Greenan Castle, Cliff castle near Maybole, Scotland.
Greenan Castle is a tower house perched on a coastal cliff near Maybole, consisting of three stories with corner turrets and a vaulted basement. The rectangular stone structure rises from the cliff edge and commands views across the landscape below.
The location started as a promontory fort and later became a motte-and-bailey structure in the 12th century. John Kennedy built the current stone tower in 1603 on this historically strategic site.
The entrance stone bears initials and a date that tell of the family who built this place and their connection to the river below. That inscription connects the castle to the people and their livelihood in this coastal area.
Visitors can reach the castle via a steep path from the coastal road, and care is needed near the cliff edge for safety. The clifftop location offers views across the landscape but requires awareness of uneven ground and coastal wind conditions.
Excavations revealed that the tower was once surrounded by a settlement housing over 100 residents living in wooden buildings around the fortress. These structures served as homes, storage facilities, stables, and brewing houses, showing a much larger community than the solitary stone tower suggests today.
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