burn, at Robertland.

Ruin or site   NS 441470   OS: 64   KA3 5JP

Site of 16th-century tower house, said to have risen to six storeys, marked as ‘Robertland’ on Blaeu’s map of Cunningham and shown as a tower, then depicted in wooded policies on Armstrong (1775).

  Robertland, a neat classical mansion of two storeys, was built around 1804 near the site of the castle, and was extended in the middle of that century. Some fragments from the old castle (or the later house near the present mansion) were reset in the walled garden. There is a panel with the 1597, and another with IR and AR (James VI and Anne of Denmark) and the arms of Scotland.
  The property belonged to the Cunninghams from the end of the 15th century or earlier. David Cunningham of Robertland, with others of his family including John Cunningham of Clonbeith, was responsible for the shooting of Hew Montgomery, 4th Earl of Eglinton, in 1586. Cunningham and his companions were quickly hunted down and slain, but the feud between the families lasted at least another 20 years. The tower, fortalice and manor place are mentioned in a ratification in favour of David Cunningham of Robertland in 1592. David Cunningham of Robertland, Master of Works to James VI, was made a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1630, Sir David is mentioned in 1661, Davind Cunningham, younger of Robertland, in 1689.  Sir William Cunningham of Robertland was a friend of Robert Burns.
  The property was was sold to Sir Andrew Kerr in 1820, and the family held the property until around 1913. The house, which was empty at the time, was damaged by fire in 1914 when set ablaze by Suffragettes. The building was restored and is still occupied, and was on the market in 2004 for £1 million.
  The family continued, now as the Fairlie-Cunninghames of Robertland, and they apparently live in Australia. The barony is now held by the Reids of Robertland.