E N T C O N T S .

E G A R R AL L AN H O USE . ANNICK L O D G . G FF A DEE . I EN E . R R G HOUS G . ARD M ILLAN . IR ENTI A AN L D G L E NAPP UC H S, O . E . W HOUS N E . AUC H ANS,

A H E N R U I VE . U C C HILLHOUSE . N AU C H E N D R A E . HOLMS R N E L D AUC H E N D A , O . H UN T E R ST O N . AUCHINLECK . KE L B UR N E C AST L E .

E IL E AN . BAL L O C H M Y L . K K RR K I L L H O C AN C AST L E . BARG ANY . I ILL. B E AC H HOUSE . K RKH T . . N C CA LE B E L L E I SL E K O K S KN O C K D O L I AN T CA LE . BER R ETH . S B L AI R E . HOUS L AI N H W H AN S A . BL AI R QU . L AN FI B I B AN E N E E . R S HOUS ‘ LOUDOUN CASTLE .

C AM B USD O O N . M T L N C A E . I T N C APR NG O CASTLE . OU H R S C ASSI L L I S E . W T HOUS N E A CA LE . CE N C . RK S N E WFI L SS O K E D . R D C L O N C AI CASTLE . D C O I L S FI E L . M C O O D H A . W C O R AR . CRAIG IE HOUSE . R AU FUR D L AN D T C CA LE . R E M N S O S O U T . B C IE CA TLE. R O WAL L AN T ROS S CA LE . AN C U L ZE CASTLE . S F SEA IELD . DALJA C SH E WAL T O N RRO K E . D AL U H AR R AN Q M HOUTS EL LIE CA LE .

D M F IE E . SK OR S U R S HOUS N CA TLE . P D NL E . SOR S U O HOUS SUN D R UM . SW I N DRI D G E M U I R . EG LINTON CASTLE . E NT E R KI N E T R E E SBAN K HOUSE . W W FAI LIE E . ELL D . R HOUS W OO F ULLARTON HOUSE . OODSIDE .

A N N I C K L O D G E .

T H E estate at present k nown as Annick Lodge has been formed gradually by the purchase o f r of which seve al contiguous estates , some can be traced back to a very ancient date . The - of old al — mansion house occupies the site the manori dwelling of Pearston hall , the house of the - f Lairds o f Over Pearston in the fifteenth century . The lands o Pearston were acquired by the Blairs o f Ada mton through the marriage o f o ne of that family with the heiress of Sir William of s of Douglas Pearston , and remained in their posses ion till the beginning last century . The name of J ames M o ntgomerie appears as Laird of Over- Pearston in 1 7 1 7 ; and though the lands passed o f 1 0 out the possession of that family for some time , they were again acquired in 79 by Alexander M o nt o m erie so n of M on t o m erie of C oilsfi eld g , second Alexander g , a brother of H ugh , twelfth Earl - of Eglinton , who named the place Annick Lodge . The manor house is described by Pont o f veill , Ada mtoune ; as a proper bulding, planted , the inheritance Blaire Laird of and it is probable that the erection to which he alludes was in the very spot upon which the modern mansion o f stands , as some traces an old foundation were discovered while the present house was under - M n t om ri e a o . . o e e r pair a few years g Lieut Colonel William Eglinton g , the second Laird of Annick 1 8 2 1 80 2 . Lodge, succeeded his father in , and died in 5 , leaving five sons and three daughters The

so n wa s 1 0th ; - eldest , Alexander , formerly Captain , Regiment whilst the second is Rear Admiral M ont omeri e 8 2 8 M o nt omeri e G B . 1 J ohn Eglinton g , The third son , Roger g , born , was Advocate M P . 1 8 Depute under several Conservative administrations, and was . for N orth Ayrshire from 74 n w s - 1 880 . s o a . until his death in Thomas George , the fourth , who Lieut Colonel of the Royal of 1 8 8 E ngineers , an and Gold Medallist the Royal Geographical Society, died in 7 ; and

m 1 8 . Willia , late Lieutenant , Royal Artillery , died in 77 The present proprietrix is he ' Archibald t ’ f - M n t om e rie to o . o widow Lieut Colonel William Eglinton g , who succeeded the estate on his father s 1 8 2 death in 0 . - wa s a n d The mansion house , which erected at the close of last century , is a commodious unpretending structure , architecturally decorated with a porch supported upon elegant Corinthian pillars , and surmounted by a facade bearing sculptured urns at its three angles . The tympanum is

S - T he filled in with a heraldic hield and scroll work in high relief. river Annick , which gives its

i ts - name to this residence , takes rise in Renfrewshire , flowing south westward by Stewarton , and falls into I rvine Water at a short distance above the town of I rvine .

A R DEE R .

’ T Y M O L O G I ST S A r d —d z r have derived the name of Ardeer from the Gaelic y , which “ o f signifies the barren promontory, and so far as the outward appearance the locality is concerned, the descriptive cognomen seems appropriate . The shore for miles around is composed - a n . almost entirely of s nd hills , which alter their co formation with every hurricane The land for a - o ut great distance inland is bare of forest trees, and the stunted shrubs which eke a sickly existence in that quarter intensify the feeling o f desolation which oppresses the visitor in his journey from - a o f the sea coast . The we lth the district , however , lies underground and one of the most valuable i s been ' wrou ht sandstone quarries in Scotland upon the estate of Ardeer . Coal has g in the 1 6 o f neighbourhood since 7 5 , and though the industry the place was only developed some thirty years ago he mining interest has been most remu erative . The recent establishmen of t ’ n t works for the manufacture of Nobels Explosives (dynamite) o n the sand - dunes of Ardeer has f directed special attention to the district . Traces o very early fortifications may be found on the - trap rock mound still called Castlehill , which lies near the main road between Stevenston and - fi re Kilwinning, though it may be doubted whether this post was other than a beacon to signal o n I n the advent of an invading force the Scottish shore . ancient times the estate of Ardeer C u n i n ha m es Auchenh ervi e 1 08 belonged to the g of , but it was purchased from them i n 7 by the f . . o Rev Patrick Warner, and remains in the family of his descendants The daughter the first - . W dr w 1 6 1 Warner of Ardeer wa s married to the Rev Robert o o ( 79 7 the eminent historian of h - of s e fi ve . the Church Scotland , and survived her husband for twenty years o f - The mansion Ardeer does not occupy the position of the original manor house , but seems o ld of - so to have been built near the house Ducat hall , the property named having been purchased 8 1 0 . by the Rev . Patrick Warner in 7 , when he became proprietor of Ardeer An avenue and - o f r carriage drive lead to the door a regula ly built dwelling, over the entrance to which a balconied o f porch has been erected , supported on four I onic pillars and pilasters . The style the triangle facade and heavily corniced windows places the date of the structure towards the close of last century .

M A R D I LLAN .

- o f T H E mansion house Ardmillan is pleasantly situated near the coast , a few miles southwards m f f o . o fro the town Girvan I t consists two portions erected at different dates , the earlier of part following the Scottish Baronial style architecture , with crenellated battlements , turrets , and - of . o f crow step gables , while the later is in the domestic style last century The front elevation is ashlar, relieved by two pilasters surmounted by elegant vases . The close porch , which gives access to the mansion , reproduces the outline of the front of the building in miniature . of who The name of Ardmillan is inseparably associated with that the late J ames Craufurd , c u i ed fo r p an honourable place on the Scottish Bench as Lord Ardmillan over twenty years . H e wa s s wa s o f . . E . o f the son Archibald C B Craufurd , q Ardmillan , and born at H avent , H ants , in 1 8 f 0 . o 5 H is education was begun at Ayr Academy , and completed at the U niversities

. o 1 8 2 Glasgow and Edinburgh H aving chosen Law as his pr fession , he was called to the Bar in 9 , w - - while J effrey as Lord Advocate and Cockburn was Solicitor General . H e was appointed - 1 8 0 Advocate Depute along with Lord Deas in 4 , under the M elbourne Government ; became o f 1 8 - 1 8 Sheriff Perthshire in 49 , and Solicitor General in 5 3 when the Aberdeen M inistry came into f . 1 8 o power On the death of Lord Robertson in 5 5 , he was raised to the Bench , taking the title Lord Ardmillan from his patrimonial estate ; and he retained this honourable position until his 1 8 6 was death in 7 . H e the first Scottish J udge before whom the celebrated Yelverton Case was brought up , and the decision which he gave against the claimant , Theresa Longworth , was - sustained by the highest Law Courts in the kingdom . The mother of the late Lord Ardmillan wa s known throughout Ayrshire for the many h 1 s e . 000 benevolent bequests which made Amongst other benefactions , she laid aside , the

o f o f interest which was to be paid to the parochial schoolmaster Girvan , on condition of his n was o f o f teaching forty poor children gratis , and a special fu d provided for the instruction ten o f these forty children in the practice music . - d o f - o f The coal measures in the neighbourhoo Ardmillan are not extensive , but copper ore

e o n . sup rior quality has been found the estate , and is supposed to exist in great profusion

Ardmillan is found to have been in the possession o f the Kennedys o f Bargany s o early as “ 1 6 — o f 4 7 , and the estate continued in a younger branch of this family designated Kennedy — o f o f A rd milla ne for nearly two hundred years . I t came at last into the hands J ames Craufurd Baidland in 1 65 8 through his marriage with Marion Kennedy ; and the frequent intermarriages m between these two families served to keep the estate amongst them . The na e of Craufurd was thus associated with the estate of Ardmillan for over two centuries . The present representative of

f . M a c M icke n . o the family is Thomas Craufurd , Esq Grange H ouse, Ayrshire

H E F A H A T H E O LD O U S O U C N S .

O T far fro m the ruins of the ancient Castle o f Dundonald stands the deserted H ouse o f Auc ha ns o f o f , a ruin a much later date , yet haunted by many interesting memories other

. s o times The old Castle of Dundonald , in which King Robert I I . died , had fallen seriously into Aucha ns decay before some parts of H ouse were built, that the stones of the ancient stronghold of Auc ha n s he S ewarts were freely used in he newer erection, if radi ion may be believed . i self t t t t ’t t ; i has fallen upon evil days , having been utilised for cottars houses lately but there still rema n sufficient traces o f i ts former grandeur to indicate the important position which it once held in the district . The architectural peculiarities of the building have attracted much notice ; and R . W . Billings “ thus refers to them in his A n tiqui ti es of S cotla nd " The square balustraded tower is in direct O - of — o f pposition to the cone covered staircase , which breaks the monotony the main wall face the m f ansion in its centre . But the picturesque is more particularly evinced i n the arrangement o the - o f o ne crow stepped gables , and especially the surmounting the round tower to the right . The fl of of ank wall of this gable continues the line the house , instead being corbelled upon the tower, e which is finished by b ing simply sloped off to the wall , leaving as a questionable fea ure what has ” t not o f evidently been a change from the original design . The building is all the same period , 1 6 on o ne but the date 44 , which is to be found of the newer portions, leads us to discover the principal builder.

Aucha n s o f The earliest name associated with is that Wallace of Dundonald , a branch of the R i c c a rto n m 1 2 ; Wallaces of , who ca e into the estate in 5 7 although it is probable that the lands of were included in the grant of the Castle Dundonald made to Lord Cathcart by J ames I I I . in 1 8 2 A uc ha n s m 4 . remained in the Wallace fa ily even after they had parted with the greater por ion o f he Dundonald proper y and he las of the family o f whom any trace can be found was t t t t t ’ A uc ha n s Colonel J ames Wallace of , who led the unfortunate Covenanters raid , known in history ” 1 6 8 1 66 . , 6 7 as the Pentland Rising in November , and died in exile at Rotterdam i n The lands of Dundonald were purchased from the Wallace family in 1 63 8 by Sir William Cochrane o f

C oldoun Aucha ns , and to him may we ascribe the erection of that portion of H ouse which bears f 1 m o 6 . the date 44 H aving re ained faithful to the Stewart line during the Commonwealth, and of m suffered pecuniarily at the hands Cromwell , Sir Willia was rewarded , after the Restoration , of of m with the title Earl Dundonald , and from him the earldom has descended in al ost unbroken E n n . A uc ha n s r o f of li to u line The H ouse of afte wards came into the possession the Earls g , and m - C o lz ea n beca e the jointure house of Susanna Kennedy of , who was married to the ninth Earl of E li n to u n 1 0 wa s a s o n e m g in 7 7 . This lady celebrated of the ost beautiful and accomplished ladies o f her time ; and a s s h e wa s an especial patroness o f the literary stars whom s h e encountered m during an exceptionally long life, her virtues and graces have found their way i nto the fore ost o f m m o f Ba n o ur poetic literature the period . Allan Ramsay and Willia Ha ilton g have vied with each other in her praise ; and traditions as to her elegant personal appearance, winning manner, and intellectual ability still linger in the society of Edinburgh . After the murder, by M ungo o f s n E li n toun 1 6 , o , 7 9 , Campbell her Alexander, tenth Earl of g in she retired from the position m 1 2 which she held in society ; and when her second son Archibald was arried in 7 7 , she took up ha n her residence permanently at A uc s . Whilst there she received a memorable visit from Dr m - Sa uel J ohnson and his companion , J ames Boswell of Auchinleck , her H igh Churchism and

- J acobite fervour having won the heart o f the Doctor. The right of the Stewart Kings to reign she maintained most steadfastly ; and it is said that for many years s he kept the portrait of the unhappy Prince Charles Edward hung up in her bedroom , so that her glance might first light upon Au h n s 1 8 - . c a 0 of o ne i t when awaking She died at in 7 , having attained the advanced age ninety years .

of Aucha ns Since that time the H ouse has been allowed to fall into disrepair through neglect , m though the exterior portion is still al ost complete . Some valuable documents connected with the E li ntoun o ne g family were recently discovered in of the apartments , and it is not improbable that further disclosures would result from a diligent search o f the venerable ruin . I n the orchard at Auch a ns — of — — part which may still be raced the famous pear ree once , from which he t t . stood t h l A uc a ns . is pears were first obtained I t averred that it was brought origina ly from France , and remained in good condition until a violent storm destroyed it about a hundred yea rs ago . W H U S E O F A T H E N E O U C H A N S .

Auc ha ns T H E modern mansion of is an erection of recent date , built in the style of an I talian

sta 1rca se . villa , with projecting glazed porch , giving access to the hall and main The land so around the house is richly wooded , and its sylvan character has been carefully preserved , that from whatever side the dwelling is approached it is brought into relief against a background of - umbrageous foliage . The carriage drive is bordered for a considerable distance with a symmetrical o f to - parterre flowers , and an extensive conservatory forms an exterior wing the mansion house . - The ground plan and arrangement of the interior have been carefully studied . No space is lost by the display of architectural eccentricities ; and the principal decoration of the main front wall o f consists the ivy and other trained shrubs , which are rapidly covering the stonework with their ’ o f leafy shade . The proprietor is the Earl Eglinton , and his Lordship s Commissioner, the H on . Greville Richard Vernon , resides there .

