A deep hypnotic voice was calling to me in a lucid dream … repeating the words “See me, see me now.”
Perched high on the cliffs above the North Sea in Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, the spellbinding ruins of the 16th century Slains Castle are believed to have inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
In the late 19th century, the Irish author Bram Stoker is thought to have visited Slains Castle in its heyday as a lived in home, and the Cruden Bay area is known to be the inspiration for many of the books Bram wrote, one being the popular Dracula.
In his book Dracula, a small octagonal room is mentioned where the character Jonathan Harker first meets Dracula.
“The Count halted, putting down my bags, closed the door, and crossing the room, opened another door which led into a small octagonal room lit by a single lamp, and seemingly without a window of any sort.”
Source: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
This scene Bram wrote may have been inspired by the Octagonal Hall in Slains Castle.
When I first watched a video of Slains Castle over seven years ago, I said the usual words out loud: “I would love to visit there one day.” I often thought about it, then forgot about it. Back then though, I didn’t know anything about its history or the Bram Stoker connection, I just wanted to see it.
It’s the usual barriers why we don’t travel afar, such as being able to fund another trip after our annual visit to the Isle of Arran. Then one day last year, I reminded myself that life on Planet Earth is slipping away far too quickly to have a ‘wish list’, so I made it happen.
It’s a longer drive from Ayrshire to the north-east coast of Scotland, around 215 miles one way and four hours of driving. We haven’t travelled such a long distance in many years, and a day trip wouldn’t be enough time, so I booked accommodation for two nights in the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel in Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire. Slains Castle is only a 15-minute walk from the hotel. Perfect!
Be prepared for lots of photos as always, but maybe more than usual. It’s not like me at all. 😂
We also filmed our wanders through the ruins of Slains Castle at sunset, twilight, sunrise and daytime. The changing light was moody but also beautiful with goosebump moments! My Slains Castle video is linked at the end, along with a bonus video featuring a beautiful original song written and created by Gordon who runs the Cruden Bay Life website.
Kilmarnock Arms Hotel, Cruden Bay
With busy weekend traffic and roadworks delaying our travel we finally reached the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel in Cruden Bay at around 4pm. It was a dull cloudy Friday in September, and we’d hoped to arrive earlier to make best use of our time to explore the castle ruins before it got dark, but as the saying goes, ‘expect the unexpected’.
Another reason for visiting this area was to stay in the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel as my hometown is Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. I was curious about why it was named this, and the connection to Kilmarnock. I’ll write about the history and what I found near the end of this story.
The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel is olde worlde with character, charm and stories to tell. The first recorded mention of the hotel in a newspaper was in 1888, so it’s steeped in local history.
Bram Stoker, along with his wife Florence and son Noel, were guests in the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel in 1892, and then again in 1894 and 1895 when he also signed the hotel guestbook.
Bram and his family visited the Cruden Bay area for their summer holidays between 1892 and 1910, and eventually bought a second home in Whinnyfold, a small coastal village near Cruden Bay.
As well as his book Dracula, he wrote two other books set in Cruden Bay:
- The Mystery of the Sea (1902)
- The Watters’ Mou’ (1895)
The outside window frames of the hotel overlooking the garden area were being freshened up with new paint when we visited, and this is always good to see.
It must be challenging trying to keep on top of maintenance to preserve this old historical building. It’s good to remember that the only way improvements like this can happen are if people continue to invest in the hotel by booking accommodation, eating and drinking there.
As I walked into the hotel I loved the wood panelling and stone walls which adds so much character, keeping its old charm and feels cosy.
We walked upstairs to find a maze of corridors and stairs going in all directions. Our room was on the first floor facing on to the garden area. We were happy with our room; it was spacious and clean.
Golf is also a common theme in the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel as Cruden Bay has a Championship Golf Course beside the coastline stretching along Cruden Bay’s beautiful sandy beach.
As I glanced over at the window, I noticed the net curtain was torn, but this didn’t bother me. It wasn’t the end of the world. My overactive imagination was thinking it was an atmospheric windy day and the window was open, blowing the curtain around so it got caught. Or maybe Dracula was inviting himself to enter the room via the window one night… yikes!
