Kerelaw House was part of the former Kerelaw Estate situated on the west coast of Ayrshire

Ayrshire

Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 near the town of Stevenston

Stevenston

Stevenston is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is one of the 'Three Towns' along with Ardrossan and Saltcoats.-History:The town is named after Stephan Loccard or Lockhart, whose father obtained a grant of land from Richard de Morville, Lord Cunninghame and Constable of Scotland, around 1170....

.

History

The house was built in the neo-Palladian

Palladian architecture

Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...

 style in 1787 by Lieut.-Col. Alexander Hamilton (a relative of the American statesman

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...

 of the same name). Hamilton died in 1837 without issue and left considerable debts. Captain John Brown inherited and was forced to sell the mansion house to Gavin Fullarton, Esq., a retired West Indies merchant, in 1838 along with the rest of the Kerelaw Estate including Kerelaw Castle

Kerelaw Castle

Kerelaw Castle is a castle ruin situated on the coast of North Ayrshire, Scotland in the town of Stevenston.- History :This castle, variously named Kerelaw, Kerila or even Turnlaw, is said by Timothy Pont to have been held by the Lockharts from Richard de Morville, Constable of Scotland, as far...

. The Fullarton family were a cadet branch of the ancient family of the Fullartons of Kirkmichael, in Arran, who held their charter from the days of Robert the Bruce. The family were hereditary Crowners (Coroners) in the island of Arran

Isle of Arran

Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...

. Their family motto was Lux in tenebris., The light shineth in darkness.
In 1919 the house was bought by James Campbell, WS. Campbell and his family (including his son Kenneth Campbell

Kenneth Campbell

Kenneth Campbell VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...

 VC) were the last family to live at Kerelaw; in 1969 the house was bought by Glasgow Corporation Education Department and Kerelaw Residential School was opened in its grounds in 1970. The house was intended to be used as offices for the school, but was instead demolished.

Description

Built in the Adam style

Adam style

The Adam style is an 18th century neoclassical style of interior design and architecture, as practiced by the three Adam brothers from Scotland; of whom Robert Adam and James Adam were the most widely known.The Adam brothers were the first to advocate an integrated style for architecture and...

, Kerelaw House was a tall, three storey ashlar building of five bays with a wide, slightly projecting central bay; its Doric entrance porch has above it the typical Adam feature of a Serlian window set within a lightly recessed blind arch. A long driveway lead up to the house from the nearby road, and is still in existence having latterly been used as an entrance to Kerelaw Residential School. There is however no other trace of the house.

Mayville House
Davis refers to this property as an exceptionally attractive and delightful little mansion, built around 1720 for Robert Baillie, father of Lesley Baillie, Burns's 'Bonnie Lesley'. The property became part of the Kerelaw Estate until sold by Mr James Campbell in 1914.

Hullerhirst House
This small 18th century dwelling was probably a dower house for Kerelaw House.