'Antiquities of Scotland' Index
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Turnbury Castle
Turnbury Castle. The next upon the coast are to
be seen the old ruins of the ancient castle of Turnbury, upon the
North West point of that rocky angle that turns about towards Girvan,
and is perhaps the place called by Ptolomee, Perigonium, of a Greek
origination, importing round the corner, and suiting the English
designation of Turnbury ; and that it cannot be Bargeny, as some
imagine, the very situation of that castle and recentness of it will
abundantly show; and to confirm this our conjecture, the Perigonium is
Turnbury, from turning of the corner, a tradition among the people
there, will not a little induce, viz. that near to this very castle,
there was of old a town of the fame name, of which there is no vestige
at present to be seen, but that they perceive some remainders of a.
causeway, and that the reason for this may be, the neighbourhood of
the port of the greatest resort in all that coast, at which the first
possessors have landed from Ireland, and so might have fixed their
habitations near to it, though now the place be but a tract of barren
sand. -Thus far Mr. Abbercrornbie.
This castle belonged to Alexander, ‘Earl of
Carrick, who-died in the Holy Land, and left an only daughter and
heiress named Martha, she, about the year 1274, taking the diversion
of hunting, with her women and attendants, met by accident Robert
Bruce, Lord of Annandale in Scotland, and Cleveland in England, a very
handsome young man, who after the usual salutes and kisses, which
Fordun says were customary in courts, would have proceeded on his way;
but the Countess being enamoured with him, seized his horses reins,
and with a kind of violence, apparently against his will, led him to
her castle of Turnbury, where after detaining him above a fortnight,
she married him privately, unknown to the king, or to any of the
friends of either party, whence it was currently reported that she had
obtained her husband by a rape. On this the king, to punish her for
her feudal delinquency, in marrying without his consent, seized her
castle and estates; but by the interposition of friends, and the
payment of a sum of money, Robert Bruce shortly after obtained a full
restitution.
THis castle was in the hands of the English in the expedition of King
Edward I. A. D. 1306 Bruce having taken shelter in the Isle of Arran,
sent a trusty person into Carrick, to learn how his vassals stood
affected to his cause, with instructions, that if he found them
disposed to assist him, he should make a signal at a time appointed,
by lighting a fire on an eminence near the castle of Turnbury, The
messenger found the English in the possession of Carrick, the people
dispirited, and none ready to take arms; he therefore did not make the
signal; but a fire being made about noon on the appointed spot
(possibly by accident) both Bruce and the messenger saw it; the former
with his associates put to Tea, to join his supposed party; the latter
to prevent his coming; they met before Bruce reached the shore, when
the messenger acquainted Bruce with the unpromising state of his
affairs, and advised him to go back; but he obeying the dictates of
despair and valor, resolved to persevere and attacking the English,
carelessly cantoned in the neighbourhood of Turnbury, put a number of
them to the sword, and pillaged their quarters. Percy from the castle
heard the uproar, yet did not sally forth against them, not knowing
their strength. Bruce with his followers, not exceeding three hundred
in number, remained for some days near Turnbury ; but succours having
arrived from the neighbouring garrisons, he was obliged to seek safety
in the mountainous parts of Carrick. AT present, as may be seen in the
drawing, little more than the foundations of the building are
remaining. There are some vaults beneath it, possibly once sally ports
communicating with the water. From this shore is seen the rock of
Ailsa, and to the right that of Lamlash, with the craggy mountains of
Arran.
THIS view was drawn A. D. 1789.
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