Law Castle is situated on the lower slopes of

Law Hill Law Hill is a hill in the North Ayrshire town of West Kilbride, overlooking the Firth of Clyde and the hills of Arran beyond. The summit rises above the village, with nearby Law Castle a few minutes walk away. On the farm road which approaches ...

on the edge of West Kilbride, in

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Àir a Tuath, ) is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and so ...

, Scotland. It is around from the railway station. The castle is a simple rectangular structure with a sloped roof and several large chimneys protruding at each side. It is similar in character to other tower houses located nearby, including Little Cumbrae Castle and

Skelmorlie Castle Skelmorlie Castle stands on the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, at the north-western corner of the county of Ayrshire. The structure dates from 1502, and was formerly the seat and stronghold of the Montgomery Clan.Boyd, Page 9 T ...

, and is a category A listed building. It was built for Princess Mary, sister of

King James III James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, James II of Scotland, King James II, at th ...

, as a wedding gift upon her marriage in 1467 to Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran. In 1469 Thomas travelled to Denmark to escort James III's bride Margaret of Denmark, but he was forced to remain abroad as he and his father Lord Boyd were

attaint A writ of attaint is an obsolete writ in English law, issued to inquire whether a jury had given a false verdict in a trial. In criminal cases, the writ of attaint was issued at the suit of the Crown, and in civil cases at the suit of either par ...

ed for treason in 1469. The marriage was thereby annulled and Thomas died a few years later, possibly in Antwerp. The castle was recorded as roofless but intact from the later 19th century. In the late 1980s it was purchased by a Mr Philips, who began restoration work on the castle. However, the castle was repossessed in 2002 prior to the restoration being completed, and Historic Scotland took legal action to recover £116,000 in grant funding from Mr Philips. The castle was subsequently bought by David Hutton, who completed the restoration in 2005.

References

External links

Law Castle
{{Castles in North Ayrshire Castles in North Ayrshire Category A listed buildings in North Ayrshire Listed castles in Scotland Tower houses in Scotland