| Newmilns Tower | |
| Map Type: | Scotland East Ayrshire |
| Coordinates: | 55.6077°N -4.3249°W |
| Condition: | ruined |
Newmilns Tower is a 16th-century tower house, on Main Street, Newmilns, north of the River Irvine, East Ayrshire, Scotland.[1] It may also be called Newmilns Castle or Ducat Tower.[2]
The Campbells of Loudon owned the castle,[2] Sir Hugo Campbell owned it in 1530.[3] It may also be called Newmilns Castle or Ducat Tower[4] Covenanters were imprisoned there in the 17th century, but a Covenantor force captured the tower, although their leader, John Low died in the attack. His gravestone is in the wall round the castle.[2]
Newmilns Tower is a rectangular tower house,[1] measuring 30x, with walls thick,[2] having three storeys and an attic. There is a parapet. The corners are topped by corbelled-out rounds. It has a chamber in each floor, and a vaulted basement.[1] The entrance is at ground level,[2] protected by a heavy, double-planked, oak door, once secured by three oak drawbars with drawbar slots.[4] The great hall was on the first floor; it has an open fireplace, a garderobe in the north wall, a large window in a recess in the south wall, defensive slit windows in the east and west walls, and two aumbries. [4] Some iron bars inserted into the windows, and two cell doors with heavy locks, from the time when this floor was used as a prison divided into cells. remain in the building.[4] There is a wheel-stair in the southeast angle[2] .An iron yett protected upper floors.[4] There would have been a surrounding wall. Timothy Pont recorded the tower as “surrounded by orchards, gardens and pleasances”.[4]