A U C H E N C R U I V E .

of Auc he nc ruive o f uivox o ne T H E stately mansion is situated in the parish St Q , not far from f o f o f the winding links o the Water of Ayr. I t dates probably from the latter half the last

h a s . century , and been built with a thorough regard to comfort and accommodation The exterior is devoid of all attempts at meretricious ornamentation ; and the structure has grown to its present extent through the independent additions made by succeeding Lairds, as their requirements and - of rent rolls increased . No trace an earlier dwelling has been found , though the records of the of estate carry its history back to the beginning o f the thirteenth century . Richard Wallace H a c kenc row 1 2 08 t no o f appears in a charter dated , and hough there is clear proof his identity, it ha s of of of been surmised , with some show probability , that he belonged to the family the Wallaces n o f Auchenc rui v l o f R ic c a rtou . The lands e gave the principa territorial title to this branch the of S un d rum Wallaces , until Sir Duncan Wallace acquired the heritage , and assumed the latter in - preference to the former designation . This well known knight , who was married to Eleanor de Brus , 1 80 A uc h e nc ruiv e Coun ess of Carrick , died wi hou male issue abou 3 , and he p oper y of fell

t ’ t t t t r t f to Ka thkert o t . his sister s son , Alan de , ancestor the present Earl Cathcar With the exception o f o f Auch en c rui ve a short period during the sixteenth century , when the house and lands were in C ra ufurds o f D ro n a n e the possession of the g , they remained in the hands of the Cathcart family f 1 o 60 . until they were acquired by Richard Oswald , the ancestor the present proprietor, about 7 of of Auche n c rui ve Of this remarkable man , the first the Oswalds , no adequate biography has al o f been written , though he figured largely in the political history his time , and his career was a o n wh e . H n o . o most romantic According to the late Right Sir J ohn Sinclair of Ulbster , was o ne o f probably acquainted with him personally , he derived his origin from Thurso, his ancestors having been a bailie in that burgh during the seventeenth century . Regarding Richard Oswald , wa s Sir J ohn relates that he , in his younger days , an unsuccessful candidate , upon a comparative fo r f , o of o f f ; 1 00 , trial the office master the parochial school Thurso, whereof the salary was Scots and took his disappointment so much to heart that he left the country in disgust , and never more m returned to it . But for that circu stance , it is probable , he would have lived and died in obscurity . al Removing to London , Richard Osw d embarked at once upon the career of a merchant , and had - 1 6 . risen to fortune and reputation as an Army contractor before 7 3 With the wealth thus won , he o f A uc hencrui ve purchased the estate about this period , though he continued to reside in London , a n d to o o f . take part in p litics , leaving it under the care his brother, the Rev . Dr J ames Oswald H is fo r of capaci y business was so grea ha it a rac ed the notice he leading poli icians , and he became t t t t tt t t ’ t

o f o f 0 O . an object of suspicion to the followers Fox , and h pe to that statesman s pponents When the o f rebellion George Washington had been crowned with success, and the British Government found it impossible to ignore a Republic which had accredited ambassadors at the principal European n 2 th 1 8 2 o f ; o 7 , Courts , they resolved to make terms peace with the revolted states and 5 J uly a Commission was gran ed o Richard Oswald of Auchenc ruive o proceed o Paris and confe wi h t t t t ” r t of a s Benjamin Franklin and the other representatives certain colonies in North America, to the conditions of a pacific agreement . The voluminous correspondence betwixt the plenipotentiary and Lord Shelburne is still in preservation amongst the documents of the Marquess o f Lansdowne ; and the story of the long conflict which he had to secure reasonable terms m a y be learned from his private letters to Sir H enry Strachey , which are among the family papers at Sutton Court . The a c ifi ca ti o n o n oth 1 8 2 Provisional Articles for a p were signed by the Commissioners 3 N ovember 7 , o f wa s by which he independence he thir een U ni ed States formally acknowledged . The

t t t t ’ materials for a life of this eminent politician may be found in Lord Edmund F i t z m a uri ce s L if e of

’ ’ ‘ L om S /ze/éur n e H i stor o Me Un i ted S tm es , Bancroft s y f , and amongst the manuscripts in possession o of he Duke f M anches er . t t ’ who de fa cto o f Auc hen c rui v e Dr J ames Oswald , was Laird during his brother s absence , died his s o n Auchenc rui v 1 8 1 o f e . in 9 , and was succeeded by , George Oswald Scotstoun and The s o n o f A uc he nc rui ve w a s of eldest the latter was Richard Alexander Oswald of , who Member for 1 8 1 8 Parliament Ayrshire from 3 3 till 3 5 , and closed his long career of usefulness and public so n wa s 1 8 1 . spirit in 4 As his only had predeceased him , he succeeded by his cousin , J ames - - fo r . Oswald Oswald of Shield hall , a merchant in Glasgow , and Member that burgh from the 1 8 1 8 H e meeting of the first reformed Parliament of 3 3 almost continuously till 47 . died unmarried 1 8 to - in 5 5 , and a statue his memory has been erected by his fellow citizens in George Square , Glasgow . The estate went to his nephew , Alexander H aldane Oswald , who sat as M ember for H e m 1 8 1 8 2 1 868 . Ayrshire fro 43 till 5 , and died in was succeeded by his brother , George o f Oswald , the father and immediate predecessor the present proprietor, Richard Alexander Oswald

Au ch en c rui ve 1 8 1 . of , who came into the estate in 7

H E R E O LD A U C N D A N .

N a o - A uc hend ra ne U T I L a few years g , the ancient mansion house of , which was associated with o n e of the darkest crimes in Scottish history , was a bare and roofless ruin , occupying a most o f picturesque situation by one of the crooks of the river Doon . I t had been the residence the of A uchend ra ne fo r family the Mures of many generations , but after the decay of that race in the 8 . 1 68 eighteenth century, it had been allowed to sink into a dilapidated and ruinous condition I n o n th that portion of the estate which it stood was acquired by Sir Peter Coats , e successful and philanthropic merchant of Paisley and in 1 88 1 he built the present mansion o n the site of the older f of f erection . The dif erent portions the structure are grouped in a most ef ective manner, and the quaint turrets and Flemish gables make the place especially attractive . The name of Mure h a s been associated with that of the estate of A uc hend ra n e from a very e a rly period ; bu hey were linked in an especially sinis er manner during he six eenth century by

t t ‘ t t t s o n th e of a s the criminal actions of J ohn M ure and his , perpetrators wha is known in history

t ’ “ f the Ayrshire Tragedy . The de ails o this s rangely complicated crime may be found in Pi cairn s t t ’ t C ri mi na l T r ia ls , and reference is made to it in the preface to Sir Walter Scott s play of ’ A ucfim a zm e r founded upon this incident but the story may be thus briefly related . F o r a long period both before and after the Reformation the control of West Ayrshire was entirely in the hands o f the Kennedys — the Earl o f C a ssillis and the Lairds of C ulz ea n and o f 1 Bargany dividing the power amongst them . The death the fourth Earl in 5 76 left his m C ulz ea n successor a inor, and Sir Thomas of obtained the position of tutor by very questionable

. wa s la c e of A uch endra ne wh o means Bargany thus forced to occupy an inferior p , and M ure , had

- i n- married his daughter , determined to advance the interests of his father law at all hazards . I n those rude days the simplest method o f checkmating an adversary was to murder him ; and M ure and some companions accordingly lay in wait fo r S ir Thomas o n e night as he was returning from a - supper party, and sought to take his life by firing upon him with pistols . The attempt was unsuccessful , and M ure was about to be prosecuted for his lawless treachery , when he succeeded - in ob aining he pardon and good will of his intended victim , who crowned his forgiveness by t t ’ o f Auchend ra ne bestowing the hand his daughter upon M ure s eldest son . had no intention , hi s of however, of abandoning wicked purpose against the life the doomed knight , and an o opp rtunity of gratifying his malice soon presented itself. 1 60 2 Sir Thomas Kennedy had occasion to go to Edinburgh early in the month of May , and out o f A uc he nd ra ne of pure friendship he sent word to his intention , offering to execute any business which the latter might have in the metropolis . H e directed his servant to inquire for Auch end ra ne at Maybole , and should he fail o find him there , o send word by le er of he t t tt ’ t Auc h ndr ne . e a proposed journey The servant missed , and , in compliance with his master s orders , of of he requested M r Robert M ure , schoolmaster M aybole , to write a note advising him the wa s A uc h end ra ne o f m of ma er, which no e sen o by he hands Willia Dalrymple , ane boy his tt t t t ” t — A uch en dra ne school not a poor student , as stated by Sir Walter Scott . This messenger found o w n c o f C lo nca ird at his pla e along with his cousin , Walter Mure , and these two companions in z n guilt devised a horrid plot for the a ssassination o f the unfortunate Laird of C ul ea . Having read A uch e nd ra ne s a the letter, returned it to the boy Dalrymple, telling him to take it back and y that C lo nca i rd n he had been unable to find him and he arranged that his cousin of , and their ki sman , D rum urch C ulz ea n Kennedy of y, with four or five armed retainers, should lie in wait for at a poin ’ t on the road which he should pass . Sir Thomas H amilton , the King s A dvocate , who conducted

C ulz ea n the legal proceedings that took place afterwards, relates that Sir Thomas K ennedy of o f being in full security his dangerless estate, riding upon ane pacing nag, and having with him h i s i d h i m o f h o f l fe, spoile ane t ousand merks of gold , being in his purse, ane number gold buttons ” upon his coat, and some rings and other jewels . C lo nca i rd D rum urch o f and y were accused the murder, but failed to appear, and were

hend ra n o f . Auc e outlawed Suspicion naturally pointed towards as the instigator the deed, and out he determined to brave he accusa ion . The only witness who could connect him with the t t ‘ murderers was the boy Dalrymple and to get him out o f the way he kidnapped him and kept him

fo r to i n confinement in his own house some time , and afterwards had him conveyed the barren f of o . shores of the I sle of Arran , and placed in the charge Graham S kelmorlie Confident that no certai n evidence could thus be brought against him , he boldly presented himself before his accusers,

of challenging them to put him on trial ; but as they knew the weakness their proof, and were aware that if he once tholed an assize he could not again be tried for the crime , they did not proceed against him . Finding himself thus far secure, he ventured to bring Dalrymple back from

of Auch end ra ne exile to his house , where he kept him under surveillance for some time , until he th e L ow succeeded in drafting him as a soldier to Countries , trusting that the fortune of war would

o f rid him for ever the presence o f this inconvenient witness . Five years afterwards the youth , having grown tired of soldiering, returned to the spot where o f his mother and sister resided at M aybole , and became once more a source uneasiness to

nd r n i A uch e a e . The laird and h s s on took cou nsel together as to how they should get rid of him

of o n and having beguiled him by professions friendship to a lonely spot the sands near Girvan , they put an end to his existence in a most cruel and treacherous manner . They had been assisted o f - in the vile deed by J ames Bannatyne Chapel donan , and he aided them i n their futile attempt to o f bury the body i n the shifting sands . Finding they could not securely hide the traces their s ea crime in this fashion , they threw the body into the , expecting that it would be carried far from the shore ; but five days afterwards the corpse o f the murdered youth was cast upon the beach

of wa s near the same place where the deed blood had been committed, and identified by ’ m of Dalry ple s nearest relatives . The finger suspicion was once more pointed towards the Mures ,

o f and after some delay , caused by their committal another crime , they were seized and thrown i nto prison to await their trial o n the charge of the double murder . Bannatyne of Chapel - donan had now become the i nconvenien wi ness ; but when a relative ’ t t o f Mure s had succeeded i n spiriting him away to I reland , the two murderers confidently went forward to their trial . Their judicial examination seemed rather in their favour through lack of w h o clear proof against them though Lord Chancellor Seton , presided , declares in a private letter

2 d D 1 608 son addressed to K ing J ames , ecember , that the answers of father and were quite s o irreconcilable with their previous declarations , and that their statements were contradictory “ b a ithe that , he avers , we are all compelled to think in our consciences thaj war “ n s o bui ttis Nevertheless, the accused mai tained bold a front even under the torture of the ,

o n o f of C a ssilli s to which they had been subjected the recommendation the Earl , that public of feeling was turning in their favour, when the Earl Abercorn succeeded in discovering the retreat

o f e . Bannatyn in I reland , and produced him in ime o procure their condemna ion As several

' ’ t t t Ba nn a t ne s o f attempts had been made upon y life, whilst he was in exile , at the instigation the M ures , it may be imagined that he did not mitigate the evidence which he had to offer as to their ; result guilt and the was that the Mures and himself were sentenced to be beheaded , though he obtained pardon for having brought them o justice by his voluntary confession . J ohn Mure of t ’ Auche n dra ne of s o n C ulz ea n s , then eighty years age , and his J ames , the husband of daughter, of 1 6 1 1 o n e were both beheaded at the Cross Edinburgh in J uly _ and thus was terminated of the

th o ur . wa s most remarkable stories of crime to be found , perhaps , in e annals of race Never there ” m f - a more evident confir ation o the time worn adage that murder will out .

’ Se on M emoi r o Alexa nder t / 8 E nbu B a k oo on f Se on, E a rl o D ur er n/i ue . g , S , t s f gf , p 9 ( di r h l c w d s A U C H I N LEC K .

- o f T H E present mansion house Auchinleck is a handsome Grecian edifice, elaborately decorated ,

1 80 . which was erected in 7 by Alexander Boswell , Lord Auchinleck of Session I t occupies a pleasant site near the Lugar Water, and is approached by a long avenue partially shaded by trees . The place wa s in process o f buildi n g when Dr J ohnson visited the locality in company with his s o n friend and biographer, J ames Boswell , the eldest and successor of Lord Auchinleck ; though “ of hi s wa s o f the romantic mind the Doctor, by own account , less delighted with the elegance the o f old of modern mansion than with the sullen dignity the castle Auchinleck , whose ruins are in the vicinity . o f The original possessors the estate now traceable were the Auchinlecks of that I lk , who held 1 2 2 o f the property from 9 till the very close the fifteenth century, when the Boswells became m . 1 1 2 proprietors The latter fa ily had settled in Scotland whilst David I . occupied the throne ( 4 1 a s B a lm uto and their earliest location landowners was at , in Fifeshire , where the elder branch o f m B i s iv ill a lm u . o o f B to the fa ily is still represented Sir J ohn Boswell , or , obtained the barony his m M a ri ota through arriage with , daughter of Sir J ohn Glen and his grandson , David Boswell of B a lm u o w w wa s t a s o f . , the father of the first that name in Auchinleck Thomas Bos ell a favourite o f of to at the court J ames I V . , and when the lands Auchinleck were forfeited the Crown , they - o f were bestowed by the K ing upon this highly valued companion . I t was the misfortune the latter to share the fate o f his master at Flodden Field but the family became connected with some o f m m o f s o n the fore ost of the nobility of Scotland through the arriage his only and successor, of David Boswell of Auchinleck , with Lady Janet H amilton , daughter of the first Earl Arran , and - - o f great grand daughter J ames I I . m who The first lawyer of eminence in the fa ily was J ames Boswell , married the Lady Elizabeth f 1 f m o 0 . o B ruce , daughter of the Earl K incardine , in 7 4 The issue this arriage could claim descent of from the two regal houses Bruce and Stewart ; and his eldest son , Alexander, worthily sustained the dignity to which he had been born , gaining an eminent position in legal circles , and holding a him as . prominent place for a long period amongst the Lords of Session Lord Auchinleck To , as h as o f o f . been stated , belongs the credit due to the builder the present mansion Auchinleck As i m o f the ntimate associate of Lord H ailes and Lord Kames , he still survives in the me oirs his period ; and many strange anecdotes circulate in the society even of our own time , illustrating his o f quaint and pawky humour . I t was his place to sit in judgment upon some the most involved ca uses t éléores o f his day— the Douglas Peerage amongst others— and his decisions were always marked with sound legal discretion . o f a m To his son , J ames Boswell , however, the honour was reserved raising the f mily na e to a o f m unique position in literature , and attaining by the simplest means an honourable place a ongst the British Classics . As the biographer of Dr J ohnson he has won imperishable fame and though wa s n o r m his personal character no es imable , his men al a tainmen s great, his na e will con inue t t t t ” t t “ o f . while English literature endures as the prince biographers H e was married to his cousin , M nt 1 o o m e ri e o f L a i n s ha w 9 5 , . M argaret g , and was succeeded in 7 by his eldest son Sir Alexander o f the first baronet Auchinleck . Whilst the literary tastes of his father were reproduced increasedly in Sir Alexander, the petulance an d acerbity which the latter showed was entirely awanting in the elder Boswell . H e o f did much for li era ure by he es ablishmen he Auchinleck press, from which he issued reprints t t t t t t ’ ’ o wn — C la n —A i i n s Vow T lz é E a st N eué o F ife of rare documents ; and his poetical works p , , and many well - known ballads —entitle him to an elevated position amongst the Scottish poets of wa s his time . But it his misfortune to have a caustic , satirical wit , which exasperated his enemies

o f o wn . beyond endurance , and latterly proved the cause his untimely end A bitterly personal squib which he published in an obscure paper called forth the remonstrance of the party attac ked of — a s M r J ames Stuart Dunearn and Sir Alexander refused to apologise , the duel in which he fell B a lmuto was the consequence . H e died at H ouse , the seat of his friend and relative , Claud B a lm uto of 2 6th 1 2 2 wa s 8 . Boswell , Lord Session , on M arch H is body brought to Auchinleck ,

of out followed by a rain sincere mourners , and laid in he family vaul , hewn of he solid s one, in t t "t t t which the ashes rest of his father, grandfather, and other kindred . H e was succeeded by his only 1 806 1 8 son , Sir J ames Boswell , second baronet , who was born in , and died in 5 7 , having married i n h a me 1 u n 8 0 . of r C . his cousin , J essie J ane , daughter Sir J ames Montgome y g , Bart , in 3 By her

1 8 8 m . death , in March 4 , the direct line of the Boswells of Auchinleck beca e extinct

Fo r a n n e e t n a o un t of h u a n d un u h m n nn th th e a e s ee R ecords N otable g e , p b e o u e o e e , of ' i t r s i cc t is d l lis d d c ts c ct d wi c s S cottzs/i T ri als D un ee " oh n L en C o. ( d J g , BA L L O C H M Y L E .

