15F Campbell Court

AYR, KA8 0SE

Mobile Tel. 07776 445033

E-mail : maybole@scotsfamilies.co.uk

ANNOUNCEMENT

SCOTTISH LOCAL HISTORY FORUM ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2004

THE SCOTTISH LANDED ESTATE 1200 – 2000

All those who have read the local press in Carrick or who have joined the multitude of people worldwide that keep up to date with proceedings on the Maybole website (official figures show 1,766,574 hits in August alone) will already be aware of the very exciting progress being made in the preservation of the heritage of this small part of Scotland. However, with the subject of today’s conference being very appropriate, Maybole Historical Society, Culzean & Cassillis Estates and Ayrshire Archives are very pleased to be able to confirm the following:-

Early in 2004 the training agency who were the tenants in Maybole Castle decided that it was no longer a feasible proposition to continue using the Castle as a base. Further to consultation with a professional letting company it became clear that it would be difficult to find a new tenant who would be willing to allow public access to the Castle on the required minimum of 25 days each year. However, the Estates are very sympathetic towards the idea of a Heritage Centre and are working closely with he Historical Society on this plan. In the interim, the Historical Society is opening the Castle to the public and community groups as required and on advertised days throughout 2005.

In parallel with this, Ayrshire Archives are working with the Estates to catalogue and ensure the preservation of the very considerable number of archive records which are located in the Castle. These include a few papers from as early as the 17^th century and run right through to the 20^th century and there are a number of documents that have only recently been recovered from the attic space in the Castle. The documents mainly concern the day to day accounts and running of the farms on the estates and comprise many ledgers, lease documents and detailed maps and plans. The size of the task means that it may be some time yet before easy public access is available to this invaluable collection.

Dave Killicoat FSA Scot

Vice-Chair

Maybole Historical Society

Click on the images above and below to view them full size

Archie Scobie, Dave Killicoat, Gordon Killicoat, Murray Cook	Loyal Carrick Volunteers, Commanded by Major Commandant The Earl of Cassillis. Head Quarters Maybole 31, July 1799.