 Kilmahew castle was built upon the lands granted to the Napiers by Malcolm, the Earl of Lennox around the year 1290.The castle itself was built sometime in the 16th century by the Napier family, who owned it for 18 generations.The Napiers who owned Kilmahew are notable for being the progenitors of members who had notable contributions in the field of engineering, such as Robert Napier, the "Father of Clyde Shipbuilding," and David, James and Montague Napier, who owned the engineering company of Napier & Son.