’ of Ba llochm le o f B urn s s T H E name y is familiar to every admirer poetry, as circumstances connected with the estate gave occasion fo r the production of two of his finest lyrics

F a rewell to B a lloe/zm le T /z e L a ss o B a lloc/z m le y and f y . One of the retired walks by the river Ayr formed a favourite retreat for the poet whilst he lived i n ' the locality ; and many of his most memorable poems were composed within its sequestered shade . Etymologists differ as to the m ln origin of the name , some asserting that the termination refers to an extinct mill ( y ) which may have been near the river, and others , with more reason , deriving it from the descriptive Gaelic “ B a la /z ma ol o r e e . not compound , the bare rocky pass The name is inappropriate when applied to the romantic ravines and bosky dells through which the river takes its way in the vicinity . B a llo c hm le o f i s The earliest name associated with y , which any sure trace can be found , that 1 of Reid which appears in 6 1 3 . The laird a tha time was probably a scion of the Reids of , t t Ba rski m m i n i g, and the estate remained i n this fam ly until about the middle of last century . I t W hitefoo rds e 1 60 was acquired by the shortly b fore 7 but Sir J ohn Whitefoord , the friend and o f wa s 1 8 patron Burns, compelled , hrough financial misfortune , o par wi h the es ate in 7 3 . The

t ’ t t t t o f T be B r a es o B a lloclz m le latter circumstance suggested the song y , in which the poet represents o f — r — M aria , the eldest daughter Sir J ohn afte wards M rs Cranston as lamenting the fate which separated her from the scenes o f her infancy

L ow i n o u nt e e flo e , y , y r’ wi ry b ds w rs Aga n e ll flo u es a nd a i y rish fr h f ir Y e e um i n t e n o e , g , birdi sd’ b wi h ri b w rs Aga n e ll a m th e o a l a i r. i y ch r v c B ut e e a l a for m e na e m a h r , s ir Sha ll birdi e cha rm or floweret sm ile F a reweel th e o n n a n o f A b y b ks yr, F a rewee l fa reweel l eet B a llo ch m le , sw y

o f Ba llochm le The new proprietor was Claud Alexander, the first that name in y , and the f s o n of o c . wa s progenitor the present o cupant H e the third of Claud Alexander Newton , 1 2 Renfrewshire , and was born in 7 5 . I n early life he and his younger brother , Boyd Alexander,

o f entered the Civil Service the H onourable E ast I ndia Company , and proceeded to I ndia, where of - o f they both amassed considerable fortunes, the elder rising to the position Auditor General m - 1 86 Ar y Accounts , and Paymaster General . They returned to Scotland together in 7 and whilst o f S o uthba r B o ba ll m Boyd purchased the estates and g in Renfrewshire , and beca e Member for that — 1 6 s 1 8 02 — B a llo c hm le shire 79 , and for Gla gow i n Claud took possession of y , which had been 1 80 wa s s o n acquired for him during his absence . The latter died in 9 , and succeeded by his eldest 1 8 o ne o f Claud , at whose demise in 45 the estate devolved first on his brothers , William Maxwell o f S o uthb a r 1 8 6 1 . o f Alexander, and then on the other , Boyd Alexander , who died in The sister “ o f the first proprietor, M iss Wilhelmina Alexander, was celebrated by Burns as the Lass l hm l m n ow Ba llochm e . B a llo c y e . The original poe and letter are at y The present proprietor - s o n o f is M ajor General Claud Alexander, Boyd , last named , and Sophia Elizabeth H obhouse ,

- half sister of the late Lord Broughton (Sir J ohn C a m H obhouse) . H e held a commission in the o f m Grenadier Guards, served during the Crimean War, and has been Member Parlia ent for 1 8 1 86 , South Ayrshire since 7 4 ; and married , in 3 , Eliza, only daughter of Alexander Speirs

Esq . of Elderslie .

a s o f - who held a commission Colonel a regiment of foot soldiers under General Mackay, and took s on part in the campaign against Viscount Dundee in H is , fourth Lord Bargany , died u 1 6 x . without issue in 7 3 , when the title became e tinct The estates devolved pon J ohanna H amilton , of so n only child J ohn , Master of Bargany, eldest of the second Lord , who had predeceased his father . She was then the wife of Sir Robert Dalrymple of Castleton , grandson of the first Viscount n o f o f ; so , Stair and her second J ohn , assumed the name and arms H amilton Bargany when that 1 1 estate was adjudged to him by the H ouse of Lords . H e was born in 7 5 , passed Advocate in 1 s a t 1 1 68 wa s two 73 5 , as Member for the Wigtown Burghs from 7 54 till 7 , connected by his f 1 6 o . marriages with the Earls Wemyss and Eglinton , and died without issue in 79 H is estates o f then fell to his nephew , Sir H ew Dalrymple , third Baronet North Berwick , who thereupon

s on of - assumed the additional name of H amilton . The the latter, Sir H ew Dalrymple H amilton o f 1 Bargany and North Berwick , was born in 7 74 , and represented the shire of H addington , the 8 2 1 1 6 . shire of Ayr, and the H addington Burghs in various Parliaments from 79 5 till H e married o f o f o f a daughter Admiral Duncan , Viscount Duncan Camperdown , and the estate Bargany 1 8 of devolved at his death , in 34, upon his only child , H enrietta Dundas , who was then wife

- F ra n uetot D ue h Augustin Louis de q , de Coigny , whilst the baronetcy fell to his brot er . The eldest daughter of the Duchesse de Coigny is now Countess of Stair ; and the estate will pass to the

s on . H on . N orth de Coigny Dalrymple , second of the present Earl of Stair

of The house is considerable size , and although the additions which have been made at various imes have followed no homogeneous plan , the architectural effect is very pleasing . The estate has t l been conducted with judicious iberality , and more than were expended upon permanent 1 86 2 improvements between and 1 8 78 .

M SS i n th n f R M enz e Bar a a e M nz e . . e o e o o S obe . t C e p ss ssi ir rt i s, t , stl i s B E A C H H O U S E .

B E AC H H O US E may be considered as a model for a modern marine villa . I t is situated near the shore at Skelmorlie , and commands a fine prospect of the Firth of Clyde , the f C umb ra s o e . Cowal H ills , and the islands Bute and the two The house is built in the I talian s yle of archi ec ure , wi h bow windows and ove hanging eaves . An elegant conservatory is t t t t O r erected at the southern gable , whilst at the pposite end of the building a square cabin has been raised , from the open verandahs of which a magnificent view of the Firth may be obtained . The E s o f - house belongs to J . Galbraith , q , the well known Glasgow firm of shipowners , Messrs P Henderson C o .

B E L L E I S L E .

H E lands attached to the mansion - house of Belleisle were at o ne time a portion of the Barony f of o . Alloway , and belonged for many years to the M agistrates Ayr They were alienated , together with several other properties in the neighbourhood , when the Barony lands were disposed o f by public roup in 1 7 54 . At this time they were known by the name of the Netherton of of Alloway, and we e purchased by Dr Alexander Campbell Ayr . About eleven years af erwards r ’ t fell to the property Dr Campbell s brother, Archibald , a writer in Edinburgh ; who was

of 1 of succeeded by his nephew , J ohn Campbell Wellwood , in 7 7 5 . At the death the latter in 1 8 wa s o f who of 7 7 , the estate acquired by H ugh H amilton Pinmore , extended it by the purchase - some neighbouring fields , and built part of the present mansion house , bestowing upon it the name o f B elleisle . As he died without issue , the estate was left by will to his nephew, Colonel Alexander f n um s o n o of Su dr . West H amilton , second the first Laird During the occupancy of Colonel was Hamilton the property much improved , and the former mansion almost entirely reconstructed 1 8 and enlarged to its present dimensions . The estate fell to his son , H ugh H amilton , in 39 , whilst t in his minori y , and afterwards came into possession by purchase of the late William Smith Dixon f rfi — - o C a n o ne o f o f C o . H ouse , M otherwell , the partners in the well known firm Dixon , o n C u rteca n n ironmasters , Glasgow . The house is beautifully situated an eminence near the Bur , “ ” on one of the most enviable sites in the parish , surrounded by plantations and fruitful cultivated fields .

B E R B E T H .

L T H O UG H o f Berbeth not in itself an imposing building , the mansion is placed amidst a A S most picturesque country . the river Doon makes its way from its source in Loch Doon o f flow towards the Firth Clyde , it passes through a deep valley , within which its waters by a wild and rocky channel till they emerge at the Loch of Bogton . The contrast betwixt the scenery at a s t this spot and that which prevails in the neighbourhood is very striking . The river, i rushes Berbeth o f through the Glen of , is transformed into a mountain torrent , foaming at the base precipi ous cliffs , and almos hidden at some par s by he foliage of the overhanging trees , which t t t i t spread their branches across its contracted course . The rugged elements of the scene more nearly resemble the ravines and passes o f the I sle o f Arran than what we might expect amid the fertile B b h o f . er et fields Ayrshire From this point the Doon meanders through the estate of , and pursues its course by the classic country which lies between Dalmellington and the coast . The scene has been thus described by a local poet "

D oon u n om h er um e n b ed of e t , iss i g fr sl b ri g r s , I o n ar t ou th e o tun ne est s d w w d hr gh r cky l pr , T en a s e a a n t on s e o n te o h d h d g i s y h lvy, p i dr ck , un m o e te sta n th e u ou o Which , l s d, ds f ri ssh ck , A n d tu n th e to en t to th e o t e e r s rr h rsid , i n i ts tu n e t th e u ou t e Which, r , r siss f ri s id H e e a n o n th e e e tee r , d shi g pr cipic ss p, e e o n n T , l g i th e ea ul a e n eep , h r b i i ’dr df c v r sd N o w m a a n o r h , l g g e t e ugge l nn d yr i r d i , M o cki ng th e vo ice of th underwi th i ts d m B a t ng th e ma g n t th e oa m p a hi r i wi h f ys r y, A n d t u the to tu e a te pa a a h s r r d w rs ss w y, L ea n th e a e n s n n a n g , l d o e n , , vi c v r i s r cksb hi” d F or a n a n d a n ne of a n e b ks ch ls ge tl rki nd .

Be rb eth ha s been associated with the name of M a c Ada m fo r a long period . This family c of tra es its descent from a member the persecuted Clan Gregor, who sought refuge from the fury o f o f f M a c G re o r wa s the Campbells Argyll in the lowlands o Ayrshire . When the name of g m o f M a c Ad a m proscribed , the fa ily adopted the patronymic , and by industry and probity succeeded of in acquiring considerable possessions in the country . The daughter and heiress Quintin o f C ra i e n illa n B e rb eth 1 8 2 M acadam g g and was married in 7 to Colonel Frederick Cathcart, third s o n o f o f the first Earl Cathcart , and brother Sir George Cathcart , who fell at I nkerman . Colonel o f M a c Ad a m 1 8 8 Cathcart assumed the name , and the present proprietor, who succeeded in 7 , is C ra i n illa n Alexander Frederick Macadam of ge g .

l old - we pass through a massive wa l into a vaulted chamber, the guard room ; and a passage i s 1 leads through the great central wall , which 4 feet thick , to another oblong vaulted chamber, o ne which probably served as a prison . I n order to facilitate communication between part o f 0 the Castle and another, Captain Blair cut a passage , 3 feet long and 4 in width , through of 1 6 1 - u the central wall . I n the turret covering the entrance 7 there is a closed p doorway , over o f which there is a large granite stone , bearing an inscription with the names Roger de Blair, the n , of R owa lla ; adherent of B ruce , and M ary M ure his wife the latter the family this probably ld of - o f o . indica es the date the donjon , making i as as the days B ruce The dining room , on the t t ’ o f second story , was a chapel down to the time the present proprietor s grandfather, Colonel - 1 8 2 . H amilton Blair , who died in 7 The portraits in the drawing room include a charming likeness o n o f of a s al d glass the brilliant Duchess Gordon , noted the ze ous partisan of Pitt and he a mirer of ’ t w s f f a o o . Burns ; her Grace aunt Captain Blair s mother, a daughter J ohn Fordyce of Ay on ’ t o f of The portrait of Charles I . is a copy the famous picture in the Duke M anchester s collection at , of o f ; K imbolton executed by Lady Cuningham Fairlie , the younger daughter Captain Blair and the n f l of . o e o literary, as we l as the artistic , talents this lady are illustrated by two M S volumes, in ’ ’ which— T /i e Ska a ows of a n O la H ouse— she has related in graceful verse some of the more ’ ” o f of out s riking the family traditions . A picture Captain Blair s ship, the Britannia, sailing of t ’

s Schetk . Malta harbour, is a ma terpiece of the late M r y, the Queen s marine painter I nto a series of large volumes Captain Blair has collected the family papers ; these include autograph letters of f f o . o M ary Queen of Scots , Principal Baillie , and many other people note One the latest is the

’ draught of a letter from Colonel William Blair, the present proprietor s father, to Sir Alexander

a s his Boswell , declining to act second in what proved to be the fatal duel with M r Stuart of

. of Dunearn The armoury , by far the richest collection the kind in Ayrshire , contains a o f magnificent sword which formerly belonged to he Dey Algiers ; Captain Blair himself, who was ’ t ’ 8 off 1 0 . attached to Marshal Beaumont s staff, carried this trophy from the Dey s palace in 3 The sword used by Sir Thomas Brisbane at Toulouse is here ; he was an intimate companion of the

’

own son . late Colonel Blair, and left this sword to his friend s I n the garden Captain Blair has of a of built a museum rich in specimens natural history and arch eological curiosities, many the 01 former collected by himself during his years of service in the Royal Navy , from the Greek War

a m . I ndependence onwards to the eng ge ents at Navarino, the M orea, and Algiers The collection

’ o f o f contains the original face of Thom s statue Souter J ohnny . The arboreal treasures the park include one of the largest and most venerable yews in Scotland ; and the remarkable manner in which the rhododendron flourishes in the glen at Blair is a problem that has baffled the acutest experts . With characteristic liberality, Captain Blair has thrown open this magnificent park to the l n i 1 8 8 public . H e takes much interest in all phi a thrO p c movements ; and in May 4 he received an

o n o f o f al illuminated address the occasion the opening the N ew Public H all , D ry , to the erection

wa s of which he had largely contributed . Allusion then made to the fact that he had been in possession o f the estate for forty - three years and the notable circumstance was mentioned that his

a of on teno 1 . grandf ther, Colonel Blair, had led the Scots Greys at the battle F y in 74 5 That “ H i stor courageous soldier is described by Lord M ahon (Earl Stanhope) i his y, as the braves ” n t of the brave . B L A I R U H A N Q .

f ar - L A I R U H AN o . B Q is the seat Sir Edw d H unter Blair, Bart , who is descended from two of — of H un te rs ton the most ancient families in Ayrshire the H unters and the Blairs o f Blair .

’ 1 7 70 of These families were united by the marriage in S ir Edward s grandfather, J ames H unter, of B rownhill of o f second son of J ohn H unter , with J ane , daughter and heiress J ohn Blair D unske of . y, a scion the H ouse of Blair of that I lk J ames H unter assumed the additional name hi s o f o f . wa s 1 0 Blair, and was a person some consequence in day H e born in 74 , and began his f 1 6 . o career in 7 5 as a banker with M essrs Coutts Co Edinburgh , having Sir William Forbes , — o f . Bart . Pi sligo, as his fellow clerk To hese two young men the business of the bank was t t m afterwards committed, and to their energy and foresight Scotland largely owes that develop ent of of her commerce and manufactures which took place in the latter half last century . J ames H unter of 1 8 1 1 8 Blair was Member Parliament for Edinburgh from 7 till 7 4, and Lord Provost of that city f 1 8 1 86 . o from 7 4 till 7 M any of the architectural improvements Edinburgh , such as the South , or ; Bridge , the Regent Bridge, and New U niversity Buildings were effected proposed by him and

. 1 86 his name is still preserved in H unter Square and Blair Street I n 7 he was created a baronet , and when he died in the following year his remains were interred , with public honours , in of Greyfriars Churchyard . H e left a numerous family, several whom became eminent both as son - f ns k r l n d a n d r . o D u e R obe t a civilians milita y men H is third , J ames H unter Blair y and , was 1 8 1 6 1 8 2 2 s on Member for the county of Wigtown from till his death in and his sixth , Thomas, o n o f achieved renown the field Talavera , at Waterloo, and during the Burmese War , reaching the - his 1 8 6 . rank of Major General in 4 , three years before death The first Baronet was succeeded by s o n 1 800 his eldest , Sir J ohn , who died unmarried in , when the title and estates came to his f r - o . brother David, father the present baronet , Sir Edwa d H unter Blair o f Bla i r uh a n s -B 1 8 2 The magnificent edifice q Ca tle was built by Sir David H unter lair in 4 . o f Bla i r uha n The old Cas le q i said to have been of great antiquity, some parts of it having been

t ’ s ‘ 1 0 M W hi rter s a s wa s built in 5 7 , but Tower, it called , dating back some centuries before that F r of . o wa s C a ssilli s time several generations it in the possession the Kennedys , a branch of the m family ; and in the ti e of Charles I I . it was held by the Whitefords . The estate was purchased - from the latter family by the first baronet, Sir J ames H unter Blair, shortly before his death ; but the present mansion was no t completed until 1 8 2 4 . Some Of the lintels and sculptured stones from the old Bla i r uh a n Castle are built into the new mansion of q , which occupies nearly its former site . The ha s ornate Tudor style of architecture been most successfully carried out in this building, which is m most ro antically situated . The Girvan Water winds through the policies , and from the windows o f o f the Castle an enchanting prospect a Lowland landscape , richly varied with stream and woodland and cultivated field , may be seen . The Castle is approached by a long avenue, which passes through som e of the finest scenery in the neighbourhood . - Bla ir uha n wa s - s o n . J ames H unter Blair, eldest of Sir David , the builder of q , a Lieut Colonel

1 8 2 in the Scots Fusilier Guards , and was elected Member of Parliament for Ayrshire in 5 ; but out of th when the Crimean War broke he joined his regiment , and fell at the battle I nkerman , 5 m 1 8 Nove ber 54 . H is brother, Sir Edward , the present baronet , succeeded to the title on the death of his father in 1 8 5 7 .

