Old travel Blog photograph of Seagate Castle close to the River Irvine in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland. The castle was formerly a stronghold, a town house, and later a dower house of the Montgomery Clan. The castle overlooks the oldest street in Irvine, which was once the main route between the town and the old harbour at Seagatefoot, which by 1606, was useless and abandoned due to silting. After being unroofed in around 1746, Seagate ceased to be inhabited by family retainers, however, the Castle became the haunt of smugglers, thieves and beggars. After nightfall the locals shunned it, and if any property was stolen in the town it was the first place to be searched. In the 1800s people still living could remember seeing the smugglers' " wee whisky still " sitting in the large kitchen fireplace producing illicit spirits.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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