Has anyone ever heard of this? I've searched the web, but couldn't find anything. Any info would be great - a friend is trying to find out before she goes.

No I haven't. There's a place called Kilbirnie House in Ayrshire. Could that be it. <BR> <BR>I have what is supposed to be a definitive list and it's not on it. Sorry

Sheila - thank you so much. It's her family name and she'd always been told there was a castle out there somewhere. I suppose it's entirely possible the one you mentioned is it - at least it will give her a new avenue to explore.

You may want to know that on the UK version of Lycos there are 839 "hits" for the name of Kilbourn. I trawled through the first 400 before giving up and about 388 were about a champion strain of deerhounds <BR> <BR>There is a very nice family in Hastings with the same name. Why not e-mail them and ask if they know the answer? <BR> <BR>"Kil" is derived from the Gaelic for chapel; and bourne is very English, so i suspect this got bastardized somewhere along the way

Most castles are in ruins & don't have web pages.I think the history books may have the answer.Never come across the name myself, though as Sheila says places starting with Kil- are common, from the word cille- (Kilmarnock Kilbride Kilmalcolm etc). <BR> Because of this it is likely to have been a place name which became a family name - people were commonly known by their town of origin.