Tour Scotland photographs and videos from my tours of Scotland. Photography and videography, both old and new, from beautiful Scotland, Scottish castles, seascapes, rivers, islands, landscapes, standing stones, lochs and glens.
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Old Photograph Portencross Castle Ayrshire Scotland
Old photograph of Portencross Castle near Farland Head in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The site has been fortified since the 13th Century. The present building is thought to date from the 14th Century and later, when the castle was moved from the nearby Auld Hill to its present site overlooking the harbour. The castle is believed to be the last mainland resting place for many former Scottish kings. Between the times of Cináed mac Ailpín, 810 to 858, through to the reign of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, 1030 to 1093, the bodies of former kings were taken by road from the east of Scotland, and from Portencross they were ferried to Iona where they would be buried. The castle was rebuilt in the 14th century, not on Auld Hill, but instead on a rock promontory at the bottom of the hill, overlooking the Firth of Clyde. From this location, King Robert II signed several more Royal Charters, and the castle remained occupied until the roof was blown off during a violent storm in 1739. The castle walls still remain in place today, and the building has recently been opened to the public, with visitors able to access a ground floor room, the main hall, and the roof.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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