B R I S BAN E .

of T H E estate Brisbane , situated in the parish of Largs , and about two miles north of the latter - town , was originally called Kelso land . U nder this name it can be traced back to the

o f . thirteenth century, at which time it was in the possession a family of the name of Kelso With

wa s S c h a ws of 1 6 2 . this family it remained for a long period , until it acquired by the Greenock in 4 ci r ca 1 6 0 s on Robert Kelso bought back the territorial estate , 5 ; but his , J ohn Kelso , sold the O f Bis ho toun 1 6 1 own property to J ames Brisbane p in 7 , who called his new acquisition by his now name , and whose descendant still occupies the place . The Kelso family is represented by k s l R . N . of H or e e . Commander E . B . P . Kelso , , y Park , Essex

The Brisbane family, though long connected with Renfrewshire , had obtained possessions in the neighbourhood of Largs before the beginning of the fifteenth century and after the purchase - f of Kelso land their territories were united under the title of the Barony o Brisbane . The Lairds Bish to un f of op took a prominent part both in the military and civil service o the country . Matthew o f lodden hi s Brisbane fell on the fatal field F , and nephew, J ohn Brisbane , was equally unfortunate o f Bi sh O oun at the Battle of Pinkie . J ohn Brisbane p t was Member o f Parliament for Renfrewshire 1 6 1 6 0 hi s o f Bi sho toun from 44 till 5 ; and grandson , J ohn Brisbane , younger p , represented

— - 1 0 1 0 . to Ayrshire in the last Scottish Parliament 7 4 7 7 As the latter, a peculiar circumstance is ’

r . a . wa s notewo thy Whilst his mother was Elizabeth , daughter of J ohn B risbane ( his wife - f h ll a . s o n o S c a w of B a ie ellie Elizabeth , gr nd daughter of the same J ohn H e was himself a J ames g , of e of a scion of the house S haw Greenock , and by the contract of marriage betwixt him and his - cousin Elizabeth , the estate of Brisbane was settled upon their heirs male, and it was provided that o f - he should assume the surname and arms Brisbane . Kelso land thus fell once more into the

f e ha s o . hands a S haw, and continued since in the possession of his descendants - From this auspicious marriage sprung a race of naval and military heroes . Rear Admiral Sir B — o f — C . . K . of Charles Brisbane , grandfather the present proprietor accompanied by two his brothers , served with distinction under Rodney , H ood , and Nelson . The name of Sir Thomas M a kdo u a ll of o f g Brisbane B risbane , cousin of Sir Charles , is familiar in the ear every Scotsman

o f who knows the history of this century . During the protracted Peninsular War he became one the most distinguished commanders under Lord Wellesley and in 1 8 20 he was appointed Governor of New South Wales and succeeded in establishing the thriving colony of Queensland i whilst he held office . The serv ces which he rendered to science were not less valuable than those by which he had attained to eminence in politics and in warfare . While at New South Wales he a established the Observatory at Paramatta , and furnished the necessary astronomic l instruments at own his expense , thus making it possible to obtain meteorological observations which have proved o f l . great va ue to later colonists H is merits were acknowledged by scientists throughout Europe , of and he was elected President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh , and bore the honorary degrees w o f 1 8 1 ...... a s 1 8 6 4 L L D and F R S H e created a Baronet in 3 , and raised to the rank General in 1 8 1 M a kdou a ll M a kerstoun I n 9 he had married Anna Maria, daughter of Sir H enry Hay g of , and

m 1 8 2 6 o wn . assumed her name i n addition to his , by sign anual , in H is family, consisting of two 2 th 1 8 60 sons and two daughters , predeceased him ; and when he died at Brisbane on 7 J anuary ,

- in his eighty sixth year , he was succeeded by his kinsman , Charles Thomas Brisbane of Brisbane , who now holds the estate . of The house is a quaint structure , probably the seventeenth century , with three antique - . Flemish gables to the front , which break up the sky line in a picturesque manner The mansion is of in the Vale Brisbane , and is well sheltered by the hills which rise behind it, and the old trees

o n 1 6 6 that have been suffered to remain untouched . The date the house , which is 3 , is carved deeply on one o f the gable stones . The fluctuations in the ownership which took place before this “ time make it improbable that the guid housse weill planted , which Timothy Pont describes in

1 60 8 wa s . , that which still remains

C A M B U S D O O N .

H E N o f of 1 W the Barony of Alloway was disposed by the magistrates Ayr in 7 54 , that o f portion , afterwards known as Greenfield , was purchased by Elias Cathcart Ayr, the of A ztefi en dra n hi s father Lord Alloway of Session (see e) . From descendants it was acquired in 1 8 2 o f Auc hmedden o f C a mbus doo n 5 by the late J ames Baird , who changed the name the estate to ,

— and built the present mansion house in the following year . This imposing pile is in the Scottish a o f Baroni l style arch itecture , and displays much adaptive i ngenuity and a thorough appreciation o f old o f a s such genuine work this form is still extant . The late proprietor was o n e o f the well - known firm o f ironmasters called the Bairds of

r h rri dde n fo r G a ts e e . o f of Auchm e The fact that he became possessed the estate , which was many of o f of centuries in the possession another family the name Baird , is apt to mislead the incautious m u d f genealogist . J ames Baird of C a b s oo n was the s on of Alexander Baird o Lochwood in o f S tichell Lanarkshire , from whom have sprung the Bairds Elie , U rie , Closeburn , , Strichen , K n o d r a t . Muirkirk , and y All these estates are in different counties of Scotland . The eldest s o n f 1 8 1 o , M . P . 4 the Laird of Lochwood William Baird of Elie , was for the Falkirk Burghs from till 1 846 and J ames Baird of Auch m edden and C a mb usdoo n represented the same constituency “ ” 1 8 — a from 1 8 5 1 till 1 8 5 7 . I n 74 J ames Baird founded the Baird Trust fund devoted to the f o f o . extension the Established K irk Scotland H e was twice married , but left no issue at his 1 8 6 S tic hell 7 . , , death , which took place in H is estates were divided between his relatives of Elie n r f of K o d a t . o Muirkirk , and y H is widow, daughter the late Admiral J ames H ay Belton , o f of o f C a mbus do on . grandson he firs M arquess Tweeddale , now occupies he man ion The t t ’ t s handsome Gothic church which stands near Allo wa y s auld haunted kirk was erected by the late - 1 8 8 . J ames Baird in 5 , and contains a very fine stained glass window as a memorial of him

of B roomhill by his second marriage with Elizabeth , daughter of William Sinclair of Ratter, ancestor o f o f the tenth Earl of Caithness . H e was trained to the profession law , and rose to be a o n e distinguished member of the Scottish Bar during of its most brilliant epochs . H e was M ember 1 66 o f o f for Ayrshire in the Convention of 5 , and was created a Baronet N ova Scotia by patent m - o f 1 1 66 . to 9th Septe ber 9 , with remainder to the heirs male his body B ishop Burnet , referring “ H i stor suo a m zo " C uni n ha me him in his y ( thus describes his character Sir J ohn g , an o f eminent lawyer , who had an estate in the "west"country , was the most extraordinary man his profession in that kingdom . H e was Episcopal beyond most men in S cotland , who for the far greatest part thought that forms of government were in their own nature indifferent , and might be o r either good bad , according to the hands in which they fell , whereas he thought Episcopacy was r of a divine right , settled by Christ . H e was not only ve y learned in the Civil and Canon Laws , a ll and in the philosophical learning , but he was very universal in other learning . H e was a great o f divine , and well read in the Fathers and in ecclesiastical history . H e was , above all , a man f o of iousest . eminent probity and a sweet temper, and , indeed , one the p men in the nation The for to ho w state of the Church in those parts went to his heart , it was not easy know to keep an o f o n one o f o n even hand between the perverseness the people the side , and the vices the clergy the other. Despite the difficulty, to which B urnet alludes , of steering a safe course in these troublous C uni n h a m e O o f times , Sir J ohn g succeeded in gaining both fame and pulence by the exercise his s o great abilities . When the tyranny of the Duke of Lauderdale had become intolerable in f C uni n ha m e . o Scotland that Charles I I was forced to hear the complaints the nation against him , g was summoned to lay the case fo r the complainers before the King and Council in 1 679 . Though

of R oseh a u h the Duke was defended with much forensic skill by Sir George M ackenzie g , and was

of C uni n ha me a close friend and favourite with he K ing , the arguments g were irresistible , and t ’ of n o f resulted i n the downfall Lauderdale s power . Bur et pays the advocate the people another " compliment , when relating this incident, in these terms H e was a learned and judicious man , a t and had the most univers l , and i ndeed he most deserved reputa ion for integri y and vertue of any t ” t wn o . man , not only of his profession , but of the whole nation

The Earl of Glencairn , who was Chancellor of Scotland , had purchased the Barony of

C a ri n ton C u n i n ha m e of Bedla n d p g from the creditors of Sir William g , the last the line , and Sir J ohn acquired it from the Earl in 1 683 . The baronetcy which had been conferred upon him

so n of 1 8 2 . descended from father to until the death the fourth baronet , without issue , in 9 The o f Prestonfi eld title was then conjoined with that of Dick , and is now borne by Sir Robert Keith - i n h a ri n n C un a me Presto nfi eld C to . Alexander Dick g of , lineal descendant of the second baronet of p g

o f C uni n h a m e The castle and the chief portion the estate devolved upon Anne Dick or g , daughter of of Prestonfi eld the fourth baronet , as senior heiress of line ; and her second son , William Cathcart C uni n h m i n n of . a e . C a r to Smith g , E sq of p g , is the present possessor them C A S S I L L I S H O U S E .

AS S I L L I S of C a s silli s H O US E , formerly the chief seat of the Earls , occupies a romantic C f o n o f . o situation the left bank the Doon , a few miles from Maybole The oldest portion the building at present existing was probably erected by Sir Gilbert Kennedy shortly after he had been o f elevated to the peera ge in 1 45 2 with the title Lord Kennedy . This part presents all the f of o . characteris ic fea ures he architec ure ha ime , and is s ill in excellent preservation t t . t t t t t t o f C a ss illis 1 - 1 8 Extensive additions to the house were made by Archibald , titular Earl ( 794 the eldest son o f the first M arquess of Ailsa ; and these were completed only a S hort time before his death . While the alterations were proceeding , a large subterranean apartment with a concealed wa s door discovered , and many human bones , the relics probably of the victims of feudal tyranny , were found within the place . C a ss illi s of The Kennedys , Earls of , have been intimately connected with the history Scotland fo r C a s s illis 5 11 . 0 of many years The first Laird of who can be traced is Sir J ohn Kennedy , Sir 1 2 - 1 1 Gilbert de Carrick , who had a charter from David I I . ( 3 9 3 7 ) confirming him in the possession of of C a s tl s o f the lands y , which he had obtained through his marriage with M ary , daughter S ir M n m r - N iel o tgo e ie . The great grandson o f this Sir J ohn was the first Lord Kennedy to whom we have referred a s the builder of C a s s illis H ouse ; and the third Lord Kennedy was created Earl of illi s 1 2 f 1 1 C a s s 0 . o 8 in 5 The twelfth Earl was raised to the M arquisate Ailsa in 3 , and the present lli of llis holder of the title is fourteenth Earl of C a ss i s and third Marquess Ailsa . C a ssi H ouse belongs to him by inheritance from a long line of noble ancestors . h as C u lz ea n C a stle Reference already been made to the romantic story of J ohn Faa (see ) , which is usually a ssociated with C a s s illis H ouse ; and though the tale will hardly bear critical to i ts f a ss illi s . o C examination as truthfulness , it may be briefly related J ohn , sixth Earl , was o f married to Lady J ean H amilton , daughter Thomas , first Earl of Haddington , about the beginning of the seventeenth century . The tradition declares that she had been betrothed when to ‘ young her lover, Sir J ohn Faa , knight of Dunbar, but that her ambitious father forced her to wa s accept the more tempting offer of the Earl of C a s s illis for her hand . Sir J ohn sent to the wa s Continent , and when word brought to her of his murder by bravoes at Madrid , she gave a a rO os a ls o f reluct nt consent to the p p the Earl . The latter is usually described as of a stern and forbidding aspect , strictly Calvinistic in his religious views , and utterly unsympathetic where was of romance concerned . Finding that his lady continued to mourn over the loss her early love , he conceived an aversion towards her, and seldom permitted her to share either in his duties or pastimes . One day whilst the Earl was absent at a meeting of the Westminster Assembly of e o f o f C a ssillis Divin s , a band gipsies made their appearance before the door H ouse, and sought to amuse the lady by their songs and dances and she soon recognised in the leader o f the troop her

. ; own lost lover , Sir J ohn Faa Moved by his persuasions , she consented to elope with him but they had not been long gone when the Earl returned unexpectedly to C a s s illis . No sooner had he heard of his elopement than he se ou in pursui of his recrean spouse , and succeeded in cap uring t t t t t ’ t “

S . the whole party at a ford on the Doon , which is still known as the Gipsies teps The o ne o f runaways were all brought back to the Castle , and the Countess was compelled to stand at n the windows whilst the fourteen gipsies and their leader, Sir J ohn Faa , were ha ged on the dule ' ' a s s il is tree of C l . The Countess Room may still be seen and it is averred that the Earl caused her to be confined during the remainder of her life in a house at M aybole , and took his second wife ere his first was dead .

o f o/z mz i e F a a The ballad j follows the details of this incident with tolerable accuracy, but there i s of C a s s illi s t . is no hing in phraseology to fix it dis inctly o the locali y From internal evidence , t t ’ t t - indeed , it seems to be merely a ballad singer s romance , which may be referred to almost any date after the introduction of the gipsies to this country . I t has been proved also that the Countess of C a ssillis 1 6 2 , with whose name it is often connected , died in 4 , and was deeply mourned by her husband . As her eldest daughter, Margaret, was married to B ishop Burnet the historian , who had many enemies in Scotland , it has been suggested tha his story was invented and acked on to the

t t t’ - o f pre existing ballad for the purpose of annoying him . I t is certain that the Bishop s description his father - i n— law does not at all correspond with that which is hinted at in this mendacious tale for he declares that he was a man of great vertue and of a considerable degree o f good understanding he was s o sincere tha he would suffer no man o ake his words in any o her sense than as he ” t t t t of o/i r mie F a a meant them . We may herefore safely conclude that he ballad j is a poetic fiction , t t ’ a ssillis o f coupled with the name of C by the malice Bishop Burnet s enemies . CES S N O C K .

old - of - o f T H E quaint , fashioned house Cessnock stands about a mile and a half to the south east of B urna wn the town of Galston , in the parish that name . The streamlet of the , a tributary of the I rvine , forms one of hose winding links i n its course near the building , which are ” t “ appropriately called crooks in Scotland and the house has been erected on a steep bank , which o f gives it much value as a post of defence . The house occupies three sides an irregular square,

- facing towards the stream , and thus forms a partially enclosed courtyard . The main entrance is by a doorway in a turret - like structure built at o ne of the angles ; thus following that style of - French chateau architecture which is seen to perfection in the Castle of Glamis . I t has been of o f suggested , with some appearance probability , that the open side the courtyard was originally or B urna w n so defended by a moat trench cut from the one bank of the to the other , as to leave the house quite insulated . “ o f o f o ne Cessnock H ouse was long the seat the Campbells Cessnock , of the leading Wes land ” t Whig families during the seventeenth century . The Laird was married to a daughter of the of E li ntoun ci r ca 1 1 first Earl g , 5 3 , and a later matrimonial alliance connected this family with that o f the Earls of Loudoun . The Campbell through whom this last union was made cannot be lightly passed over .

so n m H ew Campbell , of George Ca pbell of Cessnock , married the Lady Elizabeth Campbell , c o - younger daughter and heiress of George Campbell , Master of Loudoun , and progenitor of the

. wa s 1 6 1 1 6 0 Earls of Loudoun H ew born in 5 , succeeded to the estate in 3 , and having chosen a s - the law his profession , was appointed Lord J ustice Clerk and Lord of Session by the Parliament 1 6 in 49 , but declined to act in either capacity . I t is probable that he was knighted in the latter s a t as year , since we find that he Member for Ayrshire under the name of Laird of Cessnock in 1 - - 1 - s 6 1 1 6 of 649 0 . the Parliament of 39 4 and 45 47 , and appears as K night in that 5 H e had not shown sufficient enthusiasm at the Restoration to establish confidence in his loyalty to Charles to I I . , and severe measures were taken against him without any apparent actions upon his part was f 1 66 2 justify them . H e specially exempted from the Act o I ndemnity of severe fines were ; m m exacted from him and though he was charged with no special cri e, he was i prisoned for two years in Edinburgh Castle . H is sympathy with the Covenanters brought him under suspicion “ s et twenty years afterwards , and he was charged with having on the rebellion of Bothwell Bridge, of and chid those who deserted it . The prosecution was conducted by Sir George Mackenzie “ Rosebaugh — the bluidy Mackenzie o f tradition — but the perjured witnesses whom he had

di sc om fi ted . suborned were by the aged Sir H ew in open court Though acquitted of the charge , the poor knight was carried back to prison, and detained in custody with his eldest son , though - both were unconvicted . The Earl of Perth was then J ustice General , and no pains were taken to to s o conceal the fact that he had determined have Sir H ew attainted , that he might bestow the forfeited lands of Cessnock upon his own brother, the newly created Viscount Melfort, who had m recently married a daughter of Sir Tho as Wallace of Craigie , and wished to increase his possessions in Ayrshire . Foiled at this time , the Earl returned to the charge , and in the following

f . year Sir H ew and his son were accused o complici y in he Rye H ouse Plot , and found guil y " t t t “ old wa s The gentleman , says Burnet , then near eighty , seeing the ruin of his family determined , — O and that he was condemned in so unusual a manner, took courage and said the ppression they had been under had driven them to despair, and made them think how they might secure their lives o f and fortunes . This was held as a confession of guilt , and the lands Cessnock were declared forfeited, and gifted without ceremony to the Viscount Melfort . The unfortunate baronet , enfeebled by disease , imprisonment , and anxiety , died at Edinburgh in the following year The o f wa s - 1 6 0 riumph the Drummond family shor lived ; for in 9 Sir George Campbell , who had t ’ t his to i shared father s confinement , was restored his estate by Act of Parl ament , and made Lord - o n f J ustice Clerk and e o the Lords o f Session . H is daughter M argaret was married to S ir s on o f o f o f Alexander H ume , of the first Earl M archmont , and one the most distinguished lawyers o f o wn his time . Sir Alexander took the name Campbell in addition to his when he succeeded to