We booked our dinner at the hotel and found a nook in Brams Bar named the Stoker’s Snug. Of course I wanted to sit in the Snug, but sadly it was already booked. Maybe the next time as it looks so cosy!
Inside the snug I saw an old photo of Slains Castle in its heyday, and the frame beside this is an extract from the hotel guestbook with Bram Stoker’s signature when he visited here.
Just around the corner from the bar was the main sitting area for Brams Bar, so we found a space here to eat.
I quickly munched my fish, chips and broccoli as time was slipping away already.
It sounds strange saying fish, chips and broccoli as traditionally fish and chips are served with peas. Alan chose peas, but I’m not so keen on their firm, round texture. They just roll about on the plate trying to escape, making them difficult to scoop up with a fork. Broccoli behaves much better. 😂
Evening walk to Slains Castle
We planned to find the footpath to Slains Castle before it was dark, also hoping to see sunset. As it was already a cloudy day I didn’t have much hope, but I was also excited to see the castle.
To be honest, we walked down twice on our first night, before and after dinner, but I’ll merge this into one evening walk, or you might be here forever with me noticing everything along the way. 😂
As the dark of night would soon be upon us, we drove to a nearby parking area with limited space. It was only a one-minute drive down this road from the hotel.
The walk starts beside an enchanting woodland trail, so this was already an exciting start for me as I love trees. We quickly picked up our pace to reach the castle, so sadly I didn’t get to embrace the woodlands as I normally would.
We soon came out of the woodlands passing an old Dovecot, and I knew we must be near the coastline. It felt colder being out in the open compared to the shelter of the trees.
I couldn’t hear the waves or see the coastline yet, but just over the hill I knew it would be there.
And wow, after a short distance I was standing gazing down at a dramatic coastline to the right of me. Most importantly though, was the outline of a castle ruin on the clifftop straight ahead, pulling me towards it.
There it was, the mysterious ruins of Slains Castle perched high on Cruden Bay’s rocky cliffs, overlooking a moody coastal view across the vast North Sea. I see you now …
With an overcast of clouds adding to the mood, it was still looking like sunset wouldn’t make any kind of appearance on this night.
I walked on ahead of Alan, almost ready to step inside the castle ruins for the first time.
Who lived in Slains Castle
Slains Castle was the ancestral home of the Hay family, the Earls of Erroll, for over 300 years. The name Erroll comes from a village Errol in the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire, which was the early seat of Clan Hay before the family expanded into Buchan in north-east of Scotland.
The castle is also known as New Slains Castle as it was built around 1597 to replace the 13th century Old Slains Castle, a medieval tower house further down the coastline near Collieston. The 9th Earl of Erroll, Francis Hay, joined a major Catholic rebellion against King James VI, who then destroyed Old Slains Castle as punishment.
Over the centuries Slains Castle was expanded and remodelled into a baronial mansion with tall chimneys, turrets and large windows. In 1916 the Hays eventually sold Slains Castle to Sir John Ellerman, a wealthy ship-owner, to pay death duties. Then sadly by 1925 the castle was abandoned, its contents sold, and the roof removed to avoid paying property tax.
Slains Castle is now a Category B listed building, recognised by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), for its architecture and historical connections over the past four centuries. It was also the filming location for Castle of Mey in the TV series The Crown (Season 1).
Exploring inside Slains Castle
Care is needed when exploring the Slains Castle ruins. It’s not maintained and is close to high cliff edges with open drops. Please don’t climb on the walls or try to enter areas that are fenced off for safety reasons. Children and pets should be supervised at all times. Explore sensibly and safely if you visit and leave no trace.
One of the first rooms I was curious about was the darkest of places with no window. Trust me to want to see what was in the dark room! I had to use the flash on my phone to see what was inside.
Looking at old floor plans on the Trove website, I thought this might have previously been a wine cellar, but the writing on the plans is difficult to read. I think it was more likely to be a larder for items such as bread, cheese and dry goods.
I was in an enhanced awe wandering through a maze of corridors with tall walls. Partial spiral staircases stopped at where the next level of the castle would have been, so thinking about it, I was walking through the basement level of the castle.
