page_title: Dunskey Castle
section_title: 17th century
hierarchical_section_title: Dunskey Castle / 17th century
caption_attribution_description: English: Dunskey Castle The clifftop castle was built in the early 16th century on the site of an older castle. However it had fallen into ruin by the end of the 17th century.
context_page_description: Dunskey Castle is a ruined, 12th century tower house or castle, located 0.5 miles south of the village of Portpatrick, Rhinns, Wigtownshire, on the south-west coast of Scotland.
  Dunskey Castle is a scheduled monument, a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
context_section_description: c.1600 "in Ninian Adair's time and his sons" a browney "hanted" his house of Dunsky.
  On 5 April 1608 the lands of Guilielmus (William) Adair heir of Niniani Adair de Kinhilt, included 10 lib. terranium de Portrie cum castro de Dunskey in parochie de Inche Inch, Wigtownshire.  William Adair marriage contract 18 April 1580 to Rosina MacClellan of Galston whose brother, Sir Robert McClellan (McLellan) of MacLellan's Castle Kirkcudbright Clan MacLellan married 1614 Mary Montgomery, eldest daughter of Sir Hugh Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Ards, county Down, Ireland.
  In February 1620, "10 librat of antiqui extentus de Portry" including "3 mercatas de Marok cum castro de Doneskey" was acquired by Hugh Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery who extended the castle by building the "Gallery" leading off from the "Hall" and vaults under the "Gallery".
  On 24 August 1632 Sara Maxwell, Viscountess Montgomerie, wrote a letter to her husband, Hugh Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery (Montgomerie of Airds) "It seameth ye ar causing your workmen goe on both in your building and theikine of your Gallerie att Dunskay. They ar necessarie thingis to be outride, seeing ye have put theme so far agait. Bot I am suire they ar greit chargeis vnto yow quhilk now can noght be helpeit ; bot your lordship most compleit thame, as ye haue done many greater turne."
  On 28 July 1646 Visc. Hugh Montgomery (Hugu Vicecomes De Airdis) of Ards, co Down, Ireland, was retoured heir to his father Hugh Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery, lands listed included castro de Dunskei.
  On 15 June 1653 "Johne Shaw of Grenocke" was granted Dunskey by Andrew Wardlaw. The deed was a little unclear. "Joane Montgrumie alias Mackmath, relict of the "deceased" Hew Montgrumie sometime of Balharie in the Country of Doune, (Ireland), gentleman" "the 3 merk land of Marrock, with the castle, tower and fortalice of Dunskey situate thereupon" to which lands had pertained to Hew Montgomery now Viscount of Airds, his father (John Shaw's father-in-law?), and were apprised from him on 1 August 1650 at the instance of Joane Montgrumie alias Mackmath relict of the deceased Hew Montgrumie sometime of Balharie in the country of Doune, Gentleman (Balhenry ? co Down, Ireland), and of Maister Samuell Rutherfuird Samuel Rutherford professor of divinity in the University of Saint Andrews, now spouse of Joan Montgrumie alias Mackmath, for his interest, for payment of 2,000 pounds Scots.
  AD1654 From Timothy Pont's map "Two castles stronger than the rest may be seen in the Rinns, Kennedy on Loch Isle of the Earl of Cassillis, and Scaeodunum (called in the vernacular Dunskey), (Scot dun / castle ? ) founded by the ancestors of Robert Adair on a sheer rock by the sea."
  Viscount Montgomery was heavily in mortgage after sustaining his troops for a long period, (as was Sir Robert McLellan), so Dunskey Castle passed to the Blair family who were or had been Ministers at Portmontgomery als Portpatrick.  Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, Vol. IX. AD1634-1651. p. 814 #2156 Apud Edinburgh, 10 January (1649) REX, – concessit et de novo dedit (KING Charles I – consents to a new deed ?) M. JACOBO BLAIR (Rev. James Blair) ministro Verbi Dei apud ecclesiam de Port-Montgomrie (minister of church at Port-Montgomery / Portpatrick Wigtownshire) ejus heredibus, successoribus et assignatis quibuscunque, irredimabiliter, – 4 mercatas terrarum de Meikle Portspittell, 3 mercatas de Litle Portspittell.
  On 19 October 1667 there was a marriage contract between John Blair, (son of the minister of Portpatrick, Wigtownshire, Scotland) and Jean Agnew, dau of Patrick Agnew, Laird of Sheuchan. A witness was George Stewart of Tonderghie and of Barcly, Wigtownshire, (son of Sir Robert Stewart Governor of Culmore, Londonderry, and a descendant of the Castle Stewart of Penninghame family), who had married Elizabeth, daughter of James Blair of Dunskey Castle. George Stewart's sister, Agnes Stewart married William Houston of Cutreoch, Whithorn, Wigtownshire. Three other witnesses were James & Hew Blair, brothers of above John Bl
caption: Dunskey Castle from the north-east. photo by Anne Burgess
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