Polkelly Castle, Medieval castle ruins in East Ayrshire, Scotland
Polkelly Castle is a castle ruin in East Ayrshire, located north of Kilmarnock, where mainly a motte measuring about 23 meters by 16 meters survives today. This earthwork is the last visible trace of the original medieval fortification.
The castle lands belonged to the Comyn family before the 1390s, then passed to the Mure family who held control through the 1400s. Later it lost its military importance and gradually fell into disrepair.
The site was part of the free Barony of Polkelly, showing how land and power were organized in medieval Scotland. Today you can still sense how important such castles were for controlling the surrounding territories.
The site is located north of Kilmarnock near roads and is quite open to access. Since only the earthwork remains, you will need good orientation or map materials to find the exact spot.
In the 1590s the castle was garrisoned with about 30 soldiers to protect the area from pirates operating near Ailsa Craig. This brief military occupation shows how important the fortress still was for regional defense.
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