Every opening, which there were many, might have been doors or windows hundreds of years ago, and of course the views out to the North Sea are mind-blowing.
I can understand why these scenes could easily be inspiration for writing any kind of story, including Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
I stood for a moment gazing far into the horizon at its mesmerising nothingness.
Where the sky met the sea looked like the very edge of the world to me, a place where I could slip off and fall deep into space.
What a wonderful place to just be, think, watch and listen to the waves rise and crash over the rugged rocks.
Believe it or not, I used to think that a sea view with nothing on the horizon could never be as beautiful as seeing land in distance, such as an island. I’m spoiled by our Ayrshire coastline with its comforting view to the familiar shapes of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran on a clear day. They can be disappearing islands some days, not even knowing they were there at all.
But today I was so wrong. Looking out across the North Sea stirred different feelings inside me, as though I’d slipped into trance, waiting for something to happen.
The castle ruins extended ever further along the cliffs, and I couldn’t help but think how unique this place was, once a busy and magnificent building to call home, come rain or shine.
Slains Castle at sunset
On our second visit this evening we arrived just in time to ‘expect the unexpected’.
The sun decided to make a brief appearance, setting low in the west and lighting up the front of the castle so beautifully! Alan zoomed in with his camera for these cliff top shots while I kept walking towards the castle to try and find a place to set up my tripod to record the sun setting.
The moody feeling of Slains Castle changed in an instant, with a magical light glowing brightly on this spellbinding ruin.
Flocks of seabirds were noisily chatty as they swooped and glided around the ruins getting ready to roost for the night.
It was a bit of a rush though, as I didn’t know the best place to set up my tripod to capture this short moment in time.
Even inside the castle had a different feel to earlier this evening with the soft golden light finding its way through the bare openings, and on to parts of the ruined walls.
I quickly walked to down the left side of the castle to check if I could still see the sunset from this angle and at least try to frame part of the castle too.
As I looked back across the golden field, the sun was slowly sinking down, and I was thankful for the gap in the clouds.
My eyes were searching everywhere for an interesting composition, then suddenly I caught a glimpse of the sun lining up with a window opening of the ruins.
I quickly set up my phone camera to record before the sun disappeared. I was panicking slightly and being extra clumsy with no time to think about adjusting settings. It was a straight press the record button, praying I’ll capture a beautiful moment for my video.
This is a capture from the video recording.
The photos are a little blurry, but I captured what I could with my phone, and more importantly, I was there watching this happen in real-time. At one point I was waving my arms in the air as Alan walked straight through my video. I should honestly create a bloopers video of us for all the times things go wrong. 😂
After the sun slipped down to wherever in our world it was rising next, I stood for a moment watching the sky performing the perfect backdrop behind the ruins.
Wow, what an evening this turned out to be! I was feeling extra lucky that we were actually standing here to see this. It turned out to be the best experience of ‘expect the unexpected’!
Slains Castle at twilight
It was time to walk back to the hotel, but before leaving we braved going back inside the ruins to try and capture twilight footage.
We were in a dark corridor where I walked around nearby rooms, also recording my movements.
It looks like daylight outside in the photos, but it was much darker than this after sunset.
The cold wind picked up, eerily making its presence known through the corridors. My long hair was flying about in the air and over my face, making it difficult to watch my footing. We heard strange noises which made me jump now and then, which I think were the roosting birds flapping around the ruins. We didn’t hang around for much longer as I was getting a little spooked.
Alan put his head torch on as we walked back through the dark woodlands, now a different kind of mood. I jumped at one point, as I was sure I saw a small furry creature running alongside the trodden path near my feet.
I’m not scared of little creatures, but the darkness switched my brain into overactive-imagination mode, making me think every sound was there to hurt me and that someone who wasn’t an animal might be lurking in the woods. Even the shapes of the trees looked scary!
I think this is the fastest time I’ve ever walked through woodlands. I was relieved to be back in our cosy room at the hotel. 😂
Slains Castle at sunrise
We set an early alarm for Saturday morning to return to the castle before breakfast, hopefully to see our star the sun rise again.