1 0 . the estate , and was raised o he Bench as Lord Cessnock in 7 4 H e suppor ed the H anoverian t t ’ t u 1 1 dynasty vigoro sly in 7 5 whilst Mar s rebellion was in progress , and terminated his brilliant E of 1 ext 1nc t career as second arl Marchmont in 740 . The latter title became on the death of his

so n 1 . , Sir H ew in 794 The a n c1ent estate of the Campbells had been alienated by Sir Alexander shortly after the of 1 1 s o rebellion 7 5 , that he might centralise his property in the Border counties, to which the H umes belonged . For some time Cessnock was in the hands of the Dicks , and was acquired from C a irnhill 1 8 s them by the Wallaces of in 7 3 . I t passed afterwards by purcha e into the possession of B lcomie f a ; , o the Scotts of and when M iss Scott daughter General J ohn Scott , was made Duchess of 1 o f Portland by her marriage in 79 5 , the estate became the property the Duke , and still remains in hi s family .

o f o f The lineal representative the Cessnock Campbells is George J ames Campbell , E sq . ba nk T rees . son of Cessnock and H e is directly descended from J ames Campbell , second that Sir f F i . . o a rfi eld H ew Campbell , Bart , o whose misfortunes we have already alluded The Campbells

‘ t s a m are also cadets of the e family . C L N A I R D O C CAS T LE .

o f C lo nca i rd T H E Castle was originally built during the sixteenth century, and is described as o f having been in the style feudal mansions of that period , with huge square tower, narrow f o . o f spiral staircase , and other indications the time to which it belonged Towards the close the Auc hendra ne sixteenth century it was in the possession of Walter Mure , a scion of the family, and “ ” of Auchen d ra ne cousin the unscrupulous Laird of who devised the Ayrshire Tragedy . This Walter Mure Of C lonca i rd was the actu a l perpetrator o f the murder of Sir Thomas Kennedy of C ulz ea n wa s his - , and assisted in the execution of dreadful crime by his boon companion , Kennedy ’ m r h O ld A ucaena ra of D ru u c y (see ne) . f i a o . Busb e The castle c me into the hands H enry Ritchie , Esq of Craigton and , early in this s s o a s 1 8 1 century , and he made exten ive alterations upon it to fit it for his chief residence . I n 4 wa s re - o ne of he front entirely buil and moder ised , and i was thus made the finest mansions in t t n t ” “ was o f m ercha n d the county . M r Ritchie the descendant J ames Ritchie , burgess of Glasgow,

e r 1 6 . whose name app ars in the Commissa y Register in 74 H is family was settled in Craigton , 1 6 B usbi e Lanarkshire , in 74 , and his father, J ames Ritchie , acquired the estate of , Ayrshire , in f of 1 6 . o 7 3 Henry Ritchie was related to the family the Marquess Lothian through his mother, 1 of B usbie 1 Catharine Kerr . H e was born in 7 7 7 , succeeded to the estates and Craigton in 799 , r C lon ca i rd As 1 8 and pu chased he property shortly af erwards . he died wi hout issue in 43 , these

t t’ t f f . s o n o o estates fell to William Wallace , Esq , his sister s , and the representative the Wallaces

hill f C lo nca ird r C a i rn . o The Castle is now occupied by the widow of Hen y Ritchie, who is a r s n f daughter of the late Sir J ames F e gus o o K ilkerran .

played an important part in the political history o f his time ( 1 7 3 9 Whilst still Sir H ugh M o nt o meri e g of Skelmorlie , he represented Ayrshire in Parliament , almost without intermission , from 1 7 80 till he attained the earldom in 1 796 . During this long period he was exceptionally active in his support of the Crown . H e raised the regiment of the West Lowland Fencibles , and became their Colonel was appointed inspector of military roads in Scotland raised the Glasgow o f - Regiment regulars ; was Lieutenant Governor of Edinburgh Castle , and a representative Peer in 1 7 9 8 and wa s created Baron Ardrossan of Ardrossan in 1 806 in the peerage o f he U nited

‘ t

1 8 1 . Kingdom . H e died in 9 , and was succeeded by his eldest son , father of the present Earl

o f E li n to u n of ld The twelfth E arl g disposed the lands of C o ilsfi e under peculiar circumstances . o f of to E s M r Paterson Ayr died a quarter a century ago , and left his property William Orr, q o f under the conditions that he should adopt the name of Paterson , and purchase the estate C o ilsfi eld M n m ri u o t o e e . , bestowing upon it the name of g H ouse These stip lations have been 2 faithfully regarded , and his eldest son , Robert Paterson Paterson , presently residing at Park - to ils fi l C o e d . Circus, Ayr, is heir apparent the property of C O O D H A M .

C oo dh a m T H E Estate of , owned in the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century by a a family named Baird , and fterwards by the Alisons from whom the Glaisnock stock is 1 8 2 6 o f of al descended , was acquired in by M rs William Fairlie , London , the widow a we thy who of Calcutta merchant and banker, was a native K ilmarnock , being the son of J ohn Fairlie by o f o f 1 8 1 Agnes , daughter Mungo M ure Bruntwood . About 3 M rs Fairlie erected the mansion at m of a cos , including he improve ents in i s vicini y , upwards of and , as a ribute to her t ’ t t t t illi mfi ld old o f W a e . husband s memory , bestowed upon it the name The name , however, clung to was the place ; and when her son , J ames Ogilvy Fairlie , became he proprie or, that name restored . ’ t t m wa s of o f This gentle an s first wife a daughter of M acleod Macleod , and his second a daughter n o f H ldswo h H ouiso o f C ra ufurdla nd dh a m . . ou rt . C oo M r Craufurd became the property W H , M P . 8 1 h . . 1 a s Esq , for M anchester, in 7 , and he at great expense improved both the estate and of S r house , enlarging the latter, and adding in the rear the plendid conservato y a beautiful chapel , in which divine service is celebra ed by an incumben according o the Anglican ri ual . The O t t t t o f . se vices , pen o he public he vicinity , are a tended by some of he neighbouring gen ry r t t t t ’ t t - of H ouldswo rth s There is also a burial place close by , in which a son M r who died young has been

o f o f interred . I n front the house there is an artificial lake , upwards a quarter of a mile in length , S - in which there is an island planted with trees and hrubs . H ere water fowl , both domesticated and fo r be . wild , may seen swimming in abundance The estate is finely wooded , and the most part walled round the pillared gateway and lodge o n the Ayr road are in keeping with the massive yet o n elegan mansion wi hin ; and , he whole , few finer places will be met wi h in he course of a long

’ t t t t t day s journey .

R C O W A R .

D hui s k o r - o ne H E , Black water, of the two chief streams which wind their way through the was parish of Colmonell , intersects a tract of country which within living memory a dreary and desolate waste . About fifty years ago a revolution began to be wrought by a spirited M a fi eld . a proprietor, Rigby Wason , Esq of y , under whose improving hand the bleak moorl nds were transformed with almost magical swiftness into fruitful valleys . I t is estimated that fully 2000 of 2 00 o f acres heathery moor and deep moss have been reclaimed , and now yield excellent 1 8 8 m m o f pasturage . I n 3 he co enced the erection a new and more spacious mansion ; and this w r b n was C o r a . e efi cent the origin of I t is therefore a house commemorating a work , which has

bea utified . at once enriched and the district M r Wason was an active politician , and the writer of 8 m m o . 1 8 any pamphlets advocating i p rtant practical reforms The estate, in 3 , was sold by the f f . o o . Trustees the late M r Wason to the H on H ugh Elliot , third son the Earl of M into

C RAI G I E H O U S E .

N r R icca rto n I the fourteenth centu y , J ohn Wallace of , a powerful baron of Ayrshire , whose first of of wife was a daughter of the H ouse Eglinton , married the heiress in whom the line the Lindsays of Craigie had ended ; and in the beginning of the sixteenth century the descendant o f this couple removed from the old castle of Craigie , whose stately ruins may still be seen in the parish of that name , to Newton Castle . There they dwelt till Sir Thomas Wallace , the fifth baronet , 1 0 o n o f who succeeded in 7 3 , built Craigie H ouse the north bank the river Ayr, a short distance old Of above the town . The castle Newton , the seat of the family for upwards of two centuries ,

of 1 00 . had become untenable , a portion the fabric having been destroyed in a storm about the year 7 The grandson of the man who reared the new m ansion was obliged to part both with his estates 1 8 m and house in 7 3 , when they beca e the property of the Campbells , now represented by M r m . o f Richard F . F . Campbell , the popular Member for the Ayr Burghs H is father, J a es Campbell i c wa s o ne of Craig e , an advo ate at the Scottish Bar, of the distinguished band Edinburgh Whigs f which included J e frey and Cockburn . No mansion in the west country occupies a more pleasant a s site ; and the park , adorned by many noble trees , can boast baronial dignity as well sylvan charms .

B C RO S I E CAS T LE .

H E R E of T are five ancient castles in the parish West K ilbride, all rich in historic associations but the o n e that attracts to itself the keenest interest of every patriotic heart is the quaint - old world dwelling of Crosbie , which lies embosomed among fine old woods about a mile to the

f to east o the village . I n some instances the traditions relating the first heroic name in the national history are not beyond a suspicion of the mythical ; but there can be no question that this old o ne o f — of house was of the homes S ir William Wallace the haven where, in the stormiest days his

. t troubled life , he found shelter with his uncle , Reginald Craufurd I t was to this castle hat the nephew rode back from Ki ngc a s e for the bond o f peace lying in the charter- chest o n that fateful o f - so morning the Blae Parliament at Ayr, which was laden with much bloody treachery , and fo r his also with the most momentous issues both Wallace and suffering country . Blind H arry has vividly described the events of the day that witnessed the ruthless slaughter by the English of the of native leaders, and which closed with the fierce revenge taken by Wallace to the burning the f C ra ufurd s of barns o Ayr . The Crosbie were immediate descendants from the Loudoun stock of to f . . o the same name They rendered memorable service K ing Alexander I I I at the battle Largs , and received rich rewards from the king for their faithfulness . The traditional couplet records that

D i n T e h a d a f en, M ethwe , a nd e t Steui nstone, ” h y r f rich - r- h l o n K w i w o n C a me t u e n oc ka a rt a nd a L o o u e. , , f r d

’ Reginald C raufurd o f Auchena mes— probably a son of Wallace s uncle— is witness to a charter

1 8 o f by Robert the H igh Steward in 3 5 . Robert Craufurd was the husband Margaret Douglas , f r o of . o sister to that M aster Angus who married the widow J ames I V and either he, a succeeding f f o . o head the house , fell at Flodden A sister B ishop Burnet became the wife of William Craufurd ; and the great - grand - daughter o f Sir Robert Walpole was the mother o f the present o f s a t 1 6 proprietor . J ohn Craufurd K ilbirnie as Member for Ayrshire from 9 3 until he was created Viscount G a m ock in 1 703 ; and Patrick Craufurd of Auchena m es and Crosbie occupied a similar D rum so Auchen a m es s o n of 1 1 1 . position from 74 till 754 J ohn Craufurd of y and , the elder the wa s fo r 1 68 1 1 80 latter, Member Old Sarum in 7 , for Renfrewshire from 7 74 till 7 , and for Glasgow was o f 1 80 1 0 . Burghs from 7 till 7 9 H e the intimate friend and associate Fox , and received his of Auchena m es share of abuse for his fidelity to the cause of that statesman . The present Laird 8 1 8 2 1 . and Crosbie , Edward H enry J ohn Craufurd , was Member for Ayr Burghs from 5 till 74 The tower of Crosbie which Pont describes was partly taken down and rebuilt after the visit old of the topographer, and when undergoing some still more recent repairs it narrowly escaped w i s no . destruction by fire ; latterly it has been used as a shooting lodge , and it let to a tenant The family possess an elegant cottage residence in the immediate vicinity of the ancient Castle o f

Po rtin cro s s . , and that picturesque ruin is also their property On the beach close by it may be m n f o f seen a cannon re oved from o e o the large ships the Spanish Armada, which was wrecked 1 upon the shore of West Kilbride in 5 8 8 .

L Z C U EAN CAS T LE .

- of a s a s r T H E picturesque coast line south Ayr, well the count y lying behind that rocky rampart , i s studded with memorials of the ancient and illustrious house whose ascendancy in feudal times over that region o f Scotland is indicated in the old rhyme

T xt t on a n d th e to n of A r wi Wig w y , P o t a t a nd th e C u e of C ee r p rick r iv s r , N a e m a n n ee t n for to e t e e d hi k bid ”h r n h a U less e court S i nt Kennedi e.

Dunure Cas le , a massive ruin wi h a fishing hamle nestling at its feet, was the original seat of t ” t t o f C a s s illis n . o of these K ings Carrick H ouse , the banks the Doon , was a later abode indicative o f progress in refinement ; though it is true that if the savage stronghold by the sea has its o f C rossra uel gruesome story about the roasting the Commendator of g Abbey by Earl Gilbert , the tragic incidents recorded in the ballad of jokm z ie F a a are assigned by tradition to C a ss illis

s wh o of H ou e , and an E arl , while assiduous in his attendance at the Assembly Divines at wa s a s of Westminster, unkindly well as imprudently neglectful his spouse . Both of these stories cum ra no sa li s no however , must be taken g ; the Commendator was doubt roughly handled to make

of . him disgorge a part the church property in his care , but the roasting is questionable As for the o f of C a s s illi s ha s legend the Countess and her gipsy lover, it been distinctly disproved . But there can be no question that in the course Of the nearly seven hundred years in which this family have h a s . o f domina ed Carrick , i produced many no able men Sir J ames Kennedy married a daughter t t t ’

e . o f of Rob rt I I I G ilbert , the third son the first baron , and a grandson the King s daughter, wrote T ae P r a i se o A e wa s as f g , and held in high esteem a poet by his distinguished contemporaries and

a n C a s sill s d . i o f friends , Dunbar Lindsay Gilbert , the second Earl of , was a man fine gif s ; and ’ t wa s son of C rossra uel it his Quintin , Abbot g , who held the famous three days disputation with J ohn Knox a Maybole . G ilbert , the hird E arl , on the other hand , assisted in furthering the t ' t Reformation and it wa s as his lordship s guest at C a s sillis that George Buchanan wrote his deadly wa s satire against the Franciscans . The sixth Earl still more distinguished as a friend of Protestantism it wa s his daughter who became the wife of Bishop Burnet . y 1 who C ulz ea n s 1 Earl Da d , built Ca tle about 7 7 7 , had the merit of rearing a residence worthy o f F or a family history like this . situation there are few, if any, castles in the three kingdoms that o n of as ff can be said to surpass it . Seated the verge a great b altic cli , a hundred feet in height and l sea of almost perpendicu ar, overhanging the , it commands an extensive sweep prospect, with a of distance singularly diversified . I n front lies the picturesque island Arran , the gem of the Clyde , with the H oly I sle of St M oli os guarding o ne of its nearest bays ; to the right the view stretches to

of of C umbra e the very head the firth , embracing the verdant isles and Bute, and terminating in the

T h h n u n i n th e a t a n the e on uo e b S a te S o but th e t a ona fo m of t e e e o , d is is v rsi q t d y ir W l r c tt ; r diti l r li s c rr t l c li y p oba b the a u hen e on un thu r ly t tic v rsi , r s s ’ ’ n o T xt gt on a n d th e tou A , wi Wi yr’ And la oun the C u e o C ee igh d by r iv s r , N ae ma n s a ll get a lo g ng t e e h d i h ”r U nless h e court th e Kennedy. mountains o f Argyll ; to the left the Atlantic opens between the M ull of K intyre and the distant of of coast I reland while the line he horizon is in ersected by he majes ic Ailsa Craig, si ing like

t t t t ' tt - of Ke n nedies a B ri tish a sentinel in mid ocean , from which the chief the derives his title as peer. of When Dr Stoddart , a writer taste familiar with the British I slands, visited the spot in the closing o f s s year the la t century , he declared it to be , beyond comparison , the noblest coa t view he had C ulz ea n ever beheld ; adding that Castle itself was a suitable accompaniment to such a view . of The house is a modern imitation , by Robert Adam , the Gothic style it presents along the verge o f s of a precipice a range lofty castellated ma ses that harmonise most admirably with the rocky site , the outline of the building being well varied with round towers and angular projections , while subordinate mas ses are formed by the offices and other detached buildings . The high grounds o f are clothed with plantations , chiefly fir, the tree that most befits such a scene ; underneath the s ix Castle the bold and massy rocks are penetrated by deep caverns , in number, which used to be a s H a lloween o f peopled by the popular imagination with supernatural beings , is attested in the Burns . On the landward side , and immediately below the Castle , are the gardens belonging to the o f C ulz ea n out o f old house , formed rock into three terraces ; upon whose walls are planted a rich f of o . variety shrubs and trees, some which are seldom found growing in the open air The policy ld 00 o . extends to about 7 acres , and is interspersed with many fine plantations of C ulz ea n o f The original castle was built by Sir Thomas Kennedy, younger son Gilbert , E of C a ss illis 1 f of A uchi n dr n 60 2 o a e . hird arl , who was murdered in at the instigation Mure This t ’ l C r i mi na l T r i a ls ragic s ory is fu ly rela ed in Pi cairn s , and it forms he subject of Sir Wal er t ’ t t t t t ’ A ucbi na ra n e or l e i A rs/z r e T ra ed . Scott s drama of , y g y D A L JA R R O C K .

