THE HUNTERSTON CASTLE
The Basement
For the earliest occupants of the Castle the basement performed an extremely important function, affording at that time the only secure access from the ground floor to the rest of the building via the ladder and the trap door. During troubled times it became a place of safety for valuable stock, not only cattle but also horses, hounds and hawks. The site of the old well can be seen as a circle on the present concrete floor. Consequently this room would have been vigorously defended from the narrow arrow slits in the west and north walls as well as from the parapet on the top of the Castle. If the door of the basement, which would have been very thick with three layers of wood placed crosswise to each other and secured with thick brass nails through all layers, was breached, the defenders would ascend the ladder to the trapdoor and into the Old Hall above, pulling it up after them. But without relief the siege could only have been of short duration, the defenders having lost their water supply. Assistance could be swiftly expected from neighbouring fortresses such as Portencross to the south. The basement of Hunterston Castle boasts one of the best preserved barrel-vaulted roofs in Scotland and serves as an excellent foundation for the huge weight of sandstone above. It would have been virtually impossible to breach, as the wedged shaped stones in the ceiling cannot be dislodged. It also housed the castle’s only internal water supply. Access to the first floor was up a wooden ladder and through a trapdoor. In the 19th century the basement opened into a Gardener’s Cottage extending from the north wall. When this was demolished, double doors were put in to turn the basement into a coach house. The present Laird, Madam Pauline Hunter of Hunterston, at the request of and with the financial aid of her Clan Members, had this opening restored to its original state with an arrow slit.
The Great Hall
The Great Hall was built early in the sixteenth century by John Hunter (the 14th Laird) who fell at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. The Great Hall obviously represents a considerable improvement on the living conditions of the Pele tower, providing much more space and a lighter and airier atmosphere. Access to the Great Hall was gained by the spiral staircase built in the 16th century. The ancient family safe with its incredibly complex locking mechanism was kept in the Great Hall and would have been used for all the family papers and hard cash. Among other notable features in this room is the handsome fireplace surmounted by the achievement of the Hunters, finely carved in sandstone, installed by the architect Robert Lorimer during restoration at the beginning of the twentieth century. Its has the Hunter Clan motto “Cursum Perficio” carved below which translates as: “I will complete the course.” Recessed in the east wall alcove is a display cabinet with a replica of the Hunterston Brooch, and the Charter of 1374 from Robert II, granting land to William Hunter (10th Laird); “for services rendered and to be rendered”. This Charter is the oldest document in the ownership of the Hunters of Hunterston.
The Old Hall
Before the construction of the Great Hall in the sixteenth century, the Old Hall served as the main living area for the early Hunters. The Garde-robe is an early toilet and considered the height of luxury in its day. It is a very simple toilet and had a wooden seat over the shaft that went to the base of the Castle. Although this convenience seems primitive to us, it was state-of-the-art at the time, offering at least privacy and a niche for a candle. When the waste area below the Garde-robe was excavated in the nineteenth century it was found to contain bones of deer, oxen, fowl and sheep. The windows in the Old Hall would have been unglazed, but used cow horn set in frames, which let in a little light. Glass was only added later in the Castle’s history. At night, light was provided by tallow candles, and the ever-present fire in the hearth. The main feature of this room today is the stags horn furniture, brought back from Bavaria by Jane Hunter-Weston 26th Laird and her husband Gould Hunter-Weston whilst on honeymoon. In the earliest years of the Castle’s history, the trap door from the basement was the only means of entry from the ground floor inside the castle to the first floor. The main entrance was from an external timber staircase to the first floor. The door itself must have been formidable, judging by the remaining hinge and sockets in the wall on either side to hold the beam used to bar it at night or in times of unrest. The spiral staircase ascends in a right–handed wheel in the southeast corner. It was intended to give a right-handed defender the advantage over an intruder trying to force his way up the stairs. In the central spine of the staircase are indentations made over the centuries by the hands of the Hunters. Halfway up the staircase is a stout oak door leading to the bedroom.
The Bedroom
The bedroom would have accommodated the whole family and even their guests in the earliest days of Hunterston Castle. It may have been originally divided up or furnished with box beds with shutters to provide warmth and a little privacy. Like the Old Hall there is a garde-robe in the corner. In later years the room may have looked something like it does now with its wide wooden Jacobean bed and carved headboard. In 1799 this room witnessed the last birth of a Hunter within the Castle walls, that of Robert Caldwell Hunter. In the same year his parents, Eleonora Hunter of Hunterston (24th Laird) and her husband Robert Caldwell Hunter started on the building of Hunterston House.
The Garret
Originally the staircase stopped short of the garret, which would have been reached by a wooden ladder, another defensive feature. Stone steps were inserted during restoration at the beginning of the twentieth century. The garret was originally a general purpose room where children could play and women spin yarn and sew. The roof beams offer an excellent example of medieval carpentry and are constructed with mortise and tenon joints secured by pegs. They are secured to tie-beams embedded in the walls. The carpenter’s marks can still be seen on some of the rafters.
The Parapet
Access to the parapet was gained by a small, bolted door. Its size made it easier to defend if assailants had taken the parapet. The walkway itself is very narrow again to assist defence as attackers could be dealt with one at a time. However, its very width made it almost impossible to draw a longbow on besiegers below and it is likely that it was designed for the crossbow, the favoured defensive weapon of the Normans. Stones and other missiles could also be dropped onto attackers. The view from the parapet of Hunterston Castle shows how well the early Hunters chose the site, there is an unimpeded view of the Clyde coastline to the north, the west and the south. It was positioned on solid ground with salt marches between it and the sea. These were finally drained in the early nineteenth century. The only road going from south to north went past the Castle and there was a small port at the northern tip of the Hunterston peninsula. Hunterston Castle was designed and positioned to protect all the people who lived in and around the Castle