We discovered this castle a few days ago! There’s a pleasant walk to it from Fairlie Station or the corner of Castlepark Gardens – you can go up one way and down the other (as we did).
Facing the station, turn onto the narrow footpath to the left, over the bridge, turn right by Argyll Cottage, through a gateway and then follow the path uphill. It’s rocky and a bit slippery when wet with a bit of a drop on the right hand side down to the burn, so take care! You’ll pass lovely little waterfalls and see many wild flowers and birdlife – not to mention the beautiful views back down over the Clyde.
Partway up the path (you can actually continue for a longer walk but I don’t know how far it goes) you’ll come to Fairlie Castle – actually a keep of four levels. There’s no access to the interior as the entrance is blocked up. Now roofless, it’s a plain rectangular tower built in the 15th century. It measures 45ft 5ins by 29ft – I looked that up as I didn’t take a tape measure with me! ;-)
Apparently it was the Ross family who built the Castle; they lived there until the 17th century but by the end of the 19th century, unfortunately, it was nothing more than a ruin.
Below are some of my photos taken along the walk to the castle:
Fairlie Castle at last!
Views from near the castle
There were many wild flowers along the path despite it being November!