- o f S ti ncha r T H E estate and mansion house Daljarrock are situated near the river , and about of three miles from the village Colmonell . The house was built about the middle of last - S century , and occupies a well chosen ite , which is completely sheltered by the surrounding trees , f f o o of . many which are considerable age . The larger portion of the estate consists arable land

1 2 E s . 1 8 s . . I t comprises 9 7 acres , and was purcha ed from R T Kennedy , q , in 7 5 , by Captain o f H amilton Pinmore , the present proprietor . o f Though there is no special story connected with Daljarrock , it is placed in the midst a of C ra i neil country teeming with historic memories . The ancient Castle g , in the neighbourhood , b out o n e - of dates ack to the thirteenth century, and is still pointed as of the hiding places Robert B ruce , whilst he was wandering as a homeless fugitive through Carrick and Galloway . The o f Knoc kda w Pi nwherr of ruined towers , Carleton , and y preserve the recollection feudal days ; ” whilst there are many memorials of the Killing times amongst the Covenanters to be found in a o f C orwa r the kirky rds the district . The principal mansions in the vicinity are Pinmore , , and Knoc kdo li a n o f , views which are to be found in this volume .

o c o e e o r e L a s 1 1 1n 1 - 1 e um , a g 7 5 4 5 9 y a ry p ,

of fourth Earl of Dumfries , and has come to the present Marquess Bute as heir to that earldom . The architects of the building were J ohn Robert , and J ames Adam the plans prepared by them being still preserved at Dumfries H ouse . The following docquet is written at the foot o f the “ elevation o f the south or principal front This is the elevation referred to by contract betwixt the

H onble of no . . . Right . the Earl Dumfries and J Robt , and J as Adam , architects, subscribed by

2 th 1 of L eiffn orri s 1 1 t 4 , 6 . hem at Edinburgh , 4 April 7 5 and by the Earl Dumfries at , th May 7 54

no . . . . Signed , Dumfries , J Robt , and J as Adam From this it would appear that the architects o f - were also contractors for the building . I t is built a particularly close grained sandstone of fine f as S o . quality , and is remarkable a good pecimen masonry The corners and carvings are still as clear and well defined as the day they were finished . Amongst the treasures which the building

of - contains , special mention is made a very fine old tapestry with which the drawing room is o ne o f V f "I . o hung, and which is said to have been presented to the Earls of Dumfries by Louis of ru T erri n z ea n France . Within the policies Dumfries H ouse the ins of the ancient Castle of g of o r are still to be seen , and though it shows faint traces either strength opulence , the fortalice - fo r f ha s given a sub title to the Earls of Loudoun many generations . The present Marquess o h a s of - Bute a double claim upon this locality , since his mother was a daughter Flora M uir, n Countess of Loudoun and Baroness of T erri ngz ea .

of ma nsmn wa s The former house , destroyed after the building the present , situate near the f f . o o existing stables , where the foundations yet remain This was probably the site the Ward L ch n rri s o o .

L eifnorri s L oc hnorri s The estate upon which Dumfries H ouse stands was originally called or ,

f ra ufurds o f and belonged to a branch o the C Loudoun in 1 440 . This family held the estate wa s of 1 6 continuously until it purchased by William , second Earl Dumfries , in 3 5 . At that i L ochnorri s o n period the resident al mansion was a tower, called the Ward of , which stood

of . the estate , but no signs its location are now visible I t had possibly fallen into ruins o f r f r f before the property came into the possession the Ea ls o Dumfries . The C a u urds of L och norris of played an important part in the history their day , and were connected with the of leading Ayrshire families of the time , participating in the most important political movements the period . Their power in the district declined after the Earl of Dumfries purchased their property , and their descendants can be traced with difficulty even in the lands over which they ruled . The earldom of Dumfries had a very chequered existence . The first earl was descended from

’ R b ric ht n o f 1 8 o ert C o . Sir Sanquhar, who was summoned as Lord Crichton to the Parliament of 4 5 n f of o e o e . The story he sixth Lord Crich on forms he romances of the p erage This nobleman , t ’ t t o n N orre s R cott 1 60 whilst a visit at Lord y seat in Oxfordshire ( y ) about 5 , lost his eye in fencing one s of so with John Turner, a ma ter the science of defence , which enraged him against Turner that

for . he laid elaborate plans his destruction H is machinations were repeatedly foiled , but he at of hi s length succeeded in procuring an as sassin called Carlyle to take the life enemy in cold blood .

- - i n , ; For this crime Carlyle and a companion guilt were tried , convicted and executed and as Lord of wa s Crichton Sanquhar deeply implicated in this tragedy , he was brought to trial and ultimately of hanged on a gibbet erected in Great Palace Yard , before the gate Westminster Hall , in J une 1 6 2 2 . The succession to the title reverted to the descendant of the second Lord Crichton , who was created first Earl of Dumfries in 1 6 2 2 . The title came into the Dalrymple family for a short r o f of so n of time through the ma riage Penelope , daughter the second Earl , with the second the f wa s of of first Earl o Stair ; but it ultimately settled by marriage in the family the Stuarts Bute, - se . the pre nt M arquess , J ohn Patrick Crichton Stuart, being the seventh Earl of Dumfries

D U N LO P H O U S E .

O G H U H now a bare upland region , the lands of Dunlop were at one time covered with a great forest ; and the huntsman to Godfred Ross, who held these lands under the De M orevilles , and in the reign of David I I . was Sheriff of Ayr, became the founder of the family of ld of . o Dunlop of that I lk The house of the huntsman probably stood near, if not on the site the ancient Castle , which Pont pictures as fortified with a deep fosse of water, and surrounded by

- f . o n now o luxuriant orchards Over its hall door, a stone that may be seen above the inner door t h e - o f 1 1 60 1 entrance hall the new mansion , there were the dates 59 9 and , with the armorial n bearings of the family o a shield between . Pont tells us that the stronghold continued in his time H un tha ll of to be called , a reminiscence of the origin the sturdy stock who flourished there for full for o n o f five hundred years , making allowance an interval in which they lost their hold , account - their espousing the side of Baliol in the struggle for the Scottish crown . Neil Fitz Robert de 1 of Dunlop signed the Ragman Roll in 3 5 1 . A daughter the house became the wife of J ames of — f 1 6 1 , o . 4 Stuart Sheriff Bute, a great grandson Robert I I J ames Dunlop , though in he had i o n e w o f marr ed Dame Margaret H amilton , daughter of bishop and wido another, resisted the f his o . wa s attempts Charles I to introduce Episcopacy , and followed in this respect by nephew, J ames , who suffered both fines and imprisonment for his attachment to the Presbyterian cause .

’ s o n for That nephew s , Alexander , paid still heavier penalties his fidelity to conscience , being obliged to flee to America after the engagement at Bothwell Brig ; and a son of this stanch was o ne o f Covenanter, Francis Dunlop , the witnesses at the Union to the disposition of the - Scottish Regalia in E dinburgh Castle , and served as lieutenant colonel of a cavalry regiment raised

1 1 o f of o f against the Chevalier in 7 5 . The wife his eldest son , a lineal descendant a brother Sir William Wallace , finds a place in literary history as the friend and correspondent of Robert Burns .

“ ’ r The fifth of this lady s seven sons , General Dunlop , who se ved in the American War , in I ndia, n of 1 8 1 1 wa s o f and under Wellington in the Peni sula during the campaign , the representative — 1 8 1 2 — 1 8 2 6 K irkcudbright in three Parliaments ; and his son , Sir J ohn , who married the eldest

of of 1 8 1 8 daughter the Earl Rosebery , was Member for Ayrshire from 3 3 till 39 , during the stormy

o f 1 8 8 of period which followed the passing the first Reform Bill . With the death in 5 his son

Sir J ames , the second baronet , the title became extinct . I t was Sir J ohn who built the modern 1 8 . o n e o f mansion in 34 I t is of the finest examples in the county the Old E nglish style , and bears o f the unmistakable stamp of the genius Thomas H amilton , the architect to whom we also owe the o n fl classical gem erected the banks of the Doon in memory o f Burns . The little rivulet that ows

C lerkla nd . past the mansion , called Burn , divides the parish of Dunlop from that of Stewarton On the death of the second baronet the place passed into the possession of Thomas Dunlop o f who 1 8 6 Douglas Dunlop , died in 9 , and was succeeded by his nephew, Thomas Douglas

C uni n h m a e s o n o f of . g Graham , the late William C . C . Graham Gartmore , the present possessor

EG LI N T O N CAS T LE .

W F E of our great historic families have held through the centuries a warmer place in the

M ont omeri e . popular heart than that of g From the old ballad hero, Sir J ohn , who took wn o n of . H otspur captive with his ha ds at Otterburn, and so won the niece K ing Robert I I

own of for his bride, down to that thirteenth Earl who flashed upon our century the light all the o f that was most gracious and poetic in ancient chivalry, they were men distinguished “ Sc hi r f E l n un . o to abilities and the most fervent pa riotism The gude H ew g y , lamented in t ” “ n f ur of , o e o o ; G re s teel, the verse Dunbar was earliest bards Alexander, the sixth Earl , y the of e x with two gallant sons by his side , fought under blue banner the Cov nant ; Ale ander, out - of the tenth Earl , whose kindly countenance looks upon us to day from the canvas Sir J oshua ,

of was a leading pioneer that agricultural revival , towards the close of the eighteenth century,

on which transformed the face of Scotland . I n the happy periods of peace , as well as the field

o f of war , the men this house came to the front ; and at each successive epoch of the N ational

f F or o n H istory, they were identified in sympathy and e fort with the common people . well to six hundred years Eglinton Castle has been the chief seat of this the most illustrious branch of the o f M ont omeri e H ouse g .

A stately baronial structure , second to few in Scotland for dignity, it has yet a cheerful

' W o f o f and insome look , with still more beauty than stateliness . The site has something to do s o well with this , have the noble trees in whose midst the building is embowered , as as the

t of waters of the Lugton , hat flow past the rear the Castle ; but still more must the agreeable

o f effect be ascribed to the genius of the unknown architect, to the soft grey tone the walls f o of . and towers , and to the masses ivy by which a portion the structure is clothed The

o f f c o n whole presents a perfectness pictorial ef e t, a complete unison , which the eye rests with - delight . Almost up to the very threshold sweeps the emerald turf ; an iron bound chestnut of

of i ts e ormous gir h, which has braved the blasts more than two hundred winters , casts shadow

n t ’ across the broad carriageway nearly to the porch the association o f man s handiwork with nature is close and intimate , the one blending into the other without a single inharmonious note . a s The Castle , it now stands, was built by Earl H ugh , soon after his accession to the Earldom in 1 796 ; and there is a tradition that the name of the architect was Paterson . I t was originally intended to preserve a circular tower which stood in the centre of the old castle ; to this the staircase was sacrificed ; and though it was afterwards found necessary to remove the 1 00 tower , the general plan remains unaltered . The central tower is feet high , the smaller

wa s f 0 . o towers 7 Never, perhaps, the style the feudal fortress more happily combined with the

o f of light and conveniences a modern dwelling. The porch was built by the father the present t Earl about thirty years ago . H e also erected the iron bridge which spans the Lug on within a few of o f yards the Castle . I ts parapet is a repetition the pointed Gothic arch, surmounted by a battlement, and relieved in the centre with foliated pinnacles .

o f of The entrance hall the Castle contains six sui ts armour, including two that were worn at

m of 1 8 the fa ous Tournament in the August 39 , a futile attempt to revive the amusements of the

o f sum o f age chivalry , which cost its author a not less than Amongst the other objects

i n l i s 1 8 1 8 oa k of of interest the ha l a chair, made in from the roof Alloway K irk ; it was in this ' s a t o f 1 8 chair Lord Eglinton when he presided at the Burns Festival on the Banks Doon in 44 , “ at which he gave thrilling utterance to the emotion awakened i n the heart o f repentant - of . Scotland towards the Poet farmer Mossgiel I n the saloon , a circular apartment, into which several of the main rooms converge, the walls are draped with the banners of the knights ’ who tilted at the Tournament . I n the gentlemen s morning room are several family portraits, including one Raeburn ; but the Castle is less rich in these on account of a grievous accident by which the portraits in the old Castle were destroyed by fire whilst the present edifice was being

old erected . The portraits still extant are limited to the small collections which existed at A ucha ns of , Skelmorlie, and other minor seats the family, from which they were brought to

o f M o nt omeri e o f Eglinton after the fire . One of these is a portrait the Lady g Skelmorlie ,

of o f D rumla nri a of a daughter Douglas g, whose be uty was celebrated in two sonnets by the author

' T ll a C /zer r ze a nd e 5 14 3 - M . The curtains in the large Drawing room are made of damask from the

o f o f t pavilion Lady Seymour, the Queen Beauty at the Tournament ; and in the nor h Drawing

o f o f room , besides a portrait by Reynolds Lady J ean , the first wife the eleventh Earl , there is a

o f picture by Walter Severn a Scene i n Venice, said to represent Queen Victoria going to a masked " - of o ne O ur of ball . I n the Dining room there is a portrait M ary Seaton , of the F Maries the t she . o ballad , taken along with her parents when was a child A necklace which she g from her

i s o f i s royal mistress still in the possession the Eglinton family, and occasionally worn by the

t o f o f present countess . Another family por rait interest in the same room is that Susanna o f of Kennedy , third wife the ninth E arl , the greatest beauty her day , to whom Allan Ramsay ’ G en tle S ke é em 8 A ucha ns dedicated his p , and who at 5 gave Dr J ohnson a welcome at , which he regarded as o ne of the crowning honours of his life . This portrait represents her before marriage

o f she in the Library there are other two portraits the same notable woman , the first taken when was a wife , the second when she was a widow . A head of Rubens, by himself, is the choicest of the artistic treasures in the Castle . The Library is specially rich in local literature ; and in the of same noble apartment which contains the books there are two magnificent pieces silver plate,

— o ne with representations of scenes at the Tournament the presented to the E arl by visitors , and

f o f the other by three hundred citizens o Glasgow . On the second story the Castle there are o f e l o f six suites bedrooms, which w re furnished as they stand by the ate E arl for the reception five Duchesses who were all his guests at the same time .

1 6 The policies and gardens are the loveliest in that district of Scotland . They extend to 34 f 2 6 o 6 6 0 1 2 0 . acres, which 4 are grassy glades, 5 plantations , gardens, and roads Within the

s i x stone wall surrounding the park there is a drive of miles ; another drive, two miles in length ,

of s ee reminds the visitor Versailles . The grounds were laid out , as we now them, by Alexander , the tenth Earl , the agricultural reformer. The gardens were planned by Tweedie , an intelligent

o n 1 1 - writer landscape gardening, who finished them in 80 . The bowling green, a little to the west f o 1 0 6 . the Tournament Bridge, 9 feet long and 9 in breadth, is the finest in Britain The stables , built a hundred years ago, appear from the mason marks on some of the stones to have been

o f . I n constructed, i n part at least , from he ruins the neighbouring Abbey of K ilwinning a retired t _ spot among the woods there is a marble monument , with a pathetic inscription , erected by Earl

of s ix H ugh i n memory of a little grandson , who died at the age ; and in another nook , on the ” t ’ edge of the Lug on Water, is Lady J ane s Cottage , built by Lady Jane H amilton , an aunt of the late Earl , under whose care he was placed in boyhood , and who in that cottage was wont personally to train the peasant girls o f the neighbourhood in domestic economy .

F I R A L I E H O U S E .

T H E family of Fairlie o f that I lk is supposed to have belonged originally to the Rosses o f ‘ o f s o Tarbet , and to have assumed the surname Fairlie after the purchase of the estate o n o f f of named the shores the Firth o Clyde . There are few traces the members of this family to be found earlier than the sixteenth century and the fact o f the existence o f distinct families o f the name both in Aberdeenshire and at Berwick before this period has led to much genealogical

. o f o f confusion The square tower Fairlie Castle , the ruins which are still to be seen near Largs , 1 608 a s were beutifi ed o rc ha rdes was described by Pont in a strong toure and y ancient , vith and ga rdi n s ; and we may hence conclude that the family had attained to considerable importance in f Kelburn e o f . to o the county before this time The lands were sold J ohn Boyle , ancestor the Earls of 1 6 0 Glasgow, in 5 , and still belong to his descendants . m Thomas Fairlie settled at I rvine shortly after this time , and beca e progenitor of the Fairlies o f C oodha m o f Bruntsfi eld and of Holms . Another branch of the same family, denominated Fairlies m ; from their possessions in M idlothian , ca e into Ayrshire about this period and William Fairlie H i s s o n had acquired the lands of Little Dreghorn from the F ulla rtons before 1 689 . changed the m f of o . name of this estate to Fairlie , and thus beca e Fairlie that Ilk H e had sasine of the barony 1 - C u n i n h a m e Fairlie in 704 . H is grand daughter M argaret w as married in 1 74 1 to Sir William g R ob ertla nd 1 8 1 ; s o n o f 7 , of and the eldest this marriage , who succeeded to the title in assumed the o f - additional surname Fairlie . H e is now represented by his great grandson , Sir Charles Arthur C un i n ha m e - 1 6 0 . g Fairlie , who is tenth baronet since 3 - Fairlie H ouse was built early this century by Sir William C un i ngh a m e Fairlie as a family seat . “ o n - of I t stands a gently sloping bank near the water I rvine , and is an elegant, commodious, and ” - - now . remarkably well constructed modern mansion . I t is occupied by Lieut Colonel Duncan Stewart .

