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The Girvan Boat Trips can be about one
hour out to Ailsa Craig, one hour on the
island, a half hour tour round the island
to see the Seals and thousands of Birds
nesting on the steep Cliffs on the west
side, then about a one hour trip back to
Girvan.
Another Trip allows three hours on the
island for Hikers wanting to hike to the
top. There is only one way to the top, up
past the Castle following a steep narrow
trail. The trail from the Castle up to
the Summit is through deep ferns much of
the way, so is not the easiest of hiking,
but well worth the effort.
Photos of the Island were donated by
Ann Bowker.
View more excellent large photos of
another Trip to the Island.
Below is the History of Ailsa Craig as
far as I can make out:
Duncan de Carrick, 1st Earl of
Carrick, had control of Ailsa Craig in
the 1200s, giving Ailsa Craig and some
land in Ayrshire to the Monks of
Crossraguel Abbey in Ayrshire.
Crossraguel Abbey was
built from 1244, with the land used by
the Monks to fund the Abbey through
Fishing, Farming, Sea Salt, and making
Gunpowder.
Clan Kennedy were descendants of
Duncan de Carrick, with them owning many
Castle in South Ayrshire, with Carrick
being the central part of South
Ayrshire.
In August 1560, the Scottish
Parliament passed a series of Acts to
dismantle the Catholic Church in
Scotland, the start of Protestantism. A
Commendator was appointed to each Abbey
at that time, to run the finances while
the Monks lived out their lives in the
Abbey's.
This was when the powerful Landowners
began taking the Land back from the
Abbeys, sometimes by ruthless means.
The Kennedy's of Cassillis, took the
Commendator of Crossraguel Abbey to their
Castle at Dunure, then roasted him over a
fire in an attempt to have him sign over
Abbey Land to them, setting off a
murderous feud over the following
years.
The Kennedy's of Cassillis owned the
Island from around that time, until they
sold Cassillis Estate in 2009, to
Confused.com founder Kate Armstrong, it
now seems Kate Armstrong did not buy
Ailsa Craig.
Reports are, Charles Kennedy, 8th
Marquess of Ailsa, put the Island up for
sale for £2,500,000 in 2011, with no
sale taking place.
The Island is now said to be owned by
the 9th Marquess of Ailsa, leased to the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
up to 2050.
The Castle is said to have been built
by the Hamilton's, relations, or close
friends of the Kennedy's, in the late
1500s.
The Lighthouse was built in 1886,
automated in 1990, with between 3 and 6
Keepers needed to operate the
Lighthouse.
Whale Oil was used in early
Lighthouses, Kerosene / Paraffin used
from the 1880s, Gas from 1911, then
Electricity from 1989.
Large
Image of the Lighthouse from about
500ft
Large Image
of Ailsa Craig Castle
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