The 10th Earl of Cassillis had Robert Adam rebuild an earlier, more basic structure into a country house, intended as the seat of his earldom. It was built in stages from 1777 to 1792. The article calls it an L-plan castle and names no style or materials. Its key features are a large drum tower with a circular saloon overlooking the sea, a grand oval staircase and a suite of apartments. The site covers 240 acres (97 ha).
The Kennedy family gave the castle and grounds to the National Trust for Scotland in 1945, on condition that the top apartment go to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. He visited four times, once as U.S. President. It reopened in April 2011 after a refurbishment.
The Trust runs it, with eight holiday rentals in the country park. It had 334,000 visitors in 2025.
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