The Castles of Clan Montgomery

Clan Montgomery are a powerful and ancient clan who have used their great influence to gain numerous impressive castles! We find exploring a clan’s ancestral homes to be one of the best ways to immerse yourself in their history, so dive in with us.

It only makes sense to start with the ancestral seat of the grand chiefs of Clan Montgomery, Eglinton Castle. Located just south of Kilwinning, Eglinton was originally built in the medieval period. Unfortunately, this iteration of the building was lost in the infamous feud between Clan Montgomery and Clan Cunningham. In 1528, William Cunningham, the Earl of Glencairn, ambushed Eglinton, setting fire to the castle and surrounding fields.

While Clan Montgomery were initially forced to relocate, they didn’t forget about their grand seat, and they returned in the 1700s to restore their home, remaking it in the style of a gothic mansion. In 1729, they hired the architect William Adam to rebuild the east side of the castle, and add a kitchen and back court, while in 1796, Hugh, the 12th Earl, commissioned an even more ambitious redesign. Architect John Paterson had the remains of the old castle knocked down and replaced with a huge, imposing building, complete with 4 towers, a central keep, and an expansive courtyard, making it one of Scotland’s most impressive clan homes of the time. Supposedly, it was so grand that it boasted a total of 365 windows!

Eglinton Castle in the 1930s

It was surrounded by scenic gardens and woodlands, while the estate was packed full with leisure activities for the family, including 2 curling ponds, a cricket ground, and a pavilion. It’s also clear that the Montgomerys were fans of hunting, as Eglinton included several game and venison larders.

The clan even used the castle to host a notorious event! In 1839, the 13th Earl of Eglinton organised the lavish Eglinton Tournament, a recreation of medieval jousting, aiming to bring back the magic of chivalric performance. The Earl and his friends dressed up in armour and jousted all day in front of a crowd of 100,000 spectators!

In December of 1925, the clan left Eglinton Castle, marking the end of an era. While it now stands in ruins, the dramatic and eerie sight still makes an intriguing feature of Eglinton Country Park and remains a striking visual reminder of the Montgomery’s wealth and influence during the peak of their power.

Our next Montgomery site for today is Ardrossan Castle, which sits in an imposing position on top of a hill overlooking the Firth of Clyde. It is thought that a strong holding was first built on the site in around 1140 by Simon de Morville. It went on to play a key role in the Wars of Independence, when an English garrison was stationed at Ardrossan, until William Wallace sieged the castle ferociously. It is said that Wallace staged a decoy fire in a nearby village, prompting the English to go and investigate, leaving Ardrossan undefended. He then stormed the castle, ambushing the English on their return, and throwing them all in the dungeon that would come to be known as ‘Wallace’s Larder.’ It is said that Wallace’s ghost haunted the place for hundreds of years after this infamous incident, and even now still wanders the ruins on dark and stormy nights.

Ardrossan Castle by wfmillar

Clan Montgomery came into possession of Ardrossan in the late 1380s when Sir John Montgomery, the 7th Baron of Eaglesham, married the daughter of Sir High Eglinton, thus becoming the Baron of Eglinton and Ardrossan. He immediately set about enlarging and remodelling the castle, signifying his grand status and great wealth and power. His grandson also went on to improve the castle, adding features such as a striking red sandstone keep.

It seems that Clan Montgomery had largely abandoned Ardrossan by the 17th century, and today it stands in ruins. The remains of the keep can be clearly seen, rising to the 3rd storey in parts, while completely open in other sections, revealing ornate interior features such as fireplaces and carved stonework.

Even in its current dilapidated state, Ardrossan serves as a striking reminder of Clan Montgomery’s illustrious history!

Our final Montgomery site for today is the fascinating Polnoon Castle, which was located about a mile south of Eaglesham church. It was built on a high point, no doubt a strategic decision, as it gave expansive views of the surrounding land.

One of the most interesting elements of Polnoon Castle is arguably its origin! In 1388, Clan Montgomery fought heroically in the Battle of Otterburn, with Sir John the 7th Baron of Eaglesham securing his place in history. The story goes that Sir John and renowned warrior Percy Hotspur, so named for his ferocity on the battlefield, met in hand-to-hand combat and Montgomery overcame Percy. A great ransom was paid for his release, which the Montgomerys used to build the castle of Polnoon.

Polnoon Castle ruins by Rosser1954

Polnoon went on to serve as the seat of the Montgomerys of Eaglesham, and it is said that Sir John Montgomery had a carving of a spear placed above the castle door to commemorate his great victory at Otterburn.

The castle was abandoned by the 17th century, and today very little of the building remains, with it only being traceable by the large pieces of stone that are scattered around the site and in the depths of the Polnoon water.

Polnoon Castle is one of the best representations of Clan Montgomery’s military strength, bargaining prowess, and prestigious status during the medieval period.

We hope you have enjoyed this journey into Clan Montgomery’s past! As you have seen, the Montgomerys held numerous impressively grand homes.

 

To learn more about this fascinating family and their long, winding history, head over to our Clan Montgomery page, and be sure to keep an eye out for the rest of our upcoming Montgomery content!

Image Sources:

Eglinton Castle circa 1900 by Roger Griffith - Francisco Haro Collection, Public Domain

Ardrossan Castle, taken Wednesday, 16 January, 2008 © wfmillar (cc-by-sa/2.0)geograph.org.uk/p/660775

Polnoon Castle mound, masonry blocks, Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, Scotland by Rosser1954 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0