F U LLA RT O N H O U S E .

o f of T H E estate and mansion Fullarton are in the parish Dundonald , a short distance eastward f F o r o the village of Troon . many centuries the estate was in the possession of the ulla rton s of 1 80 F that I lk ; but in 5 it was acquired by the third Duke of Portland , and has since - that time formed the principal Scottish property of that family . The present mansion house was 1 of o f built by William Fullarton in 74 5 , and was not unworthy to form the seat one the most F o r F ulla rt ons ancient families in Ayrshire . two hundred and fifty years before this time the had of lived at Crosby Place , which latterly became known as Fullarton H ouse ; but the new house of Fullarton far eclipsed it in splendour, as may be still judged by a comparison the relics of the m for er mansion with the existing one . Considerable additions were made to the building by ulla rto n o f Colonel F , son the original builder ; and wings were added to the first structure and its of f whole plan altered after it came into the possession the Duke o Portland . The approach has re - wa s of been constructed , and what formerly the back the house has been changed into the front , so a s o f to make the principal windows look towards the Firth Clyde and the I sland of Arran . h a s o f t of I t been suggested that the name Fullar on has been derived from the office Fowler, o r F owler toun ha s probably held by some remote ancestor, whose house , , been assumed from the of territory as their name by his descendants . A similar origin is assigned to the family the same - name in Angus , one member of that race being required to supply Robert I . with wild fowl when f o . he visited the Castle Forfar Apart from the traditional theory , it can be proved from existing documents that Ala nus de F owla rtoun wa s in possession o f the lands of Fullarton shortly before his

1 2 80 . death in From him the heritage descended , almost without intermission , from father to son 1 1 0 r o f until 7 , when William Fulla ton , the architect the mansion , succeeded his grandfather, George - Fullarton , brother german of his immediate predecessor . During this long period matrimonial o f of alliances were made with some of the foremost Ayrshire families , including those Wallace o f R o wa lla n C uni n h a m o f C uni n h a m - e e . Craigie , Blair of Blair, Mure , and g g head The F ulla rtons took a leading part in he political struggles of the seven een h century in t ” t t “ r f C o rsbi e . o Scotland J ames Fulla ton of that I lk , described as Laird , sat as Member for Ayrshire in the Conventions of 1 643 - 44 and 1 648 was made head Sheriff of Ayr in 1 645 ; and seems latterly to have cast in his lot with the Presbyterian party , and suffered for his adherence to o f - it . Two his sons were charged with having been present at Bothwell Brig, but the accusation o f f wa s not put to trial . One the latter was the father o the Fullarton who built the existing m a nsion . The eldest so n o f William Fullarton was the first and last laird of that name who could claim of m o f his mansion as his bir hplace . H is mo her was Barbara , daughter Willia Blair Blair ; and t t t ’

wa s 1 . he born in 7 5 4 , five years before his father s death H e was educated at Edinburgh , and of 1 early showed a desire for travel , which he had many opportunities encouraging . I n 7 7 5 he was appointed principal Secretary to the embassy o f Lord Stormont— afterwards second Earl of — M a n sfi eld a t Paris . From this time onward his life was divided between the arduous labours m m alike o f the senate and the field . H is Parliamentary career was begun as Me ber for Ply pton in 1 - 80 1 8 - 0 1 - 6 1 6 - 1 8 02 7 7 9 he represented the H addington burghs 7 7 9 , H orsham 7 9 3 9 , Ayrshire 79 , fo r and also in the following Parliament , until he was appointed Commissioner the government of 1 1 8th Trinidad in 803 . I n 7 80 he initiated his military services by raising the 9 regiment of Pun a ub 1 infantry , which was afterwards honourably dis inguished at China and he j ; and in 7 9 3 t ’ t “ be organised the 2 3d Light Dragoons— known as F ulla rto n s Light H orse — and the l o 1 3 t o f regiment of infantry . H e made himself conspicuous as the prosecutor General Picton , Governor of of Trinidad , who was accused of putting a Creole girl to the torture , and after a protracted series 1 8 0 1 808 old rials , las ing from 4 till , was declared not guil y , as the Spanish law permit ed he t t t ’ t t o f wa s F ulla rton s employment judicial torture . Before this decision announced , Colonel career

8 fi ft - 1 1 80 . was unexpectedly terminated . H e died at London on 3 th February , aged y four years l al H is services to science and agricu ture have been gener ly acknowledged , and he was regarded as

m un ifi cent of of a patron literary genius . As he died without male issue , the representation the ulla rton of B a rto nholm family fell to his second cousin , Colonel Stewart Murray F , who married his daughter Rosetta, and whose two sons succeeded him . The mansion and estate, as already o f 1 80 mentioned , were purchased by the third Duke Portland in 5 ; and it was here that that nobleman introduced some of those improvem ents in agricultural draining which have been generally adopted since his time throughout Scotland . R A L A N G A R L H O U S E .

E o f G a rralla n of H estate , which lies in the parish Old Cumnock, can be traced to the

o f o f m possession the Campbells Loudoun in the iddle of the sixteenth century . S ir Matthew

of Campbell of Loudoun , father of Sir H ugh , first Lord Loudoun , granted a charter the lands of G a rra lla n 1 6 2 B o o roch of o f Sha nksto n in 5 to H ew Campbell of g , a scion the family Campbell of ,

of L oudouns . 1 60 2 to and a near relative the H ew Campbell died in , and left the property his

6 8 - so n . 1 eldest and namesake The latter was succeeded in 4 by his grand daughter , Margaret

wa s s on Campbell , who married to George Douglas of Waterside , and whose and grandson

. 1 8 1 o n e successively inherited the estate Patrick Douglas , the last named , died in 9 , leaving daughter , J ane , who married H amilton Boswell , a descendant of the Auchinleck family . The father — o f Kn ock roo n — of the latter J ohn B oswell had been compelled to part with his patrimony, in consequence of the disastrous failure o f the Douglas H eron Bank ; and when H amilton Boswell ll n of G a rra a of . so n married the heiress , he assumed the additional name Douglas H is eldest , - 1 8 6 2 J ohn Douglas Boswell , succeeded to the estate on the death of his mother in , but died without - issue in the following year . The present proprietor is his brother, Patrick Charles Douglas Boswell , lla n G a rra . Esq . of

G a rra lla n . H ouse is old and picturesque , and has been frequently added to There are stones 1 6 8 60 to 1 86 . in the walls and gables bearing initials , coats of arms , and various dates from The o n o f house is situated rising ground , and commands an extensive view of the valley the Lugar,

of . the village Auchinleck , and the beautiful woods surrounding Dumfries H ouse

G G I R EN T I .

a B o nn ton o f no w H E est te of y , upon which the mansion Girgenti stands , was acquired from S ta c kla whill 1 8 2 C hea e Thomas Reid of in 7 by Captain J ohn p , who erected the present building shortly after that date . He belonged originally to the Fifeshire family represented by o f S tr tht rum s s o n f h C hea e . o . C ea e E f a s . o George C p , Esq y , and was the eventh J ames p , q

. 1 8 2 of Sauchie , in Clackmannanshire H e retired from the army in 7 , and erected the house Girgenti in the midst of what was then little better than a piece of waste land , and devoted himself o f n to the improvement his property . The quaint and whimsical dwelling which he built is o w of surrounded by an extensive garden , and many the trees which he planted have reached a goodly

1 8 0 . stature . H e died unmarried in 5 of A rdki n la s s 1 2 H is only sister, Marianne , was married to Sir Alexander Campbell g in 79 , f f and became the third wife o the eleventh Earl o Strathmore in 1 8 1 7 . She died without issue in C h ea e - 1 8 . 49 , a short time before her brother Captain p had made his will , leaving her life rented t s he fo r in his proper y but as had predeceased him , the place was sold after his death the behoof i nfi rma ri s e . of several in Scotland , according to the terms of his testament I t was purchased at E s m o f that time by William Broom , q , iron aster, Glasgow , and is now the property Alexander V ill . errev e Cochrane , Esq of , Lanarkshire .

G L E N A P P H O U S E .

G le na wa s of T H E estate of pp , in the parish of Ballantrae , acquired by the late Earl Orkney 1 8 0 o n about 3 , and he improved the place considerably by planting hardy trees the waste 8 b E s 1 6 e . lands . I n 4 disposed of the estate to J ames H unter, q , the present proprietor, for whom f l n 1 8 the mansion o G e a pp wa s built in 70 . The designs for this magnificent Scottish Baronial w a s castle were prepared by the late David Bryce , and the work completed under his

- superintendence shortly before his death . M r H unter has been a Deputy Lieutenant of Ayrshire 1 868 is hi s of since , and otherwise connected with the county through marriage with a member the m H oulds wo rth fa ily .

H I LL H O U S E .

I L L H O US E o f . is situated in the parish Dundonald , about three miles from Troon I t is ‘ of M Kerrell E s now in the possession Robert Mure , q , Major of the First Ayrshire Rifle

a s t of 1 88 2 . Volunteers , who succeeded to the estate thir eenth Laird H illhouse in The name has of been associated with this property since the middle the fifteenth century , and tradition connects ‘ M Ki rel the family with he famous Sir J ohn , who distinguished himself at the battle of Otterburne t ’ who five hundred years ago, by wounding and capturing Ralph Percy ( H otspur s brother) , was

‘ o f M Kerrells second in command the English host . I t is supposed that the came originally — — from I reland , possibly with Edward Bruce , and settled in this quarter early in the fourteenth " of century the estate H illhouse , however, along with others in the neighbourhood , was in the ‘ o f 1 00 M Kerrell possession the Cathcart family up to about 5 , at which date Martin , an ancestor of the present Laird , resided at H illhouse, holding it from the then Lord Cathcart as superior . ‘ ‘ M Kerrell so n M Kerrell ; s o n Martin had a , J ohn , who also resided at H illhouse and his , ‘ M Ke rrell wa s 1 2 al o f William , who born in 5 5 , eventu ly acquired possession the estate , and was f - f o . a o the first Laird H illhouse H e bec me Sheriff Clerk Ayr, and from him the estate has

al . descended in the family in the m e line, without any intermission , until the present day During ‘ this long period the M Kerrells have been connected with the well - known families of Chalmers of G a d i rt h o f R owa lla n o f ewfield g , Fullarton Dreghorn , Fairlie of Fairlie , Mure of , Craufurd N , T ree s ba n k Campbell of , and many others . Although they took no prominent part i n the political of " - strife of their time , they were not inactive in defence their country Lieutenant Colonel William ‘ M Kerrell of , afterwards the ninth Laird of H illhouse , had the honour raising, at Paisley, the first r volunteer corps embodied in Scotland during the French Revolutiona y war, at the time when the s o f 1 80 wa s o f threatened inva ion 3 striking terror to the hearts British subjects , and anticipated ‘ - o f o ur o wn M Kerrell the anti Gallic movement time . H is son , J ohn , the tenth Laird , attained

of . distinction in the service of the E ast I ndia Company , and rose to be Master the M int at Madras wa s H e died unmarried , and succeeded by his brother H enry , who, dying childless , was succeeded

- i s o f . by his cousin german, William , the late Laird , whose cousin now Laird H illhouse

N T E R S T N H U O .

AS early a s the year 1 08 0 there was a Norman H unter settled o n the coast of Ayrshire Opposite C umbra es o ne - o f I the , of the Anglo Normans who had come northward in the train David . , and who doubtless gave his name to he lands which his descendants have continued to hold down t ” f Vena torum R e iorum to the present hour . Deriving his surname from his o fice , Praefectus g , he must have been o n e of the first residents in Scotland who bore an appellation continued to - his f “ . r o descendants H is office of royal forester became heredita y , the last mention it being made in V m ra . l st 1 2 C u b e a charter granted by J ames , dated 3 May 5 7 , by which the Little was conferred o n H un tersto n r Robert H unter of and his heirs , in respect that his ancestors had been the heredita y o n keepers of the island . As early as 1 1 1 6 the name o f William H unter occurs as witness an

of . inquisition by David, Prince of Cumbria, regarding lands pertaining to the Church Glasgow

1 2 6 . e Aylmer de la H unter appears in the Rag man Roll , 9 I n the family archives , in xcellent w a s 1 . preservation , is a charter that granted by Robert I I . to William H unter in 3 74 From a younger son of the house in the seventeenth century were descended the H unters of Long — a a Calderwood branch of the f mily which produced Dr J ohn H unter the anatomist , his brother William , the founder of the H unterian M useum at Glasgow , and J oanna Baillie , the poetess . of wa s of The ancient seat the H unters originally in the form a parallelogram , having its to entrance the westward , its eastern front resting upon the borders of a morass . The greater part o f ha s - o f — this fortalice entirely disappeared , a farm steading now occupying a portion its site the of o ld s only remains the stronghold being the ma sive square tower, in p erfect preservation , which - ; formed its north eastern extremity to the southward, and attached to it, is the former dwelling - o n . house , the cottage shewn in the illustration being the northern side The new manor house , a o h a s a plain building of four stories, erected about eighty years g , an elegant interior, and is now being considerably al ered and enlarged . Amongs many fine trees which surround the castle , a t ” t

of . giant ash , known as the Resting Tree , is specially worthy mention o f C ra wfurd of By his marriage with Christian Macknight , eldest daughter William Macknight sbum — C a rt 1 880 . , county Renfrew, M r H unter, dying in , left two daughters J ane and Eleanora - wa s 1 86 . H e succeeded by his elder daughter, J ane , who in 3 married Lieut Colonel Gould Weston , o f f - - L z a rd a direct descendant the ancient Staf ordshire family of that name , seated at Weston under y f n in the reign o H enry I I . This officer distinguished himself in t he I ndia service by extirpating

D eco its o f of the Thugs and who infested the kingdom Oudh , and earned the praises Outram r for his skill and brave y during the siege and at the capture o f Lucknow . I n conformity with the

o f H un tersto n - 1 8 80 provisions the entail , Lieut . Colonel Weston assumed in , under Royal Licence , o f f - - o H unt rs n . the additional surname and arms H unter e to . Lieut Colonel H unter Weston has two — 1 86 sons Aylmer Gould , born in 4 , a lieutenant in the Royal E ngineers ; and Reginald H ugh , - - f 1 86 . o f o born in 9 The late M rs Cochran Patrick , wife R . W . Cochran Patrick Woodside and

L a d la nd a M P y , county Ayr, the eminent arch eologist and . . for North Ayrshire , was the younger daughter of the late M r H unter . The famous H untersto n Brooch was discovered in 1 8 2 6 o n this estate at the foot of the o ne H awking Craig . I t is undoubtedly the finest fibula ever found in Scotland , and is the only known to exist in this country bearing runes . The possessions of this family were formerly far C umbra e more considerable , including H oly I sle near Arran , the little , and lands in the counties of o f H unters ton Ayr, Bute , Lanark, and Forfar, now very considerable value . is beautifully wooded, old and the garden near the Castle, notable alike for its size and antiquity, contains some evergreens o f and shrubs great size and beauty .

KE L B U R N E CAS T LE .

- N E ST L I N G in a richly wooded gorge i n the hillside , under the shelter of a ridge that rises - abruptly behind it , and with luxurious pleasure grounds sloping down to the Clyde, the baronial mansion of Kelb urne occupies a site picturesque in no ordinary degree . Originally it

of H a rd knute resembled the neighbouring castle of Fairlie , now a ruin , the supposed residence y , the of a hero the familiar ballad but the B oyle family must have been gifted with esthetic qualities , if w l . e may judge by the charms with which their o d home is now invested As the voyager examines it from the sea, his attention is powerfully arrested by its scenic beauty ; while the visitor to the out of of our valley looks , through leafy glades , upon most exquisite views the loveliest all B ritish rivers . The place has belonged from time immemorial to the Boyles, who five hundred years ago

f o f of held the o fice coroner for the Largs district, but rose to still greater dignity when David , one

1 6 . the Commissioners in promoting the U nion , was created a peer in 99 I n that year he was of K lburne 1 f e 0 a o f . o made Lord Boyle , and in 7 3 he bec me the E arl Glasgow The second wife

of R owa lla n o ne of this nobleman was the daughter and heiress of the last Sir William M ure , and

f of o o f . their children became mother the fifth E arl Loudoun The third E arl Glasgow, a brave was o f L a wfeld t soldier who wounded at the battles Fontenoy and , is commemorated by a his s o f a monument erected by widow near the ca tle , in a romantic spot on the banks the rivulet th t

of runs through the ravine to the sea . This memorial consists a female figure , in white marble , “ f f ” o o . placed in a niche, and represents Virtue lamenting the loss one her favourite sons The fourth Earl was advanced in 1 8 1 5 to the honour of a British peerage by the title of Lord Ross of ; of of H awkhead his first wife was a daughter the E arl of E rrol , and his second a daughter Sir f o r . o f J ohn Sinclair Ulbster, Ba t The present earl , whose wife is a daughter the third Lord

of n for Abercromby, is the founder the Episcopal college at M illport , and is disti guished not less his benevolen and many amiable quali ies han for his love of literature and earnest desire to t t’ t f “ o . of fur her he interests religion Pon s description the castle as a goodly building, well t t t ” to - planted , having very beautiful orchards and gardens, is still more applicable it to day than it was before Earl David enlarged the place to make it more suitable to the dignity to which his

' '

. B a ron i a l a nd E cclesi a s tica l A n tz zcz tzes o S cotla nd sovereign had promoted him I n the y f , Billings “ ” refers specially to Kelburne Castle as having the only ancient metallic termination to the turret “ which he had met wi h , and alludes to the fact that it dis inctly shows the finishing personality t t ” — o f and na ionali y of S cotch architecture the crest the Laird surmounted by the thistle . H e t t “ of s un - of speaks also with admiration the ingeniously ornamented dial , where every inch surface o f is made o tell the story time under every possible contortion of form and position , and where its t ” o f k c roc etti n of . pinnacle , by a series gnomes , imitates the g Gothic architecture Kelb urne The Boyles of have frequently represented their district in Parliament . J ohn Boyle of Kelburne for 1 6 8 1 68 was Member B uteshire from 7 till 5 , and his brother J ames represented

o f 8 6 s on 1 68 1 1 6 . I rvine in the Convention Estates from till David Boyle , of this Member for 1 68 Buteshire, succeeded his father in that office in 9 , and continued in it till he was created Lord 1 6 99 . Boyle in David Boyle of M aress , grandson of the second Earl , and afterwards Lord of o f wa s 1 80 1 8 1 1 la te President the Court Session , Member for Ayrshire from 7 till and the Earl o f Glasgow ( 1 79 2 - 1 8 69) held the same honourable position from 1 83 9 until he succeeded to the 1 peerage in 843 .

