Dundonald Castle

Southern Scotland


Dundonald Castle commands impressive views and, in its main hall, has one of the finest barrel-vaulted ceilings preserved in Scotland. It was the first home of the Stuart kings, built by Robert II in 1371, and reckoned to be the third most important castle in Scotland in its time, after Edinburgh and Stirling. The visitor centre has good information on prior settlements, and scale models of the castle and its predecessors. Buses running between Troon and Kilmarnock stop in Dundonald.

There are ongoing archaeological investigations here that, it is hoped, will reveal remains of an earlier castle.

Winter opening hours are changeable; call ahead.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southern Scotland attractions

1. Scottish Maritime Museum

3.85 MILES

Boat lovers should check out Irvine's Scottish Maritime Museum. In the massive Linthouse Engine Shop – an old hangar with a cast-iron framework – is an…

2. Dean Castle

5.76 MILES

In Kilmarnock, a 15-minute walk from bus and train stations, this castle, restored in the 20th century, has a virtually windowless keep (dating from 1350)…

3. Auld Brig

7.87 MILES

Several of Burns' poems are set here in Ayr; in Twa Brigs, Ayr's old and new bridges argue with one another. The Auld Brig was built in 1491 and spans the…

4. Auld Kirk

7.98 MILES

Robert Burns was baptised in the Auld Kirk. The atmospheric cemetery here overlooks the river and is good for a stroll, offering an escape from the bustle…

5. St John’s Tower

7.99 MILES

This is the only remnant of the church that hosted a parliament in 1315, the year after the celebrated victory at the battle of Bannockburn. John Knox’…

6. Alloway Auld Kirk

10.42 MILES

Near the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum are the ruins of the kirk, the setting for part of Burns' verse tale 'Tam o' Shanter'. Burns' father, William, is…

7. Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

10.44 MILES

This impressive museum has collected a solid range of Burns memorabilia, including manuscripts and possessions of the poet, like the pistols he packed for…

8. Burns Monument & Memorial Gardens

10.49 MILES

Within these gardens near the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum is a striking neo-Grecian monument to the poet, completed in 1823. It affords a view of the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "scotland/troon/attractions/dundonald-castle/a/poi-sig/1120929/1322468",
      "destination": "Southern-Scotland",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Scotland",
      "region": "Southern-Scotland",
      "position": "superzone"
    }