It was in the Cunninghame's possession in 1488 that the castle was sacked and burned by the 2nd Lord Montgomerie, during the well documented and long-term feud between these two prominent Ayrshire families.[6]: p.

[7] Kerelaw was rebuilt sometime after 1488 and is reported to have contained a number of carved coats of arms of the Scottish nobility, taken from Kilwinning Abbey,[9] Nine fishermen from Saltcoats were granted leases in 1545 in return for carrying the Earl's furniture to Finlayston on the Clyde every spring from the Creek of Saltcoats and bringing it back again in the autumn when the family returned to Kerelaw for the winter months.

[10] Local tradition is that the castle had been the residence of the Abbot of Kilwinning, which may have arisen from the fact that the third son of Alexander Cunningham, 1st Earl of Glencairn, became the Commendator of the abbey after the reformation and may have lived at Kerelaw.

Clements, Graham and McLatchie give the date of 1685 for the sale of Kerila (Kerelaw) to John Hamilton by Robert Reid Cunninghame of Seabank House (Auchenharvie) whose mining activities were causing him financial difficulties.[2]: p.

[18] Roy's Survey map of 1747 records the name as Kerry-law,[19] and Smith refers to it as Kerila Castle;[20] as does Paterson.

A lodge house, situated to the east of the castle is marked on the older OS maps and is still in existence today (2008) as a private home.

Gothic windows still adorn the southern wall, believed to have been inspired by those at Kilwinning Abbey (and are proof that much of the castle was built at various points in history).

In 2014 some repairs were carried out on the building and the immediate surroundings were cleared of excess trees and shrubs that were harming and hiding the structure.