Ayr Citadel (9)
After the restoration of the monarchy under King Charles II, Cromwell's citadels were erected as burghs. As recompense for the losses incurred by the Earl of Eglinton through his support of King Charles I, the citadel at Ayr, as a burgh of regality and barony was given to the Hugh 7th Earl, who christened it 'Montgomerieston' after himself! You could do that sort of thing in those days if you were an earl!
It is thought that a further reason for the gift to the Montgomerie family was that they were Barons of Ardrossan and much of Ardrossan Castle was dismantled and shipped to Ayr to supply stone to build the citadel. The Ardrossan stone is of a similar type to that used here and the speed at which the citadel was constructed suggests that a ready supply of quarried stone was found.
The Earl of Eglinton sold 'Montgomerieston' to the Kennedy family as partial payment for a debt, and then, as stated before, in the 1850s an antiquarian and gunsmith called John Miller, recently returned to Ayrshire from Calcutta where he had made his fortune, purchased the Barony of Montgomerieston. He built a Gothic style residence for himself using the tower of St John's church as its centrepiece and restored the upper half of the corbelled turret on the tip of the north-bastion, known today as 'Miller's Folly'.
It wasn't until 1913-1914 that the tower of St John's church was restored to appear much like its original appearance, as recorded by John Slezer in his 'Theatrum Scotiae', thanks to the 3rd and 4th Marquesses of Bute's and their interest in preserving ancient buildings.
Ayr Citadel (9)
After the restoration of the monarchy under King Charles II, Cromwell's citadels were erected as burghs. As recompense for the losses incurred by the Earl of Eglinton through his support of King Charles I, the citadel at Ayr, as a burgh of regality and barony was given to the Hugh 7th Earl, who christened it 'Montgomerieston' after himself! You could do that sort of thing in those days if you were an earl!
It is thought that a further reason for the gift to the Montgomerie family was that they were Barons of Ardrossan and much of Ardrossan Castle was dismantled and shipped to Ayr to supply stone to build the citadel. The Ardrossan stone is of a similar type to that used here and the speed at which the citadel was constructed suggests that a ready supply of quarried stone was found.
The Earl of Eglinton sold 'Montgomerieston' to the Kennedy family as partial payment for a debt, and then, as stated before, in the 1850s an antiquarian and gunsmith called John Miller, recently returned to Ayrshire from Calcutta where he had made his fortune, purchased the Barony of Montgomerieston. He built a Gothic style residence for himself using the tower of St John's church as its centrepiece and restored the upper half of the corbelled turret on the tip of the north-bastion, known today as 'Miller's Folly'.
It wasn't until 1913-1914 that the tower of St John's church was restored to appear much like its original appearance, as recorded by John Slezer in his 'Theatrum Scotiae', thanks to the 3rd and 4th Marquesses of Bute's and their interest in preserving ancient buildings.