By the early 20th century, Loudoun Hall had fallen a long way from its prestigious beginnings. Once the home of wealthy merchants and the Sheriff of Ayr, it had become overcrowded tenement housing and was facing demolition as part of Ayr's slum clearances.
Fortunately, one of Scotland's most prominent aristocratic families recognised its importance. John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute (1881 to 1947), played a crucial role in saving it.
His family was renowned for its interest in architecture and historic buildings, with strong links to the west of Scotland, including Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute and Dumfries House in Ayrshire.
Saving Loudoun Hall from demolition
As Ayr Town Council considered clearing the run-down properties around the Boat Vennel, the Reverend Archibald Mackenzie, minister of Ayr Old Church, recognised the Hall's exceptional importance.
He persuaded the owner, Mr Smith, to transfer the property to him. Remarkably, he owned Loudoun Hall for just two days before passing it to the Marquess of Bute, who had already shown an interest in saving it.
The Marquess began restoration at his own expense. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 brought the work to a halt, and he died in 1947 before it could be completed.
A near miss in the war
In 1941 the Ayr architect Alex Mair drew up a list of buildings that should be restored if they were damaged in air raids. "Lady Loudoun's House" was on it, but the Burgh Council voted to remove it from the list.
A second battle for survival
After the war, Loudoun Hall faced demolition once more. In 1947 the Town Council's Housing Committee recommended it, by the narrowest of margins: a single vote.
The Saltire Society offered to take the restoration forward, and the Council reversed its decision. Lord David Stuart, who had inherited the Hall from his father, gave the property to three trustees nominated by the Saltire Society.
With support from the Pilgrim Trust, and architect Robert Hurd giving his services free, work resumed in 1948. Loudoun Hall reopened on 26 September 1956.
Restoring the Hall
The Loudoun Hall Trust was formed on 21 October 1947. Its first trustees were the Earl of Glasgow, James Fergusson of Kilkerran and Professor Andrew Dewar Gibb of Glasgow University.
The Pilgrim Trust gave a grant, a building licence came from the Ministry of Works, and in December 1948 the Saltire Society launched a public appeal for the £2,500 still needed.
Robert Hurd, one of the leading conservation architects in Scotland, gave his services free. His new staircase used the materials of an oak stair recently removed from Culzean Castle, made from the timbers of the Marquess of Ailsa's yacht. Rob Close calls the restoration an exemplary display of Hurd's skill in balancing old and new without pastiche.
Opening night
Loudoun Hall formally reopened on 26 September 1956. The first event was a debate hosted by the Saltire Society, on the motion that town and county councils are the proper guardians of the nation's architectural heritage, and that pressure groups like the Saltire Society are unnecessary.
Robert Hurd spoke against it. The newspapers of the day do not record who won.
A legacy that lives on
Without the Marquess of Bute, Loudoun Hall might have disappeared from Ayr's streets almost a century ago. His rescue, and his family's support for the restoration, saved one of Scotland's finest examples of early domestic burgh architecture.
In August 2026, WMA Group Ltd became the new custodians of Loudoun Hall, continuing a tradition of people stepping forward to protect it. Our ambition is to honour the work of the Marquess of Bute, the Saltire Society and the generations who came before us, so that Loudoun Hall remains a living, accessible and cherished part of Ayr for generations to come.
Sources: WMA Group, Fergusson 1950, Close 2025, Historic Environment Scotland.