Kelburn Castle

Kelburn Castle is a large house near Fairlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the seat of the Earl of Glasgow. Originally built in the thirteenth century (the original keep forms the core of the house) it was remodelled in the sixteenth century. In 1700 the first Earl made further extensions to the house in a manner not unlike a French "château" which is virtually how it appears today.

In 1977 the house and grounds opened to the public as a country park. It is one of the oldest castles in Scotland to remain in the hands of the same family for so long.

In 2007, after experts told the owners that the concrete facing would eventually need to be replaced to avoid further damage to the stone walls, the Earl invited graffiti artists to paint the walls. The concrete removal process may not start until 2009. The project was featured on the BBC television programme "The Culture Show". Also in 2007, Kelburn featured in another BBC programme, "Crisis at the Castle" which documented the financial problems of running the castle.

External links

* [http://www.kelburncastle.com Official site]
* [http://www.thegraffitiproject.net/home The Graffiti Project on Kelburn Castle]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/crisis-castle.shtml "Crisis at the Castle" page from the BBC]