Instead of walking through the woodlands this time, we knew of another car park on the A975, one mile from the hotel. It’s a quicker walk of around 10 minutes, and the path is flatter to walk on. No tree distractions for me as well.
We arrived at the castle at around 7am, and we were not alone. Two people were crouched down sitting on the grass beside the cliffs with their camera, also waiting patiently for the sun to rise. Finally, the sun made a brief appearance as it peeked out from behind the clouds.
I set up my tripod and phone then walked in and out of the rooms, experimenting with different angles hoping to create atmospheric video footage wearing my dark red floaty dress.
I was spoiled for choice with sea view rooms, each one framing a unique scene.
The two people we saw earlier down at the cliffs disappeared, then one of them passed me inside the castle when I was walking about recording footage with my red dress on. We both got a fright when we saw each other as I was in a room area off the corridor he was walking through.
I said hello to the young man, and I asked him if he managed to capture any nice sunrise photos, which he then showed me in his camera. I felt I needed to explain why I was walking around the castle ruins so early in the morning in a red dress.
We both laughed out loud. He said he was from Germany and touring Scotland with his friend. They had already been climbing mountains in the Cairngorms, and I think he said they visited the Isle of Skye as well. We chatted for a short time, then he left to explore the castle with his friend. I of course mentioned the Isle of Arran, Scotland in Miniature, was a wonderful place to visit as well, and once I start talking about Arran I think I ramble a bit!
His English was very good, and I think he understood what I was saying. I did try to speak clearly and slowly as us Scottish people are known to talk too fast. I do wonder if he went back to Germany telling people he saw a crazy Scots woman walking around the castle ruins wearing a red dress like a wannabe vampire. 😂
I could easily spend more time here. I had the urge to just sit for a while, gaze out into the glistening horizon, watch the changing clouds, and listen to the crashing waves.
This would have been my plan if I wasn’t spending time taking photos and video footage.
Capturing moments can be a little stressful and I sometimes get anxious about what I’ll miss if I don’t walk this way or that way. My mind wants to be everywhere at once. Luckily, Alan takes photos and video as well, so it helps that we are often at different places doing our own thing.
Breakfast at the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
It was time to return to the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel for a yummy breakfast in the 1888 restaurant.
I love the artwork on the restaurant wall, showing the charm of Port Erroll, Cruden Bay, and Slains Castle prominently perched high on the cliffs.
I fondly gazed at the Slains Castle ruins and Port Erroll Harbour below the cliffs, making me feel drawn to return again soon.
Slains Castle has put a spell on me, inviting me in, making me want to stay.
We both enjoyed our cooked breakfast, topping up our fuel for today.
The restaurant has historical framed photos up on the wall, and I love this one of Slains Castle perched on the cliffs in its heyday.
Look at all those windows! The light from sunrise would have lit up every room. Stormy days would have been scary though with the howling wind and rain battering on the windows. Then the waves crashing up against the cliffs adding more to the sounds of nature.
Also, one of hotel’s placemats shows the side and front entrance of Slains Castle. It’s huge and such grandeur!
I would love to have walked the corridors and explore all the rooms when it was like this. Isn’t it a beautiful home and more like a mansion house in its heyday, whereas today it resembles the ruins of a castle.
Bullers of Buchan
After breakfast today, we didn’t return to Slains Castle and made a quick stop to see the Bullers of Buchan, a narrow clifftop path and collapsed sea cave 98 feet deep, north of Cruden Bay.
Gosh, it was quite scary walking along the narrow path so close to the edge. I wouldn’t recommended this if you’re scared of heights or on a wild windy day.
Newburgh beach’s seal colony
Then we visited Newburgh Beach, where you can sometimes see a colony of up to 3000 seals. A blissful boardwalk takes you all the way to a gorgeous sandy beach making it an easy and enjoyable walk.
We regularly saw seal heads popping out of the sea, watching us with those big sad eyes.
Alan zoomed in with his camera to a spit of sand faraway in the distance and saw a large group of seals slowly gathering to rest on the beach. The sea was rough with the waves crashing in and over the seals, making it difficult for them as they tried to bounce themselves to a space.
