Dunure Castle is located on the west coast of Scotland, in South Ayrshire, about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Ayr and close to the village of Dunure.
Today the castle stands in ruins on a rocky promontory on the Carrick coast, overlooking the small harbour of Dunure.
The castle is the point of origin of the Kennedys of Carrick, who once ruled over much of south western Scotland and were granted the lands in 1357.
This family should not be confused with the renowned American Kennedy family which came from Co. In August 1563, Mary, Queen of Scots, visited the castle for three days during her third progress round the west of the country.
In 1570, a dispute arose between Gilbert Kennedy, 4th Earl of Cassilis, and Allan Stewart, the succeeding lay Commendator of Crossraguel Abbey over the ownership of some of the abbey lands and their rental income.
The Earl's uncle was Quintin Kennedy, the last true abbot of Crossraguel.
It was Quintin who challenged John Knox to a debate on the Catholic Mass.
For two days Gilbert left the commendator to consider his fate and because he was obstinate and refused to sign over the lands and rentals he tortured him twice, roasting and basting his feet and body over a brazier in the Black Vault the lands were signed over to Gilbert.
The Commendator was rescued from his confinement by the Laird of Bargany, Allan's brother in law, who arrived with a body of men; first hiding in the chapel and then storming the castle.
The castle consisted of two distinct parts; a keep of an irregular shape on the top of a precipitous rock and other buildings at a lower level.
The keep walls are about five feet thick and the vaults on the basement are well preserved, however most of the superstructure is entirely demolished.
The keep represents the original castle, much altered.
The central portion of the castle may be 15th century and was intended to form a defence to the access into the keep.
The additional buildings are of a later date and contain two kitchens on the ground level, one for the castle and the other for the retainers.