Dunure Castle

Captain Francis Grose was one of the first systematic recorders of architectural and archaeological remains in Britain. His six volume Antiquities of England and Wales published between 1773 and 1787, was followed by Antiquities of Scotland in two volumes published in 1789 and 1791. Robert Burns met him while he was undertaking the latter, and became a friend – writing three pieces about him including On Captain Grose’s Peregrinations through Scotland. This is a plate from Antiquities of Scotland showing Dunure Castle   "Dunure Castle is a fine old building, most romantickly fituated on the brink of a perpendicular rocky cliff, in fome parts over-hanging the sea; beneath it is a cavern, called the Browneys Cave, now nearly filled up with rubbifh fallen from the rock and building: it is faid to have formerly commicated with the castle, and probably ferved as a fally (sally) port, or fecret communication with the fea; as in Dunbar and Turnbury casfles. Nothing can fucceed the fublimity of the profpect from this caftle, whence at one coup d'oeil is feen the conical rock of Lamlafh (Lamlash - meaning the Holy Isle), and over it in the craggy mountains of the Isfe of Arran, frequently hiding their heads in the clouds; from hence alfo may be feen the rock of Ailfa (Ailsa Craig), the coast of Kentire (Kintyre), on both fides of Arran, the coaft of Ireland, the iflands of Bute and Cumraes (Cumbraes), and a great part of the bay of Ayr"