If I have enough interesting content, I might be able to write a separate blog story about the Bullers of Buchan and Newburgh Beach on the east coast of Scotland. It was fun visiting more of the east coast and seeing the beautiful beaches along this coastline.
After our day exploring we returned to the hotel feeling a little weary. We enjoyed our dinner at the hotel, in the Killie Bar this time. I preferred Brams Bar and the 1888 Restaurant for eating as it was quieter after a busy day, but we both still enjoyed our dinner there, a huge homemade steak pie with chips. The pie was delicious and just what we needed after walking all day.
Slains Castle at daytime
On Sunday morning, after another tasty breakfast, it was sadly time to check out of the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel.
I saw at the reception they sold postcards with old photos of the hotel and Slains Castle, so I bought these to take home with me.
A candle was also sitting all on its own, calling out to me and for sale too. I’m so glad I bought it as I love the scent and is made by a local business called Cruden Bay Candle Boutique. The candle is part of the Dracul Collection, with each unique candle quoting a line from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I bought the candle with the quote “I give you life eternal … everlasting love”. Since then, I’ve ordered more fragrances to try.
Before driving home, we returned to Slains Castle for daytime footage. It was only 10am and we parked at the car park on the A975 again. It was a pleasant easy walk to the castle, and the sun was shining!
The castle was getting closer and larger, becoming even more dramatic when we approached the cliffs, similar to the Bullers of Buchan further up the coastline.
Gosh, I have lots of photos to share of this day, but I’ll try and limit these as best as I can!
We walked down to the grassy area towards the sea to look up at Slains Castle from the rugged cliffs, where it was looking dramatically beautiful!
Slains Castle was feeling warm and cheery to me today.
The sun and clouds were of course playing their usual peek-a-boo game changing from bright to dull, and the weather kept changing from wind to rain to rainbows!
I’d missed a rainbow earlier at the far side of the castle, but luckily a small one appeared right where I was standing.
When I was back inside, I walked along the corridors again looking for interesting locations and sunlight to record a mysterious lady in a red wandering the castle ruins.
The light and shadows make me feel content and happy. I love it!
I found an interesting area where the sun was beautifully lighting up the foliage, and the scene also opened up other areas of the castle giving depth.
It took a few attempts to record this for video as visitors kept walking past the openings while I was standing there trying to look mysterious. 😂
Then the most wonderful thing happened! It began to rain again, but the sun was still shining through the open ruins making the rain look sparkly as it fell. While I was recording this scene with my phone, Alan appeared and also recorded me with his camera.
This a photo from his video clip.
I think this is one my favourite photos, and I don’t usually like photos of myself. I wish I’d thought to take off my Garmin watch though, it’s not very authentic looking. 😂
The Octagonal Hall, inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula
As I mentioned earlier, the Octagonal Hall is believed to have inspired Bram Stoker when he was writing his book Dracula. The book refers to “a small octagonal room lit by a single lamp, and seemingly without a window of any sort.” This is where the character Jonathan Harker first meets Count Dracula.
Alan found the hall first, but from where I was standing I couldn’t visualise this at first and it didn’t look octagonal to me. Then I realised I was standing on the basement floor which still had a shape, but the hall area would have been above me on the principal floor.
Alan held our Insta360 camera above his head on a long pole so we could capture the shape of the Octagonal Hall.
The steps at the front entrance of Slains Castle in the photo below would have led to the principal floor and the Octagonal Hall.
The Octagonal Hall had no windows as far as I know, however it looks like there could have been three doors:
- Walking along the corridor from the front steps is an arched opening to the hall.
- When you enter the hall, straight ahead is an arched opening to the north wing.
- Then on the right an arched opening that led to drawing rooms and bedrooms.
The 360 photo below shows the octagonal shape more clearly looking up and I adjusted the angle to show the three open arches that were possibly doors.
Floor plans of Slains Castle are available on the Trove website and one plan names the Octagonal Hall as a ‘Saloon’. I’ll add a link at the end to the website where you can also view old and new photos of Slains Castle, as well as the floor plans. As I mentioned earlier though, the writing on the floor plans is not clear to read.
