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The third Earl of
Kilmarnock opposed the
Stuart claim to the English
throne during the rising of
1715 against George I,
Hanover (of German decent
who succeeded Queen Anne,
daughter of James II to the
English throne).
The 4th Earl, William
Boyd, fought for Prince
Charles Edward Stuart (the
Young Pretender) in an
attempt to overthrow George
II, Hanover. Prince Charles
appointed him a member of
the Privy Council with the
rank of general. The fourth
Earls capture at the Battle
of Culloden 16 April 1746,
led to a trial at the Tower
of London, followed by his
beheading on Tower Hill on
the 18th August 1746.
John Walkinshaw
Craufurd, 20th Laird of
Craufurdland Castle, only
two miles from Dean Castle,
supported the house of
Hanover at that time.
Craufurd though had
remained a friend of the
Jacobite William Boyd. He
accompanied William Boyd to
the scaffold in London as
an act of comradeship. He
received the earl’s
severed head, and arranged
his funeral.
Although the Boyd titles
were confiscated at that
time, the 4th Earl's son
James, was able to reclaim
the estate as he had fought
on the Government side.
James sold Dean castle
around that time, with the
castle having a number of
different owners over the
following centuries.
James inherited the
Earldom of Erroll from his
mother around that time,
and took the name Hay.
When the 22nd Earl of
Erroll died without a male
heir in 1941, his daughter
became the Countess of
Erroll and Chief of Clan
Hay, while her brother
changed his name back to
Boyd, becomming 6th Lord
Kilmarnock and Chief of
Clan Boyd.
Alastair Boyd, 7th Lord
Kilmarnock from 1975, died
in 2009 aged 81. His heir
is the elder of his two
sons, Simon John Boyd, born
in 1978, who has a son,
Lucian Michael Boyd born in
2007.
The last private owner
of Dean Castle, Howard De
Walden, gifted the castle
and its contents to the
people of Kilmarnock in
1975. Dean has since served
as a Country Park with free
entry. Dean Castle
Photo Tour.
Law Castle was restored
in the 1990s by an
Englishman. The castle can
now be booked for self
contained holidays,
weddings and corporate
events. Website.
Portencross Castle has
recently been restored to
serve as a visitor
attraction. There is a car
park, picnic area and
scenic seaside walk close
to the castle. Website.
Penkill Castle was sold
by Evelyn May Courtney Boyd
in 1978 to an Elton A
Ecstrand from Michigan USA.
The property is now said to
be owned by the famed movie
producer Patrick
Drumgoole.
Trochrague House is now
run by a religious order
that offers holidays to
people with special
needs.
The Boyds', over the
centuries, were related
through marriage to other
Ayrshire Clans such as the
Campbells' of Loudoun and
Montgomerys' of
Eglinton.
The Boyds' were known
for local fueds with the
Montgomerys' of Eglinton
west of Kilmarnock, and
Mures' of Rowallan north of
Kilmarnock.
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