Dundonald village sits under a steep wooded hill between Troon and Kilmarnock, and on top of the hill stands the castle that Robert Stewart built in the 1370s when he came to the throne as Robert II, the first of the Stewart kings. He built it, in effect, to celebrate — and that makes this modest hilltop the cradle of a dynasty that ran for three hundred years and ended up on the thrones of both Scotland and England.
The hill and the castle
There have been fortifications here for a very long time. Excavation has turned up around 3,500 years of occupation, with earlier castles on the site belonging to the High Stewards of Scotland before Robert's tower went up.
What stands today is a fine example of a medieval tower house, with a splendid barrel-vaulted ceiling in the lower hall, an upper hall above it and a prison below. From the top the view runs out over the Firth of Clyde. Beyond the Stewarts, the site has associations with the Wallace family and later the Cochranes, favourites of Charles II.
Visiting
The castle is looked after day to day by the Friends of Dundonald Castle, a local charity working in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland — which is why it feels less institutional than most guardianship monuments and why the guiding is unusually good. Tours are led by local volunteers and run through the day; several visitors rate the tour as the best part of the visit.
It is open all year, generally 10am to 5pm, with tours at set times, last castle tour around 3.30pm and last entry at 4pm. Entry is charged, and Historic Scotland members go free. Check current times before travelling.
The visitor centre at the foot of the hill has an exhibition on the site's history, finds from the excavations, a shop and a café doing soup, sandwiches and cake. It is fully accessible, has toilets and is dog-friendly.
Practical notes
There is a level tarmac car park beside the visitor centre. The approach to the castle is a steep tarmac path of about 120 metres with an anti-slip surface, followed by 30 metres of level gravel — several visitors note the climb, so factor it in. Inside, much of the castle can be seen from the level ground floor, with more to explore upstairs for those able.
About fifty minutes from Girvan, and easily combined with Troon or a golf day. Dogs on leads are welcome on the site.
