The castle on the banks of Loch Doon, in southern Ayrshire. This one needs a bit of explanation...

The castle was originally built on an island in the loch, pictures of which are below. In 1935/6
the water level in the loch was raised when they built a hydro-electric dam at the north end so the
castle was moved, stone by stone, to its present location on the bank nearby.

The castle from a little further away, showing the car park, popular with picnickers. The path up the
hill behind the castle takes you to the top of the Wee Hill of Craigmulloch at 210 metres or so
(690 feet) above the loch.

For the historically-minded the castle goes back to 1306 (though the original location on the island
was used earlier) and it played a pivotal role in the wars of independence. It was designed and built
by Sir Christopher Seton, brother-in-law of Robert Bruce, King of Scots, and he met a sad end at the
hands of the English when the castle was capturedsome time after the battle of Methven in 1306.

The island on which the castle was originally built, only visible today because of the dry spring
and low water levels on the loch.

As you can see the foundations remain to this day. The loch is about a half mile wide at this point
(800 metres) and the island is roughly half-way across. There is another island nearby (Pickmaw Island)
currently still under water, which was reputed to be used as a prison by the castle's owners. The
smaller picture shows the island in more detail.