The magnificent ruins of Dunskey Castle are picturesquely perched on a rocky outcrop jutting out into the Irish Sea.

Access to the castle is through the adjoining caravan park where with consideration you can park with a short walk to the castle.

The views along the rugged cliff tops are spectacular, as is the castle itself which is well worth exploring.

Galleys are said to have been once kept in readiness in Castle Bay, which is overshadowed by and is immediately south of Dunskey Castle. Any vessel that did not pay a levy to pass through the waterways between the Dunskey Castle and Donaghadee Castle in Ireland, was promptly chased, boarded, and brought back to Dunskey Castle. Here the unfortunate crew were kept until the levy was paid

~ History ~

690's ~ The cliff top earthwork fort at Dunskey, built during the reign of King Eugen V, is besieged by King Egsrid of Bernicia.

1291 ~ King Edward I of England grants the keys of Wigtown Castle to Walter-de-Currie. Walter's son later recomes an outlaw who uses the fort at Dunskey as the hide-out for his band of robbers. Being of a cruel and despotic nature, he would punish members of the local population by hanging them by their thumbs from the walls. Eventually his crimes reach the ear of the King who offers a reward for his head. Robert Fitzgerald, son of the Earl of Desmnd from Adare in Ireland, answers this call and sails to nearby Port Patrick. He eventually waylays Currie in Colfin Glen, near Lochans, and drives his sword into Currie up to the hilt. His head is taken to the King and Fitzgearld recieves his reward.

1328 ~ Thomas Edzear (Adair) receives a charter for the lands of Kildonan in the Rhinns of Galloway, lands which include the Dunskey estate, from King Robert I of Scotland.

1455 ~ Gilbert Kennedy, 1st Lord Kennedy of Dunure obtains the ward of Kynhilt and with it Dunskey Castle.

1456 ~  Rolland Adair comes of age and inherits Dunskey Castle, for which Gilbert Kennedy is compensated for losing.

1486 ~ With the death of Rolland Adair and his heir William still a minor, Dunskey Castle is granted to Alexander Bruce until his maturity.

1488 ~ William Adair of Dunskey Castle & Kinhilt and McCulloch of nearby Ardwell, Stoneykirk, are attacked by sheriff Quentin Agnew of Lochnaw Castle and his band of men.

1489 ~ Agnew is pursued before the Lords of Council and is forced to pay for the goods taken, but is entitled to a rebate if he returned them in good order.

1496 ~ Dunskey castle is captured and burnt by Uchtred McDowell of Garthland and Sir Alexander M'CCulloch of Myrton, in retaliation for the murder of Dionysius of Hamilton at Wigtown, with which William Adair of Dunskey is implicated.

1500's ~ William Adair, who is married into the powerful Kennedy Clan through his wife Helen Kennedy, builds a new castle protected on three sides by sheer cliffs and a deep ditch on the landward side.

1513 ~ William Adair is killed at the Battle of Flodden. His son and heir Ninian inherit his father's estates. He sets about making improvements to the castle.

1523 ~ Ninian's son and heir William, is recorded as being the heir of Dunskey Castle following the death of his father. He is however still a minor and so the castle is placed into the care of Gilbert Kennedy, 2nd Earl of Cassilis and Lord Maxwell.

1542 ~ William Adair finally becomes of age and takes control of his estates and marries Helen, daughter of Gilbert, Earl of Cassillis. Five years later they take control of their lands in Ayrshire, albeit they later sell parts of these lands with Helen taking over the running of Dunskey Castle, its mill and port.

1577 ~ William Adair, together with other Galloway Lairds, are charged with recieving smuggled wine from cargo seized at Chester, having sailed from nearby Wigtownshire.

1593 ~ William dies leaving his son Ninian to inherit the family estate.

1595 ~ The Abbot of Saulseat Abbey, close to Castle Kennedy, is seized and taken to Dunskey Castle. The reason given is that the Abbot had sued Ninian Adair for not paying the Tack duty on the lands of Kirkmaiden. The Abbot is invitedto to sign away these lands to Ninian, to which he refuses. So, he is suspended, head down, tied by his feet to the end of a rope, hung over the battlements, so that the crest of the waves wash over his head. At intervals he is pull up and again invited to sign away the Abbey lands, but these invites are met with half-drowned curses, so is dropped back down to the sea again. For a whole day this continues until exhausted he agrees to sign over the lands of Saulseat Abbey.

1620 ~ Ninian's son and heir William, purchases Ballymena Estate in Northern Ireland, selling Dunskey castle and its estates to Viscount Hugh Montgomery, who adds a new wing connected to the north of the existing tower.

1640's ~ Hugh's grandson, also called Hugh, supports the Royalist cause during the Wars of Three Kingdoms and predominantly fights in Ireland where the majority of his estates are located. He remains a committed Royalist throughout the wars but ultimately surrenders to Oliver Cromwell after which his property is confiscated' and he is sent into exile.

1652 ~ Although allowed to return in 1652, Hugh's estates are withheld and instead he is given a small allowance.

Throughout this period of exile Dunskey Castle is in the hands of James Blair, to whom Hugh had leased the castle in 1648.

1660's ~ Hugh's financial troubles afford the Blair family the opportunity to take full ownership of the castle, but they also acquired numerous other estates at this time and Dunskey became superfluous. It is abandoned soon after and its coastal location meant the castle quickly deteriorated.

1684 ~ The castle is reported as ruinous.