The main structure is a large rectangular castle, surveyed in 1980, which sits alongside several intriguing remnants of its defensive and domestic past. Just 40 metres to the northeast stands Kilbride House, whose western end features a curious rounded bay that appears to be far older than the rest of the building. This projecting bay is likely the surviving northeast angle tower of a bawn, the fortified enclosure that once protected Kilbride Castle, complete with the remains of a spiral staircase tucked inside.

The castle’s surroundings tell a story of continuous occupation and adaptation through the centuries. A farmyard to the north contains scattered pieces of cut limestone dating to medieval times, whilst a two-storey dovecote has been cleverly incorporated into the 19th-century walled courtyard of Kilbride House, running alongside the road to the south. A walled garden sits immediately west of the castle, adding to the complex layout of this historic site.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature lies about 60 metres south of Kilbride House; a small, kidney-shaped pond with a rockery platform to one side. Whilst it appears to date from after 1770 and may simply be part of the 18th-century landscaping of Kilbride House, there’s a tantalising possibility that it represents something much older. This ornamental pond could be a transformed medieval fish pond, originally associated with the castle and later adapted into a decorative landscape feature when tastes and times changed.