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The substantial remains of the old castle and 16th century manor house of Kilbirnie lie west of the town of Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire, Scotland, on the lower slopes of the Glengarnock Hills, in the old Barony of Kilbirnie. The building is also variously known as the Place of Kilbirnie, The Place, or Kilbirnie House. The site lies close to a stream and small but deep ravine that once provided a defensive function for the castle site. The castle and manor house themselves are not in the grounds of the Kilbirnie Place Golf Club, which was itself laid out in 1925 on the old landscaped 'pleasure grounds' once attached to the castle site.〔(Kilbirnie Place Golf Club ) Retrieved : 2012-05-31〕 The OS maps show that a much later estate and house called Place was located nearby, built by the Knox family but now mostly demolished.〔 ==History== The name "Kilbirnie" is derived from the Gaelic language, and means "Church of St Brendan".〔Mills〕 The parish was divided into three baronies: Kilbirnie, Ladyland, and Glengarnock. The feudal Barony of Kilbirnie was the largest in the parish at around 5500 acres and had the most fertile quarter with 3000 acres of arable, pasture and woodland.〔Paterson, Page 282〕 Kilbirnie Castle is said to be the site where in 1263 the Scots mustered under Alexander III before fighting Norwegian forces in the Battle of Largs.〔Knight, Pages 83–84〕 The castle's location is on high ground above the bend of a deep ravine, giving the site some protection along its west and north sides although it is set back from the edge of this ravine. The word ''place'' in Scots refers to a landed proprietor's mansion house,〔Warrack〕 and is equivalent in meaning to the English word "palace",〔Campbell, Page 198〕 although the term "palace" acquired its present connotations at a much later date.〔McKean, Page 53〕 The dwelling is clearly seen as being in two quite distinct parts: one a substantial defensive tower built in about 1470 for Malcolm Crawfurd and his wife, Marjory Barclay, an heiress and the last of her line; the other part is dated to 1627 and is a more comfortable dwelling with no significant defensive features. The entrance to the new 'wing' has a very unusual and prominent projecting porch on the south front.〔Campbell, Page 199〕 Timothy Pont's map, c. 1604, as published by Joan Blaeu in Amsterdam (1654) , shows Kilbirnan Castle (sic), as this date precedes the building of the mansion house wing.〔(Pont's map ) Retrieved : 2012-06-02〕 John Adair's map of c. 1685 shows a castellated structure recorded as Kilburny.〔(Adair's map ) Retrieved : 2012-06-02〕 Roy's map of 1747 shows the castle and the landscaped avenue feature. A Mains Farm is shown located near to Kilbirnie Kirk.〔(Roy's map ) Retrieved : 2012-06-02〕 The 1832 Thomson map records 'Killbirny House' and shows a lane running directly from the house to the kirk.〔(Thomson's map ) Retrieved : 2012-06-02〕 The 1856 OS map of refers to 'Kilbirnie House'.〔http://maps.nls.uk/view/74930318 Ayr Sheet VII.08 (Kilbirnie). Survey date: 1856. Publication date: 1858.〕 The Honourable Patrick Lindsay purchased the castle and estate of Glengarnock in 1677 from Richard Cuninghame, the last of the Cuninghames of the Barony of Glengarnock. In 1707 both baronies were united in the Barony of Kilburnie, with the Manor House of Kilbirnie as the principal messuage.〔Dobie, Page 231〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Barony and Castle of Kilbirnie」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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