Barony of Aiket

The Barony of Aiket with its castle, lay within the old feudal bailiary of Cunninghame. The barony lands equate to the extant Parish of Dunlop, East Ayrshire, Scotland.

Aiket Castle itself was a four storeyed square tower typical of the residences of the lesser barons, originally surrounded by a moat and built by the Cunninghames soon after they acquired the land in 1479. Following the murder of the 4th Earl of Eglinton the castle was destroyed and then rebuilt, with an extension, in 1592. In 1734 the castle was sold and the new owners attempted to remodel the castle as a Georgian semi-classical mansion, removing the top storey in the process. The Dunlop family owned the building in the start of the 17th century and latterly it was used to house farm labourers. In 1957 the building was gutted by fire and was then restored to its pre-1734 condition by the present owners (2010). The restoration was awarded a Diploma of Merit by Europa Nostra in 1987. The placename 'Aiket' is derived from 'Oak Wood'.

Barr Hill, near Aiket Castle (Ackett in 1775) had two interesting small monuments on its top until the early 19th century. These structures were well built, with lime cemented stones and stood twelve feet high.

Typically for feudal baronies, Aiket possessed a Justice Hill for the open air meeting of the barony court; as indicated on OS maps, this stood close to the castle.

The Aiket Cunninghames were descended from the Cunninghames of Bedlands (Baidland), who in turn were cadets of the Cunninghames of Glencairn. Alexander Cunninghame is the first recorded as living at Aiket, receiving a charter from the Crown in 1479. Elizabeth Cunninghame had previously disposed of the lands to Lord Hay of Yester without permission from the Crown as feudal superior.

Robert Cunninghame seems to have been a very undesirable individual, implicated in the killing Sir John Mure of Caldwell and his own wife apparently attempted to poison him; she, Helen Colquhoun of Luss, was sent to the Court of Session at Edinburgh to answer the charge, but apparently never made it there.

Robert Cunninghame was also implicated in the murder of Hugh Montgomerie, 4th Earl of Eglinton in 1586; an Aiket daughter was the wife of the Laird of Lainshaw, central to the story of the murder. The Aiket Cuninghames had all their property forfeited and Robert Cunninghame was eventually shot dead in revenge, 'on or near', his own doorstep in 1586. Three Aiket daughters were married to participants in the tale of the murder of Hugh Montgomerie, Earl of Eglinton; two to Cunninghames and one, Lady Margaret, to a Montgomerie. In 1564 Cunninghame of Aicket (sic) is referred to as the 'Larde of Halkhede.'

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