The castle Fail Monastery

1 castle

1.1 final destruction of monastery , castle
1.2 ruins prior 1952
1.3 surviving remains

the castle

circa 1617 william wallace, grandson of sir hugh wallace of craigie, expected inherit property father, william wallace, known minister of fail, commendator. listed monastery lands manor place of failford , gardens known west yaird, neltoun yaird, gardine yaird, yeister yaird, , kirk yaird.

in august 1618 walter whyteford granted monastery of fail in place of william wallace; grant ratified parliament in 1621. whitefords had properties @ blaiquharn (previously whiteford) , dunduff castle near dunure.

blaeu s map of 1654 shows extensive wooded area around feil abbey (sic) pale around 3 sides , final boundary water of fail.

the immunities derived monastery passed hands of earls of dundonald , in 1690, william, earl of dundonald, served heir father, john earl of dundonald, in beneficies of failford, spiritually temporalily. buildings repaired after passing ownership of wallace family, , time became known fail castle; former monastery allowed fall derelict again after time of laird of whytford (sic).

in 1860s lands of fail held edward hunter-blair of dunskey , brounehill, second son of sir d. hunter-blair of blairquhan. ruins consisted @ time of gable , part of side-wall of castle .

the final destruction of monastery , castle

fail mill , fail mains water of fail bridge

the remains of fail monastery removed , used foundations buildings , runway @ prestwick airport in 1952; of rubble collected , used form grotto on north side of annbank s roman catholic church. possibly ruins had become unacceptably dangerous.

the ruins prior 1952

prior remains being dismantled, ruins of rectangular building, 3 walls remaining, 40 feet high. building 16th-century tower or manor-house , domus of head of monastery , laterly home of commendator or laird of fail. tower said have comprised @ least 3 principal storeys. in 1875 adamson observed ruins in 1875 consist of gable , part of side wall--in stackyard near fail toll.

surviving remains

fail castle cottage

the surviving ruins near fail castle cottage across fail mains, , these comprise fragment of wall (22m long , 1.3m high) revetting break of slope @ foot of garden, 25m south of cottage; below ground level second wall detectable, running towards north on 23m @ right angle other wall. building alterations have uncovered incised slabs , structural foundations.