The Octagonal Hall might have been used as a reception area to receive important guests before they moved on to a drawing room, dining room, or even a guest bedroom for the night. The Irish author Bram Stoker is thought to be one of those visitors, unless he heard about it from someone else.
I wonder what Bram was thinking if he sat or stood waiting in the Octagonal Hall with no windows, lit by oil lamp or candlelight…?
He might have been visiting Charles Gore Hay, the 20th Earl of Erroll at that time. Or maybe Bram was possibly meeting the Earl’s wife Mary Caroline Hay (nee L’Estrange), the Countess of Erroll, who was born in Ireland and came from a long line of Anglo-Irish families. I’m sure the Irish connection would have favoured Bram’s visit, I could be wrong though.
It was now 1pm and the castle was becoming busier with more visitors, so it was definitely time to say a fond farewell to the ruins of Slains Castle.
I was sad to leave as I strangely felt a connection here, and I know I want to return.
I love the idea that Slains Castle was partly the inspiration for Bram’s book Dracula. It’s so easy to get spooked here after sunset or on a dull rainy windy day.
On a bright sunny day though, the castle ruins light up beautifully, and it doesn’t feel spooky at all. The changing sunlight shines through the open roof onto corridor walls and trodden paths inside the ruins, performing a spectacular contrast of colours from sunrise to sunset.
The different moods of Slains Castle are what inspired me the most, and I’ve hopefully been able to capture this in my blog story and video.
I often wonder if in hundreds of years from now our own houses will be ruins or completely gone forever as nature takes over. Will future humans visit and want to know about our way of life, research our history and be interested in our relics of the past? Mm … possibly not.
Photo gallery of Slains Castle
Below is a gallery of more photos of Slains Castle if you’re interested, a small selection of many others taken by us both. Tap or click to view larger versions. You can also right-click on any photo to open in a new tab.
Port Erroll Harbour, Cruden Bay
Before driving home we stopped off at Port Erroll Harbour, not far from the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel.
It’s a lovely little port with a view to Cruden Bay’s sandy beach.
We never had time to walk along Cruden Bay beach on our visit, and with the wind being sand blasting today it would have been an exfoliating walk!
There is also a small parking area at Port Erroll for small campervans and motorhomes wishing to stay for a maximum of three nights.
Parking areas are for all visitors though, with no specific area designated for campervans and motorhomes.
At the time of visiting, the information sign says a £10 contribution per night is invited which helps maintain the harbour facilities. If you stay overnight please make sure you contribute as the Cruden Bay Trust use a water meter and smart meters to provide electricity.
It’s such a reasonable price to spend time exploring this area. I wish I had a small campervan, maybe one day!
Harbour Dunes Café, Cruden Bay
We were feeling rather hungry as breakfast seemed like ages ago, so we visited the Harbour Dunes Café beside the parking area.
It’s a small café and seems to be popular as it was so busy. We couldn’t see any free seats inside, so we sat in the outside area. It was windy and cold, but we were sheltered at the back, wrapped up warm and enjoyed delicious food before our long drive home.
If you would prefer to skip the history section below go straight to the Slains Castle videos.
Now for a little bit of history and the connections to my hometown in Kilmarnock and Ayrshire.
I’ll try and keep it short and simple, more so for myself to understand as history isn’t my strong point and I easily forget names and dates. I also hope my research is correct as it’s confusing out there in the World Wide Web, more so now with AI (Artificial Intelligence) answering research questions.
Kilmarnock Arms Hotel and its connection to Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire
The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel in Cruden Bay is named after William Boyd, the 4th Earl of Kilmarnock. William was the father of James Boyd, who inherited the Earldom of Erroll (Hay Clan) in 1758, becoming the 15th Earl of Erroll, and lived in Slains Castle.
But how did a Boyd from Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire come to inherit the Erroll estates and Slains Castle in the far north-east of Scotland?
