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The Construction
and Conservation
of Dunure Castle
Much of Dunure is built from locally
quarried black whinstone. This was too hard to work and all
dressings such as door, window and fireplace surrounds were cut
from softer sandstone. Five or more sandstone types are
represented
at Dunure, all of which were brought to the site by sea. They
range from the soft green, orangey and purple stones that come
from Croy Shore and Culzean to the south, to the much harder
yellow and cream crystalline sandstones originating in the
vicinity of Greenan by Ayr to the north. Roofing slates were
imported from Dunoon or Luss on Loch Lomond.
Lime was also brought to Dunure. This was mixed with local beach
sand to make mortars and plasters. Externally all walling was
harled - an application of wet lime mortar thrown at the wall-face
- and then lime washed. Recovered fragments show either a roughly
trowelled application or a surface smoothed by means of a bristle
brush. Both were limewashed in many coats of white.
 A
major programme of archaeology, masorary consolidation and
enhanced public access was undertaken over 1996-99 by Strathclyde
Building Preservation Trust. The repair mortars at Dunure closely
match the original and use the local sand.
Stone recovered from the
excavations has also been used.
 A
number of the archaeological finds are illustrated here. The
analysis of the finds has added considerably to our knowledge of
the history of the castle. A number of large square-headed nails
were recovered by the original principal entrance and probably
came from its door. Associated with these was a large splinter on
impact where the fragment became embedded in the door. The obvious
candidate for this is the seige of 1570 where the 4th Earl of
Casillis may have
used a light field piece such as a falconet in his attack. 
A falconet is a smoothbore cannon of about
2 inch calibre taking a 1 1/2 pound shot.
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