The Town of Largs Lies on the Ayrshire Coast Some 13Miles South Of

Proposed Marina at Fairlie by Largs CONTENTS PAGE Figure 1. Site Location Map 3 Introduction 4 Background History of Largs 4 Prehistory and Archaeology 4 Ecclesiastical History 5 The Battle of Largs 6 Medieval and Post-Medieval Largs 7 Local Families 8 The Statistical Account 8 The 19th and 20th Centuries 9 A Brief History of Fairlie 11 General description 11 Prehistory 12 Fairlie Castle 12 Ecclesiastical History 12 Yacht Building 12 The Ordnance Survey Maps 14 Figure 2. Second Edition 1912 OS map 16 Figure 3. 1965 1:2,500 OS Map 17 Figure 4. Site Plan 18 Field Survey 19 Summary Discussion 22 Conclusions and Recommendations 22 Firat Archaeological Services 1 Proposed Marina at Fairlie by Largs Figure 5. General view over the site to the S, Feature 1 23 CONTENTS PAGE Figure 6. View to the S from southernmost point of land 23 Figure 7. Feature 1 slipway, view to the west 24 Figure 8. Feature 5 and Feature 6, view to the NW 24 Figure 9. Feature 3 burnt out cottage, view to the NW 25 Figure 10. Feature 4, the well, view to the N 25 Discovery and Excavation in Scotland entry 26 Bibliography and Map List 27 Acknowledgements 28 Report Distribution 28 Contents and Location of the Archive 28 Photographic Lists 29 Contact Addresses 30 Firat Archaeological Services 2 Proposed Marina at Fairlie by Largs Firat Archaeological Services 3 Proposed Marina at Fairlie by Largs Introduction Proposals to build a new yacht marina adjacent to the S side of Largs Yacht Haven are being developed by Fairlie Marina Ltd. As part of the environmental assessment Firat Archaeological Services (FAS) was contracted to undertake an archaeological assessment of the proposed development site. The archaeological assessment consists of an examination of Second Edition and later OS maps; consultation of the National Monuments Record of Scotland; various documentary sources held at Ardrossan Library HQ and a walk-over survey of the proposed development site. The site is located at NGR NS 209 566 at Kelburnfoot and extends into the sea. The land to the east of the Mean Low Water Springs belongs to Lord Glasgow and the shore and sea is the property of the Crown Estate. The proposed development area is bounded along its N side by the breakwater of Largs Yacht Haven and on the south by the Ministry of Defence pier and breakwater. The E boundary is formed by the Glasgow – Ayr railway line, the overall proposed development area measures approximately 700m N-S x 400m E-W. Only a small part of the proposed development is land (c. 375m N-S x 50m E-W), a larger portion is beach and the majority of the area under consideration is the sea. The field survey was restricted to the land and beach. Background History of Largs The town of Largs lies on the Ayrshire coast some 13 miles south of Greenock and has been a popular holiday destination and day-trip from Glasgow since the mid-19th century. The town first appears in historical record in the early 8th century when a church was founded there. The village of Fairlie is situated approximately two and a half miles south of Largs. Fairlie is a quoad sacra parish within the Parish of Largs, which is in the Presbytery of Greenock and Synod of Glasgow and Ayr in the Cunninghame District of Ayrshire, now North Ayrshire. Largs is best known in history for the Battle of Largs in 1263 and is the larger of the two towns. The history of Largs is given first as it is the larger town and had more influence over the local area followed by a brief history of Fairlie. Prehistory and Archaeology A neolithic chambered tomb known as Margaret’s Law is located to the rear of the mansion house at Haylie, in Douglas Park. This chambered tomb was excavated in 1780 and found to contain five stone coffins containing skulls and other human bones as well as human bones and urns above and about the cists. The site was suspected as being a burial place of the Vikings and was interpreted as such following this excavation, when it became known as Haco’s tomb. One other tumulus, known as Greenhill, is reported in the 1855 Ordnance Survey Gazetteer at the entrance to Hawkhill House. An artificial mound rising to 100 feet in height is also reported beside Skelmorlie Castle. This mound was excavated by Dr Firat Archaeological Services 4 Proposed Marina at Fairlie by Largs Phene who discovered a curved paved platform, lots of charcoal and bone fragments. Dr Phene interpreted the site as a ritual site associated with sun worship, serpent worship and sacrifice, which were popular antiquarian beliefs at the time. Near to the Old