There were sidings that served a lime kiln and the whinstone quarry. It consists of two 6-foot obelisks made from Scottish whinstone, weighing approximately 0.75 tons. The older examples were often made of stone, such as granite, whinstone, sandstone or limestone. On the Kilwinning road is marked the Ward whinstone quarry. Craigenputtock is the craig/whinstone hill of the puttocks (small hawks). Another whinstone quarry and limekiln was on the road up to Wardlaw. In Scotland quartz-dolerite is commonly known as whin or whinstone. The castle is built from whinstone with freestone corners. The tower was constructed from whinstone and was around across. The castle stands on a slightly elevated knoll and is constructed mainly of whinstone. Massive outcrops of whinstone occur include the Pentland Hills, Scotland and the Whin Sills, England. A circular oculus in the spandrel above each pier is filled in with whinstone rubble. The dolerite is described as whinstone or as basalt in various sources. Several whinstone mines have operated on Gillies Hill over the years. One of the finds discovered in 1931 was a whinstone ballista ball.