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Macraes Monument, Ayrshire

The 18th Century Monument was built in honour of a local sea captain James Macrae who was made Governor of Madras in 1725 as recognition of his efforts to stop pirates interfering with the great trade routes.

The careful restoration of the scheduled monument involved archaeological works and stonework conservation and was funded by Historic Scotland the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The structure of the monument had become seriously unstable with a significant lean to one side and early during the conservation works collapsed. This gave an opportunity for re-consolidation of ground and foundations and re-construction with extensive re-use of existing stone.

Archaeological works were able to determine that Macrae’s remains were not entombed in the monument, quashing a legend, but several unmarked graves were located in close proximity to the site.

Client: Three Towers Trust