Crosbie Castle and the Fullarton estate
| Crosbie Castle | |
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| Fullarton, Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland UK |
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Crosbie Castle ruins
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 Crosbie Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°32′N 4°40′W / 55.54°N 4.66°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | South Ayrshire Council |
| Controlled by | Crawford clan |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | 16th century |
| Built by | Crawfords |
| In use | Until 18th century |
| Materials | stone |
Crosbie Castle (NS 343 300) and the Fullarton estate lie near Troon in South Ayrshire. The site was the home of the Fullarton family for several centuries. The lands were part of the feudal Barony of Corsbie Fullartoune (sic). The Crosbie Castle ruins were eventually used as an ice house after the new Fullarton House mansion was built. The mansion house was later demolished and the area set aside as a public park and golf course.
Robert II granted the old Crosbie estate to the Fullartons in 1344 and by the eighteenth century the old castle was partly demolished and converted into an ice house for Fullarton House, with a doocot nearby. In 1969 more of the ice house was demolished to make it safe and the doocot was raised to ground level. The building had been known as Crosby Place and later became Fullarton House, not long before the new building of the same name replaced it.
The castle is known to have been rebuilt at least three times over the years, following the standard square form as seen throughout Ayrshire. The ruins today mainly represent the dungeon of the old castle. In the days of the laird's right of pit and gallows criminals would be held there before sentence was passed on them by the barony court. Many of Crosbie Castle's stones were used in the construction of the first Fullarton House. The old castle dungeon had an underground stream, making it the ideal cold storage cellar or ice house.
Close sees it as having similarities with Monkcastle near Dalry.
Another Crosbie Castle or tower is located in West Kilbride, North Ayrshire.
A corner of the old tower castle walls.
Marriage stone of William Fullarton and Anne Brisbane.
The old Ice House constructed from the ruins of Crosbie Castle.
The old entrance and spiral staircase at the Ice House / Crosbie Castle.
The church, at the edge of Fullarton Park (NGR NS 34427 29488) was first recorded in 1229, the present structure dates from 1691. William Roy's map records the name as Crosbay and Corsby is another variant. Tradition claims that the roof blew off and the gable damaged on the same day in 1759 that Robert Burns was born in Alloway and it was left as a ruin.
It was disjoined from the parish of Dundonald in 1651 and annexed to the united parishes of Monkton and Prestwick. In 1688 Crosbie was joined again with Dundonald parish; after which it was rarely used. One of the graves, recarved in the nineteenth century, is that off David Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, son of James, alleged assassin of the 'gude' Regent Moray, bastard son of James V. This event occurred in 1570 and David is said to have died in 1619; however Hamilton of Wishaw gives his death as being in 1613. In 1545 John Hamilton, Abbot of Paisley, gave David Hamilton, his kinsman, the lands of Monktonmains near Prestwick in fief. The family lived at Overmain House for three generations, the house later being renamed 'Fairfield'. David Fullarton had married David Hamilton's sister.
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Wikipedia