Lochranza Castle has reopened after extensive repairs on the masonry of the historic building.
The castle shut in February 2022 after Historic Environment Scotland (HES) discovered issues which urgently needed to be addressed following high-level masonry programme inspections.
It was part of a wider initiative undertaken across the 336 heritage sites managed by HES and involved risk assessments and sample surveys to ascertain the impact of climate change.
Locally they also investigated the scale of deterioration caused by a number of factors, including the materials used in the building’s construction, its age and physical location.
The assessment at Lochranza Castle resulted in access restrictions being put in place due to the danger of falling masonry.
Now that the necessary repairs have been carried out, visitors are once again able to explore the attraction, which boasts over 800 years of rich history.
The building was originally thought to be a tower house constructed in the 1500s, however, detailed analysis of the ruins in the mid 20th century revealed the site had originally been built as a hall-house in the late 1200s or early 1300s.
Originally two storeys high beneath battlements, Lochranza Castle featured a lord’s lodging on the upper floor, whilst the ground floor had a storage area with a tradesman’s entrance and a murder hole directly above – a trap door through which defenders could attack intruders with arrows, stones or other projectiles.
The hall-house was converted to a tower house in a single building phase in the later 1500s. This large-scale renovation is thought to have been carried out by one of the Montgomerie earls of Eglinton, who held this part of Arran in the 1500s.
Liz Grant, regional visitor and community manager at HES, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming visitors back to Lochranza Castle. Understanding and helping to mitigate the new challenges facing our historic sites is important, and following the completion of this works, the castle can be experienced and enjoyed once again.”
Further information about Lochranza Castle and Historic Environment Scotland can be found on its website at www.historicenvironment.scot/
Lochranza Castle is free to visit and is open daily from April 1 to September 30 between 9.30am and 5.30pm.
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