KILMAHEW ESTATE : KILMAHEW CASTLE, off Carman Road, Cardross.
ACCESS : The walk here is relatively easy, The castle sits beyond the pond in a wooded area that is relatively flat. While it is generally safe to enter the structure, it is advisable to check for loose material including vegetation.
Kilmahew Estate with all its features is today within Argyll and Bute, but was historically within Dumbartonshire County and so retains a valid place within the West Dunbartonshire of today.
Also see : KILMAHEW ESTATE, ST PETER'S SEMINARY, Cardross and KILMAHEW ESTATE, GROUNDS, CARDROSS
Today better know for the modern concrete ruins of St Peter's Seminary, the gardens turned wilderness of the estate hold another surprise. This is Kilmahew Castle, a defensive tower house. It has returned almost to that basic shape although various additions had been made to give it a more “Gothic” look. One can still enter at the lower ground floor, but at some point the main floor would have been at the one above and the meagre remains of an elegant stair can be seen on the south west corner. It has been supposed that the pointed arches and grand south facing window were taken from earlier churches. The latter has been filled in with masonry for stability and that is what we see in this photograph, although instead of stone tracery we see rampant creeper, which has been cut short to limit damage by its growth.
Nearby was Kilmahew House, (almost all of which was demolished for the Seminary) and it appears that the changes to the Castle were made for the occupants of the house as a sort of usable folly within the grounds.
Canmore tells us that the ruins of Kilmahew Castle are believed to have been built partly by George Napier from about 1694 to 1744. It is a simple keep as found at that time. During the 19th century the south and west walls were rebuilt, with a view to turn the castle into a modern mansion, but this work was never completed.
Wikipedia is much more informative :
Kilmahew castle was built upon the lands granted to the Napiers by Malcolm, the Earl of Lennox around the year 1290. The castle itself was built sometime in the 16th century by the Napier family, who owned it for 18 generations. The Napiers who owned Kilmahew are notable for being the progenitors of members who had notable contributions in the field of engineering, such as Robert Napier, the "Father of Clyde Shipbuilding," and David, James and Montague Napier, who owned the engineering company of Napier & Son.
The estate was inherited by George Maxwell of Newark and Tealing (1678–1744) in 1694, when he assumed the name of his maternal grandfather, John Napier of Kilmahew, but having no legitimate children he was the last of the name, although the Napier of Kilmahew coat of arms survives as a quartering of those of Noble of Ardmore, who therefore now represent the family in heraldry, Following his death the estate was successfully claimed by an illegitimate daughter, Jean Smith, who married David Brydie, and was finally sold to Alexander Sharp in 1820 in repayment of gambling debts. In 1839, the estate was acquired byJames Burns of Bloomhill (a neighbouring estate), the son of Rev. Dr. John Burns, eventually dying in the Castle in 1871. [Wiki].
The Electric Scotland website link below takes you to an article "THE NAPIERS OF KILMAHEW" which are genealogical notes on the family.
Bloomhill House becomes subdivided for modern homes during 2025, the original ambience of the once grand house being retained. It looks across lawns towards Cardross village. More prominent is the Bloomhill Stables block right on Carman Road which was converted into 6 residential units years ago. The Lodge sits just inside the gates further down the road.
CANMORE : https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1447619
ELECTRIC SCOTLAND : Napier genealogy : https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/ntor/Genealogical_Notices_of_the_Napiers_of_K.pdf
GSA ARCHIVES / ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY :: http://www.gsaarchives.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/kilmahew-walk-booklet.pdf Booklet for a walk.
KILMAHEW EDUCATION TRUST : https://www.kilmahew.org/
SCOTTISH CASTLE ASSOCIATIONcottish Castle Association :http:// http://www.scottishcastlesassociation.com/news-articles/news/kilmahew-castle.htm
WIKIPEDIA : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilmahew_Castle
