The Estate PDF Print E-mail

Craigengillan Estate, Ayrshire Scotland

Set amidst the hills of the Southern Uplands of Scotland some 14 miles from the sea, Craigengillan is surrounded by one of the most beautiful of landscapes, and one with a fascinating history.

Craigengillan was first established as an estate in 1580, when it encompassed over 30,000 acres and stretched as far as Carsphairn. The founding family were the McAdams, and their descendants remained the proprietors until 1999.

The estate changed hands in early 2000 and the new owner, Mark Gibson, embarked on a tremendous restoration programme, a policy of encouraging public access and huge works to protect and enhance the landscape and the nature conservation interest.

Craigengillan house  Craigengillan house

The management objectives are:
  • for the restoration and preservation of the main buildings and the designed landscape;
  • for the long-term viability of the estate and its part in the wider community;
  • for the welfare of the farmed animals; and
  • for the conservation and enhancement of habitats and the wild flora and fauna which inhabit them.

All of the buildings have now been restored but there are always new projects to be conceived and new opportunities to be realised.

The formal gardens of Craigengillan   formal gardens