Scottish Castles

Local information

Blairquhan Castle, Ayrshire & Arran

Location: Blairquhan, Maybole KA19 7LZ (map and directions)

Blairquhan Castle, located near Maybole, South Ayrshire, is the historic home of the Hunter-Blair family and the Regency-era building remains in the family’s possession. The 3-mile approach to the castle, along with the stunning walled gardens, are some of the most beautifully landscaped gardens in Scotland. Sir James Hunter-Blair was a horticulturalist who spent most of his life restoring the castle and creating the gardens. So stunning is Blairquhan Castle that it has been used as a filming location for the Oscar- winning film The Queen.

Blairquhan Castle

History of Blairquhan Castle

The first tower house built on the property was done so by the McWhirters family in 1346. The Kennedy family then inherited the castle and finished the structure in 1573. Blairquhan Castle was finally sold to Sir David Hunter Blair in 1770, who in 1820, commissioned an architect to build a new house on the Blairquhan property after the old castle became ruined due to neglect and fires. The ‘new’ Blairquhan Castle was built in a Tudor-style, and was completed in 1824.

While the exterior of the castle is breathtaking, so too is the collection of paintings and antiques held within the castle walls.

Map and directions

Other castles in Ayrshire & Arran