Parish Church burial ground an earthen mound originally considered by the locals to be the gallows hill used to exist. This tumulus is described in the Ordnance Survey Gazetteer as measuring 25 yards long by 9 yards broad and 5 feet high. It was excavated in 1873 by Dr Phene who then interpreted it as the burial place of the Vikings who fell in the Battle of Largs. The description of the excavations indicates that the three Bronze Age cist burials that were excavated within the town in the later 18th century described under the Statistical Account section is the site excavated by Dr Phene. A vitrified hillfort of Iron Age date crowns Knock Hill and is clearly visible throughout the district. There is also a fort on top of Castle Hill. No further information was readily available on prehistoric remains in the vicinity of Largs. The Ordnance Survey Gazetteer of 1855 notes that Roman coins and tiles had been excavated in the vicinity of the town and that the discovery of a Roman bathhouse is reported in 1820. Ecclesiastical History Source: Rev. John Dow 1842 The New Statistical Account. A church was founded in Largs in the early 8th century and it is thought the earliest church was dedicated to St Columba. The church was certainly in existence by the Battle of Largs in 1263 and the Norwegian account states that a number of the dead were buried there. In 1318-19 the church of Largs and all its tithes were granted to Paisley Abbey by Water the Steward on behalf of himself and his wife Marjorie Brus. The grant would come into effect on the death of the then rector Sir William de Lindsay and the gift ensure a safe passage to heaven for Walter and his wife. In 1319 John Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow confirmed the grant to Paisley and the church continued to be a possession of the Monastery of Paisley until after the Reformation. In 1587 Lord Claud Hamilton, the commendator of Paisley obtained a grant of the patronage and tithes of the church of Largs and the other considerable revenues of the Paisley monks. This was then created into a lordship for him and his heirs with the title Lord Paisley. In 1649, at the time of the plague in Largs, there was a proposal to move the church to the southern part of the parish but this was abandoned for a number of reasons, a main one being the lack of a bridge over the Gogo River. In the time of Charles I the patronage and tithes of Largs passed from the Earl of Abercorn (Claud Hamilton’s grandson) to Sir Robert Montgomery of Skelmorlie. Sir Robert is responsible for one of Largs’ major landmarks, the Skelmorlie Aisle. The Firat Archaeological Services 5 Proposed Marina at Fairlie by Largs patronage remained in the Montgomery family which in 1796 succeeded to the Earldom of Eglinton. In the burial ground of the former parish church of Largs is the Skelmorlie Aisle, which is all that survives of the former parish church, which was demolished in 1802. Sir Robert Montgomerie built the Skelmorlie Aisle in 1636 as a burial place for himself and his wife Dame Margaret Douglas. The Aisle is famous for it’s early 17th century painted ceiling which is most unusual in a religious building and also for a 5.4m high elaborate carved burial monument in the Dutch style which is without parallel in Scotland. This monument, in the form of a triumphal archway would originally have been painted like the armorial panel above the door. Also in the burial ground is the grave of Sir Thomas Brisbane who was appointed governor general of Australia in 1821 and the Brisbane Family is frequently noted in the history of the parish of Largs and their legacy is reflected in the place names in the vicinity of Netherhall. There is also a reconstructed Bronze Age burial cist that was found elsewhere in the parish and relocated to the graveyard. In historical sources a medieval gallows mound is reputed to have stood nearby the church but it appears this reference is actually to the neolithic chambered tomb of Margaret’s Law. Rev. Dow, in the New Statistical Account, lists the ministers of the church since the time of the reformation and notes that he took up his post in 1831. Rev. Dow’s stipend for the Parish of Largs was 128 bolls of meal, 128 bolls of barley and £10 in money. Fairs The festival of St. Columba was traditionally held on the 9th of June ‘Combsday’ and celebrated the dedication of the parish church. The New Statistical account describes the popularity of the fair, then held on the second Tuesday of June, dwindling away due to the easy movement of goods by steam- ships.

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