Kilkerran House is an 18th-century private house near
Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland. It is a category A
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
set within grounds included in the
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
The name Kilkerran relates
Campbeltown Loch, originally referred to as 'Kinlochkilkerran' (an anglicization of the Gaelic, which means "head of the loch by the
kirk(Chille) of Ciarán").
Location
Kilkerran lies in the valley of the
Water of Girvan
The Water of Girvan (or River Girvan) ( gd, Garbhan / Abhainn Gharbhain) is a river in South Ayrshire, which has its source at Loch Girvan Eye in the Carrick Forest section of Galloway Forest Park. This river passes through the villages of Stra ...
about 4.5 miles (7 km) south of
Maybole and 2 miles (3 km) north-east of
Dailly
Dailly ( gd, Dail Mhaol Chiarain) is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the Water of Girvan, south of Maybole, and east of Old Dailly. "New Dailly", as it was originally known, was laid out in the 1760s as a coal-mining vil ...
.
[
]
History
It has been home to the Fergusson family since Fergus Fergusson obtained a charter from Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
in the early 1300s, confirming that the lands at Kilkerran were his.[
A tower house stood on the site of the present house by the 14th century.][
The core of the house dates back to about 1700, and has been expanded in 1818 by ]James Gillespie Graham
James Gillespie Graham (11 June 1776 – 11 March 1855) was a Scottish architect, prominent in the early 19th century.
Life
Graham was born in Dunblane on 11 June 1776. He was the son of Malcolm Gillespie, a solicitor. He was christened as J ...
(including William Adam fireplaces), a billiards room by David Bryce in 1855, and stable offices by Brown and Wardrop in 1873.[ In 1956, the house was redecorated under the supervision of the architect ]Schomberg Scott
Walter Schomberg Hepburn Scott (1910–1998) was a Scottish architect specialising in building restoration. From 1950 until 1975, he did multiple projects for the National Trust of Scotland.
Life
He was born on 14 September 1910 at Monteviot ...
.[
The English Zionist and biographer Blanche Dugdale, mother-in-law of the owner, Sir James Fergusson, 8th Baronet, died at Kilkerran House on 16 May 1948.][
]
References
{{Reflist
Houses in Scotland
Category A listed buildings in South Ayrshire
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes