The Shire: Forgotten Past

Driving

A selection of sites to ignite the imagination

This tour is 138 miles long, please allow at least 5 hours to complete it, excluding the time taken to enjoy the destinations along the way.

Delve into the mythical, magical history of the Shire with the Forgotten Past route. Adults and children alike will revel in visiting the sites of romantic ruins, cursed portraits, hill-top fortresses and castles haunted by the restless spirits of Jacobite rebels. If it all gets too much, the mystical properties of the Old Dailly Blue Stones should soothe any jitters, while a different side of the Shire’s history can be experiences in the arts and culture of Rozelle House, or the many indoor and outdoor attractions of Dumfries House. The Wallace Tower – which pre-dates Stirling’s Wallace Monument by more than a decade – offers a fascinating new insight into William Wallace’s legacy, whilst the Earl of Glencairn was instrumental in encouraging Robert Burns to publish his poetry during the period he presided over Dean Castle.

What you'll see

Wallace Tower - Ayr

History & Heritage

Not to be confused with The Wallace Monument in Stirling, the Wallace Tower in Ayr predates its Stirling sibling by approximately a decade (1855-7)

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Rozelle House - Ayrshire

History & Heritage

Rozelle House is a mid-18th century manor on a formerly privately-owned estate in the town of Ayr

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Maybole Castle - Ayrshire

History & Heritage

The formidable-looking Maybole Castle is a four-storey garret tower in the Ayrshire town of Maybole.

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Culzean Castle & Country Park - Maybole

Parks & Gardens

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Robert Adam’s cliff-top masterpiece rises above a world of woods, beaches, secret follies and play parks

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Old Dailly Blue Stones - South Ayrshire

History & Heritage

Located in the graveyard of the ruined Covenanters Church in Old Dailly, the two Blue Stones once sat at the altar and were known as Sanctuary Stones.

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Penkill Castle - South Ayrshire

History & Heritage

Penkill Castle is a 16th-century castle north-east of Girvan in South Ayrshire, Scotland.

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Carleton Castle - South Ayrshire

History & Heritage

Carleton Castle is a 15th-century five-storey tower, and a Category B-Listed building.

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St Colmon Parish Church and Churchyard - Colmonell

History & Heritage

At least three Churches have existed on this site since around 1179 and there are records of Ministers recorded as far back as the 1400s.

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Dalquharran Castle - South Ayrshire

History & Heritage

Dalquharran Castle is an 18th century category-A listed building in South Ayrshire.

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Dean Castle - Kilmarnock

History & Heritage

Dean Castle Country Park is a fantastic free day out for all the family.

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Dumfries House - Cumnock

History & Heritage

Dumfries House is a 1750s Palladian country house in Ayrshire, Scotland.

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