The palace part of Dean Castle was not added on until about the year 1468. The reason behind its expansion, was that the head of the estate, Lord Boyd wanted an area he could go to for privacy and total relaxation. No amenity was spared. In 1735, the castle caught fire and was seriously gutted and it lay dormant and in ruins for a couple of hundred years. The Boyd family sold the estate in 1749 and since then it has had numerous owners, some of which were very prestigious and important people.

Inherited, Lord Howard de Walden the 8th restored the estate and its castle to its former glory and it was completed in the year 1908. Today, the castle is home to his extensive collection of armour, weapons and many wall tapestries, which is proudly on display today. His wife’s father kept his gathering of musical instruments there for all to see and is still there to this day also. Total restoring of the place was completed in total in the year 1946 and the estate and Dean Castle and all its belongings were given to the township of Kilmarnock by Lord Howart de Walden the 8th’s son.

Presently, visitors and guest is welcomed by a beautiful Visitors Centre located within the estate’s Country Park. It is home to much wildlife and let’s all who visit, get close and interact with the animals. You can also learn much information about the wildlife you will find there on the grounds in the Discovery Room and Auditorium as well. There is even a centre for rare breeds of animals, kept there on the grounds, which allows for a Children’s Corner and Riding Centre as well. A tea room has been added, so after walking and exploring its beautiful ground at leisure, you can take you a hot, relaxing cup.

September 19, 2002, the Robert Burns World Federation, alongside East Ayrshire Council, commemorated a plaque for the United States tragedy that occurred on Sept 11, 2001. It sits peacefully in a memorial garden of beautiful roses out in the front area of Dean Castle.

The viaduct is the worlds oldest known surviving railway viaduct. The viaduct, when you first get a glimpse of it, has a medieval feel. With its beautiful light colored stone bricks and old world look and feel, it is ideal for many pictures and paintings. The viaduct was also part of the Kilmarnock Troon railway. This railway and viaduct are a serious must for any railway enthusiasts or one that adores historic landmarks.

The bridge or viaduct was designed by a budding engineer by the name of William Jessop. However, the actual erection of the viaduct was completed by a masonry expert named, John Simpson. It was constructed to help the Duke of Portland transport his horse-drawn carts of coal from the mines to Troon Harbour. When the viaduct was shut down, due to a more modernized version of a viaduct that was built upstream from it.

The Laigh Milton Viaduct has since then, fell to very unstable situations, but a group of Civil Engineers has purchased it and has had it restored. For them to be able to carry out such a restoration, the River Irvine had to be damned for while and they had to take part of it down and reconstruct it. Now, it has an internal infrastructure of solid steel, that does an ideal job of supporting its heavy masonry weight and its arch construction. Any stones in need of replacement, was upgraded as well. They also seen to it, that a metal railing was constructed atop of the viaduct, to allow for the public to cross it without safety concerns. The group heading the restoration, won an award for restoring a structure that was in a state of almost total disrepair.