William Boyd, Fourth Earl of Kilmarnock
William Boyd was born in Kilmarnock, where Dean Castle had been the ancestral stronghold of the Boyd family for more than 400 years. After a devastating fire at Dean Castle in 1735, William and his family moved into Kilmarnock House in the town of Kilmarnock. He also owned lands across Ayrshire and spent time at Callendar House in Falkirk through his marriage to Lady Anne Livingston.
Lady Anne, Countess of Kilmarnock, was the daughter and heiress of the Earl of Linlithgow and Callander. Her mother’s maiden name was Hay, linking to the Erroll line. Both her father and husband were supporters of the Jacobite cause – her father in the 1715 Rising, and William in the 1745 Rising, where he fought at the Battle of Culloden.
Sadly, William was captured, found guilty of high treason, and beheaded on Tower Hill in London. His Earl of Kilmarnock title was removed, the Boyd estates were seized, and the family was left in financial ruin. This was not the first time the Boyds lost everything.
After William’s death, Lady Anne was overcome with grief and often walked through the gardens of Kilmarnock House, now the Howard Park in Kilmarnock. Lady Anne sadly died of heartbreak a year after William’s execution.
A mural in St Marnock Square, Kilmarnock, portrays Lady Anne’s sorrow as she walks along the Lady’s Walk grieving the loss of her husband William.
William and Anne had three sons:
- William Boyd the eldest son, who died young at around two years old.
- James Boyd the middle son, who inherited the Earldom of Erroll and Slains Castle.
- Charles Boyd the younger son, who fought at Culloden with his father, then fled Scotland to avoid being arrested.
Neither of their living sons could inherit the Earldom of Kilmarnock, so the Boyd family line of Kilmarnock came to an end.
From James Boyd of Kilmarnock to James Hay, Earl of Erroll
William and Anne’s son, James Boyd, inherited the Erroll estates in 1758 following the death of his great-aunt Mary Hay, Countess of Erroll, who died with no surviving children or male heirs. Through his maternal Hay line, James succeeded to the title Earl of Erroll and legally changed his surname from Boyd to Hay.
James moved away from Kilmarnock to Slains Castle, which continued to be the main residence of the Erroll line for generations. The Boyd title Earl of Kilmarnock was never restored.
Kilmarnock Boyd connection to the Isle of Arran, Ayrshire
When I was researching the Boyds of Kilmarnock I couldn’t believe that I found a connection to the Isle of Arran even further back to the 15th century!
In 1467 Thomas Boyd became the 1st Earl of Arran and Baron of Kilmarnock. Arranged by his powerful and influential father, he was married to Princess Mary Stewart, Countess of Arran and he briefly became part of the royal family. The marriage happened without the consent of Princess Mary’s father King James II of Scotland, and it was not welcomed that a non‑royal Scottish noble married a Stewart princess.
Thomas and his family were attained for treason in 1469, the Boyds lost the Arran title and eventually his marriage to Princess Mary was annulled. The Earldom of Arran did not return to the Boyds and later passed to the Hamiltons in 1503.
Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell’s visit to Slains Castle
Slains Castle was know to receive important visitors in its time, and hosted celebrities in the 19th century.
Dr Samuel Johnson, and his biographer James Boswell became well-known for their 1773 tour of Scotland and also stayed over night at Slains Castle. They wrote journals about their journey around Scotland, with two of the most famous travel books being:
- A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (1775) by Dr Samuel Johnson
- The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides (1785) by James Boswell
I’ll add links to these journals at the end as they are available to read on the Internet Archive website in different formats.
James Boswell was the 9th Laird of Auchinleck in East Ayrshire, near Kilmarnock. He was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh and close friends with Dr Samuel Johnson who he met when he lived in London.
These are quotes I like from their journals when they visited Slains Castle:
Extract from ‘A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (1775)’ by Dr Samuel Johnson
We came in the afternoon to Slanes Castle, built upon the margin of the sea, so that the walls of one of the towers seem only a continuation of a perpendicular rock, the foot of which is beaten by the waves.
To walk round the house seemed impracticable. From the windows the eye wanders over the sea that separates Scotland from Norway, and when the winds beat with violence must enjoy all the terrific grandeur of the tempestuous ocean.
