Ardgowan Castle, also known as Inverkip Castle, is located in the grounds of Ardgowan House

Ardgowan House

Ardgowan House is a late 18th-century mansion and estate on the Firth of Clyde near Inverkip, Scotland. Ardgowan is located in Inverclyde, in the former county of Renfrewshire. The Ardgowan estate has been held by the Stewart family since the early 15th century. The present house was begun in 1797,...

 near Inverkip

Inverkip

Inverkip is a village and parish falling within the Inverclyde council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies about southwest of Greenock on the A78 trunk road...

, Scotland. It is by the Firth of Clyde

Firth of Clyde

The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...

 in Inverclyde

Inverclyde

Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...

, in the former county of Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire (historic)

Renfrewshire or the County of Renfrew is a registration county, the Lieutenancy area of the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, and one of the counties of Scotland used for local government until 1975. Renfrewshire is located in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland, south of the River Clyde,...

. The three-storey ruin is protected as a category B listed building.

History

In 1306, Inverkip was besieged by supporters of Robert Bruce

Robert Bruce

Robert Bruce or Robert the Bruce may refer to:*Robert the Bruce, King of Scots , Earl of Carrick and Lord of Annandale; victor at the Battle of Bannockburn*Robert Bruce , his illegitimate son...

, led by Robert Boyd of Cunningham. In 1403, King Robert III

Robert III of Scotland

Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...

 granted the lands of Ardgowan to his natural son, Sir John Stewart. The castle is dated to the late 15th century.

In 1667 Archibald Stewart was created a baronet

Baronet

A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...

. The 3rd baronet married, in 1730, Helen Houston, heiress of the Shaws of Greenock. Their son Sir John Shaw-Stewart, 4th Baronet, commissioned a design for a new house from the architect Hugh Cairncross. Construction began in 1797, and was completed around 1801, after which the old castle was abandoned. The ruin was consolidated and repaired in 1936.