This was the main gateway to Citadel fort in Ayr. It can be seen from this picture how much the ground level has risen over the centuries as at one time a man on horseback would have been able to ride through this gate.
The fort was built on the peninsula west of Ayr by Cromwell's troops between 1652 and 1654 and designed by the chief engineer of the New Model Army Hans Ewald Tessin..
It covered about 16 acres of land and was protected by a wall 10ft broad and 14ft high with six bastions and six curtain walls
The barracks, which covered most of the ground, provided quarters for 800 foot soldiers and 200 horse soldiers, excluding officers, and there was stabling for about 220 horses.
The fort was abandoned in 1660 and was dismantled in the early 18th century, though large sections of the wall can still be seen