I would not for my amusement wish for a storm; but as storms, whether wished or not, will sometimes happen, I may say, without violation of humanity, that I should willingly look out upon them from Slanes Castle.
— Dr Samuel Johnson
Extract from ‘The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides (1785)’ by James Boswell
We had received a polite invitation to Slains castle. We arrived there just at three o’clock, as the bell for dinner was ringing.
Though, from its being just on the North-east Ocean, no trees will grow here. Lord Errol has done all that can be done. He has cultivated his fields so as to bear rich crops of every kind, and he has made an excellent kitchen garden, with a hot-house.
I had never seen any of the family; but there had been a card of invitation written by the honourable Charles Boyd, the earl’s brother. We were conduced into the house, and at the dining-room door were met by that gentleman, whom both of us at first took to be Lord Errol; but he soon corrected our mistake.
Mr. Boyd was engaged, in 1745-6, on the same side with many unfortunate mistaken noblemen and gentlemen. He escaped, and lay concealed for a year in the island of Arran, the ancient territory of the Boyds. He then went to France, and was about twenty years on the continent. He married a French Lady, and now lived very comfortably at Aberdeen, and was much at Slains castle.
I had a most elegant room; but there was a fire in it which blazed; and the sea, to which my windows looked, roared ; and the pillows were made of the feathers of some sea-fowl, which had to me a disagreeable smell : so that, by all these causes, I was kept awake a good while.
I saw, in imagination, Lord Errol’s father, Lord Kilmarnock, (who was beheaded on Tower-hill in 1746,) and I was somewhat dreary. But the thought did not last long, and I fell asleep.
— James Boswell
It’s true that there are no trees at Slains Castle, and I also wondered about this. There are the woodlands we walked through to reach Slains Castle, but the trees are sheltered and further back from the coastline.
Boswell Book Festival
Inspired by James Boswell, the Boswell Book Festival is held every year at Dumfries House in Cumnock, East Ayrshire. The festival focuses on biographies and memoirs, celebrating real‑life stories. The event brings together well‑known biographers, memoir writers, and public figures.
It sounds interesting, I must book a ticket sometime!
Cruden Bay Life
Two months after returning home, I was contacted by Gordon who manages the Cruden Bay Life community website. He asked if he could use parts of my footage for a video he was creating about Slains Castle. Of course, I said yes straight away, and I feel honoured to be part his video.
The best part is that he also wrote and created the original song featured in the video: “The Ruined Walls of Slains.”
And oh my, it’s hauntingly beautiful. The song captures the history and atmospheric ruins of Slains Castle, bringing back feelings I experienced when I was there. I felt emotional listening to it.
This is one of many songs Gordon has written and created, each one unique and telling stories about the history of Cruden Bay. I’ve added a link to Gordon’s video after my own video below, so please watch too.
My Slains Castle video
Would you like to step inside and wander the ruins of Slains Castle with me?
Cruden Bay Life: The Ruined Walls of Slains video
Let this haunting music carry you back through the ruins of Slains Castle for the second time in this blog story. I’m sure you will love it as much as I do!
What’s next for us
We’ll be visiting the Isle the Arran again this year, and planning to revisit places we walked for the first time together 20 years ago. I’m going to try and capture similar photos to compare the difference. I don’t know where time has gone …
Links to more information about this blog story are below.
Thanks for reading and watching as always. I hope you enjoyed visiting Slains Castle with me.
Love, Dawn-Marie x
Links to more information about this blog story
- Cruden Bay Life: Slains Castle and Ruined Walls of Slains video
- Cruden Bay Life: Music play list
- Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
- Cruden Bay Candle Boutique: Dracul Collection
- Cruden Bay Golf Club
- Trove: Slains Castle – includes old photos and floor plans
- Bram Stoker Estate
- Port Erroll Harbour
- Harbour Dunes Cafe, Port Erroll
- Future Museum: William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock
- East Ayrshire Council: Lady Anne Livingston Boyd Mural
- Dean Castle Country Park, Kilmarnock
- Archive.org: Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland by Samuel Johnson
- Archive.org: The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides by James Boswell
- Boswell Book Festival
Love Exploring Scotland 