Loudoun Castle

Galston, United Kingdom

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Loudoun Castle, near Galston in Ayrshire, Scotland, is a ruined 19th-century country house built largely between 1804 and 1811 around earlier structures dating back to the 15th and 17th centuries. It was formerly the home of the Mure-Campbell family and later the Rawdon-Hastings family after a notable marriage in 1804.

The castle, known as the "Windsor of Scotland," was an impressive castellated mansion with over 90 apartments and a grand library housing over 11,000 volumes. The architect Archibald Elliot designed the 1805 rebuild, which included plans for a banqueting hall that was never completed. The castle suffered damage during a siege in the 1640s and was eventually destroyed by fire in 1942, after which it was never rebuilt. The castle grounds later became Loudoun Castle theme park, which operated from 1995 until its closure in 2010.

The ruins remain protected as a Category A listed building, limiting redevelopment options. The castle has historical ties to prominent Scottish families and is reputed to be haunted by several ghosts, including a Grey Lady and a hunting dog spirit. It is not open to the public and lies within a private park.