K I L K E R RAN

T H E lands o f Kilkerran came into the possession o f the Fergusson family in the ea rly part of the fourteenth century, and remain with the present representative to this day . Fergus er usson of F g obtained a charter them from Robert the Bruce, and from him they descended to Sir f J ohn ergusson , knight, who suf ered severely for his adhesion to Charles I . during the troubled F ’ reig of that mo arch . Sir J ohn s grandson and namesake had wo a leading positio at the

n ‘ n n n wa s of o Scottish Bar, and able to relieve the estate the heavy burdens which had been put up n it .

wa s 1 0 1 2 . s on H e created a B aronet in 7 3 , and died in 7 9 H is and successor rose to eminence as 1 a Lord of Session under the title of Lord K ilkerran , receiving the latter appointment in 749 , ten a s years before his death . H is third son , George Fergusson , distinguished himself an advocate by of of 1 o n his defence the rebels 745 , and was afterwards well known the Bench by his title of n f H erma nd . so o s a t Lord The eldest Lord K ilkerran was Sir Adam , third baronet, who in 1 1 6 all - o f Parliament from 7 74 till 79 , in twenty two years , during eighteen which he represented

of of 1 6 Ayrshire . On the death the Earl Glencairn without issue in 79 , Sir Adam claimed the w o n o f o a s . earld m , but defeated a technical point in the H ouse Lords H e died without issue in 1 8 1 -o ne of 3 , aged eighty , and the succession then devolved upon his nephew, who was grandfather the present baronet.

o f K of S ir J ames Fergusson ilkerran has spent an active life in the service his country . H e was 1 8 2 1 8 born in 3 , entered Parliament as M ember for Ayrshire in 54, and continued to represent — 1 - — f - that constituency e xcept during 8 5 7 5 9 until 1 868 . As Captain o the Grenadier Guards he w o a s . to k part in the Crimean I nvasion , and wounded at I nkerman H e was appointed U nder Secretary for I ndia in 1 866 transferred to the H ome Department in the following year ; was 1 868 1 868 - o f Z 1 8 - Privy Councillor in ; Governor of South Australia , 7 3 ; New ealand , 73 74 and f 1 88 h a s been Governor o Bombay since 0 . Few Scottish politicians have been privileged to fill such varied offices with equal credit i n so short a time . of K of The mansion ilkerran has been built at various times , though the greater portion it of o f i s exhibits signs that style architecture which prevailed during the eighteenth century . I t - - wa s probable that the front part , with its urn surmounted pediment and alternated corner stones , erected principally by Lord Kilkerran ; whilst Sir Adam Fergusson would likely complete the f s ee of . o building, as we now it , in the course his long life The public duties the present laird have compelled him to Spend the best o f his years far from his ancestral home .

K I R K H I LL .

of i s r of T H E new mansion K irkhill built in close p roximity to the uins its predecessor, and serves thus to preserve the historical traditions associated with the ancient name . The - modern house was built about forty years ago by the late Lieut . Colonel Barton , and is now the

f lla i rd B a . property o M rs B . Farquhar Gray of Glentig and I t is situated near the quaint village o f of Colmonell , in the parish that name . wa s o ne b The ruined castle originally of the seats of the K ennedy family, and still ears the 1 8 o f wa s date 5 9 , with the arms and initials Thomas Kennedy and his wife J anet, by whom it

. s on erected The estate was acquired shortly after the Reformation by Gilbert , third of Alexander o f o f Kennedy, third Lord Kennedy Bargany, and remained in the possession the Dunure family - of Ba lla i rd hi s 1 8 . till 43 . I t was then purchased by Lieut Colonel Barton , and at death became o f the property of his nephew, J . F arquhar Gray , Esq . Glentig . The latter place had been a seat so 1 0 of a cadet of the Bargany family early as 5 4, and thus the two properties were united after a lapse of several centuries .

i s of The most eminent name amongst the Kennedys of K irkhill that Sir Thomas Kennedy, wa s o f 1 680- 8 who Lord Provost Edinburgh in 4 , and made a large fortune by trafficking in arms

- and ammunition during that warlike time . Lieut . Colonel Barton , who introduced a new name of o f of into the history the estate , claimed to be a lineal descendant Booth de Barton , one the r o f milita y companions William the Conqueror . H e served under the Duke of Wellington throughout the Peninsular War, and distinguished himself specially at Waterloo . H e was gazetted - - 1 8 1 . 1 8 Brevet Major in 9 , and Lieut Colonel in 3 7 and when he retired from military life to reside i 2 th at Kirkhill , he had served in the Lancers for the long period of forty years .

K N K D O L I A N O C CAS T LE .

E o f Knockdoli a n of T H ruins Castle , situated near the present mansion, mark the seat a branch o f o f B a rneill of the Cathcart family . J ames Cathcart was a younger son of Cathcart C a stle of B a rn eill Carleton (see ) , who obtained a charter the lands of E aster from 6 1 1 60 1 G en och 1 8 . J ames I . in , and purchased the estate of in Wigtownshire in H is great a o f Knoc kd olia n gr ndson , J ohn , the first Cathcart , who acquired the estate by purchase from ‘ M C ubbi n 1 1 of of C ulz ea n Fergus in 7 5 , was a descendant of the two powerful houses Kennedy

f L h n a w the o o c wa s . and Agnew , and himself allied by marriage with Cochranes of Dundonald

1 wa s his s on H e died in 7 7 9 at an advanced age , and succeeded by Robert , who only survived till

- f 1 8 . G enoc h K no c kdoli a n 1 68 1 8 o 7 9 J ohn Cathcart of and ( 7 3 5) was an advocate some eminence,

of of who and increased his influence by his marriage with a daughter Lord Rockville Session , was

s o n H i s 1 a younger of the second Earl of Aberdeen . eldest son , Robert ( 79 7 entered the

o f . service the East I ndia Company , and died unmarried at Agra , Bengal H e was succeeded by hi s o f K n ockdolia n only surviving brother, the late Alexander Cathcart (born in whom the ‘ M C onnel E s direct line of this family terminated . The estate now belongs to William , q , who 1 8 2 acquired it in 7 . The modern mansion of Knockd oli a n is situated near the base of the peculiar conical hill from i nc ha r o n St . which its name is taken , and the right bank of the I t was built by Alexander of G eno ch Kn o c kdo li a n 1 2 8 . Cathcart and in 4 , and several additions have since been made to it M any of the trees in the neighbourhood are o f great age ; and the site o f the house has been chosen with considerable taste .

C u n i n ha me L a i n sha w of C a ri n to n The first g of , who was a collateral descendant the p g C uni n h a m es m g , made his fortune in A erica , and established a lucrative trade with that country in

to . Glasgow , which enabled him to retire his new estate with security He was thrice married, but L a i nsha w o f who o n devised to William , he only son his second marriage , entered into possession

’ t C uni n h a m e hi s his father s death i n 1 799 . William g was well known throughout Scotland for

o f a s voluminous writings upon the prophecies Scripture , as well for his latitudinarian views upon 1 8 - so n the Atonement . H e died unmarried in 49 , and was succeeded by his half brother J ohn , the

’ un i n ha m e o f L a i nsh a w 1 - 1 8 6 of the first laird s third marriage . J ohn C g ( 7 94 4) was succeeded by hi s C u n in ha m e E s 2 d eldest son , the present proprietor, J ohn William H erbert g , q , late Captain - Life Guards . One large square tower only of the original building of S tewa rtoun now remains ; and in the course of so many changes i n the proprietorship it is not easy to tell the dates of the various parts L i n sh w a a . which form the imposing mansion of The greater portion , probably , was erected about C un i n h a m e L a i n s h w a century ago by the first William g of a . E L A N F I N H O U S E .

‘ H E L a nfi ne I estate and house of are in the parish of Galston , and the immediate neighbourhood f m of L en e ne o f o . the town that na e The original designation the estate was f , but it is hopeless to attempt to discover its derivation . That the lands were of considerable value is indirectly made evident by the fact that they were in the possession of the Church at an early date . not The precise period when the church a Galston was established is known , though Chalmers t ” “ “

wa s 1 2 2 . states that it granted to the Convent of Faile in 5 The church , he says , was served by a vicar , who had a stipend of five chalders of victual yearly , with a manse and a glebe ; and the

L a nfi ne brothers of Faile enjoyed the remainder o f the revenues . That these revenues included 1 1 is probable , since the ecclesiastic appointed to the charge of the chapel founded at Galston in 4 7 f n f n 1 8 had he lands o L e e e set led upon him for life . This endowmen was confirmed in 4 9 to t ’ t t hi s s ucce s so r A rbukill M r J ohn Charteris ; and , Alexander , probably enjoyed the same privilege

1 1 when appointed in 5 5 . H e was the last chaplain , however, who held these lands in peace ; for f after the Reformation we find the patronage of the chapel in the hands of Campbell o Cessnock . 1 L a nfi n e wa s 1 6 I n 5 7 3 belonged to J ohn Lockhart of Barr , and acquired in 7 9 by J ohn Brown - C o f 0 . of Glasgow , one of the partners in the famous banking house Carrick , B rown , He W a terh o u h of hi s also purchased g , which had previously belonged to the ancestors mother, the W a te rh ou h o f of W a terho u h Campbells of g , a branch the Loudoun family . The family g is now

L a nfi ne to represented by M iss Brown of , the present proprietrix . I t is this lady that the o f inhabi an s of Gals on , Newmills , and Darvel are indebted fo he erection comfor able reading

t t t ’ r t t f 1 8 . o sh e and recreation rooms The library Brown s I nstitute in Galston , which founded in 74 ,

000 o f - contains over 3 volumes well selected literature .

r Loudoun Cas le ; she had all her facul ies unimpaired , which , says Boswell , was a ve y cheering t t ”

D r . sight to J ohnson , who had an extraordinary desire for long life A melancholy interes ’ t s on attaches to the portrait of this centenarian lady s , E arl J ohn , who, being revoked from his o f position as Commander the British forces during the American War, shot himself in the library 1 2 fi re- - s at Loudoun in 78 . The exquisitely carved place in the dining room i of I rish marble from the quarries at M oira . - 0 0 i s c The entrance hall , 7 feet long by 3 , open to the roof, from whi h it is lighted by a large circular window ; the galleries surrounding it are supported by eight immense scagliola columns of - . of l great beauty At the head the first stair hangs the two handed sword of Sir William Wa lace , V . I which has been in the possession of the family for centuries When George . visited Scotland , the sword was carried to Dalkeith Palace to be shown to the K ing . Since then it disappeared for ; o f from view thirty years no one knew what had become it , till it was accidentally discovered in the charter closet a few years ago . Another notable relic is an ancient clock from R owa lla n k t Castle the oa en case, less than a foot in width , is upwards of eigh feet in height . On the panel o f are the initials of Sir William M ure , most likely the old Puritan poet the seventeenth century . - i eld - I n the drawing room there is a portrai of Gideon Loudoun , the Aus rian Marshal , who was

’ t t F of one of M aria Theresa s most successful generals, and a special object aversion to Frederick the of m Great . A por rait Allan Ra say, by his son , recalls the fac that the poet was a guest in he

t ’ t t ’ of T li e L a ss o Cas le of the fourth Earl , where , at his lordship s sugges ion , he wrote his song t ' t i e i ll F a t s M . The latest additions to the artistic treasures are the portraits of M r Charles - Frederick Abney H astings (now Lord Donington) and of his late wife , the Countess of Loudoun , mother of the present Earl . I n the library , a pillared room a hundred feet in length , whose walls o f belong o the ancient portion of the Castle , but the ceiling which is new, is a portrait of the Earl t ’ of of o f H untingdon , who was spoken as Queen Elizabeth s successor , and some other portraits o f 8 000 members the same illustrious house . The books , which number about , include many folios that belonged to the great Chancellor.

o ut of of 1 1 The Policies , which were laid from plans the Earl M ar before 7 5 , include hundreds o f acres of fine woodland that owes its existence mainly to J ohn , the fourth E arl , who planted of of upwards of a million trees , many which were brought from America and the Continent by

o f himself. H e formed one the most extensive collections of willows ever made in this country . of The most remarkable all the trees is a yew growing close to the south side of the Castle, which would have been made the front but for the sake of the venerable king of the forest ; it is 1 3 feet of s s 93 inches in girth , and unknown antiquity . There is good rea on to believe that it is at lea t eight centuries old . One of the family charters is said to have been signed under its branches in the reign of William the Lion ; o n e of the Articles o f U nion was also subscribed in its shade by ; , Earl H ugh and in the Covenanting times , Lord J ames , while an exile in H olland addressed the T f o Auldton o . letters for his lady the Gudewife at the at the Old Yew Tree Loudoun , Scotland “ I n the garden may be seen the first Ayrshire rose ; it was brought hither by Lord J ohn from America, and is yet growing fresh and vigorous . The family vault at Loudoun K irk , a quarter f o f to o a mile to the west the Castle, is visi ed by many pilgrims, from respect he memory of

’ t t of Lady Flora H astings ; in her mother s grave was interred the right hand her husband , the - Governor General . of Loudoun Castle , with the estates appertaining to it , was sold by the last Marquis H astings , the year before his death , to his cousin the Marquis of Bute . Two years afterwards the Castle and estates were purchased from the latter for the sum of by the late Countess o f Loudoun o n 1 8 -d - n ow and her death , in 74 , these evolved on her husband , M r Abney H astings ( Lord of Donington) , while their eldest son , the young Earl Loudoun , succeeded to the family inheritance

R wa lla n of o . M O U N T C H A R LES .

1 o f W H E N the Barony of Alloway was disposed of by the magistrates of Ayr in 75 4 , some the the co un t - fines es ates in he neighbourhood of y own were originated . Amongs these t t t ‘ t t C a mb us doo n Belleis le of may be mentioned Doonholm , , , and the property now known by the name s f O ra n efi eld E . o w . t o Mount Charles At the time referred to , Charles Dalrymple, q g , purchased D keh ea d lots , named respectively y Moss and Alloway Mill and joining them together, he called "Mea n t C /za r les for the estate after his own forename , and built a residence himself upon it . When 1 8 wa s G a i rdner he died in 7 7 , the place purchased from his trustees by Captain Robert of Ayr, who D kehea d re ained he por ion formerly called y Moss , and disposed of Alloway M ill to the t t t ’ G a i rd ner s C a s sillis . of E li ntoun enth Earl of Cap ain son , who was Commissioner to the Earl g , t t ’ 1 8 1 o f sold Mount Charles , in 9 , to Major J ames Davidson the East I ndia Company s Service and

f - 1 from the widow o the latter it was acquired by the late Lieutenant General H ughes i n 8 2 7 . of to The family the new proprietor belonged originally Wales, but had settled in Surrey, and he won distinction in the army both in I ndia and America . When he returned to this country he H a milla o f o f S und rum married , sixth and youngest daughter the late J ohn H amilton and Lilias , o f E li ntoun sister of the twelfth Earl g , and some time afterwards he purchased M ount Charles . 1 8 2 - a n o f H e died in 3 in his sixty ninth year , d was buried in the kirkyard Alloway, where a

ha s o f . of handsome mausoleum been erected as a memorial him As he left no issue , his estates to - E s so n u Mount Charles and Balkissock fell his nephew, H enry H ughes Onslow, q , whose , Arth r

- 8 1 0 . H ughes Onslow , succeeded in 7 , and is the present proprietor H e resides principally at

Balkissock , near Ballantrae . The house which M r Dalrymple erected wa s removed by General Hughes to make room for

wa s 1 2 f o f 8 . o his the modern mansion Mount Charles , which completed in 9 I t was the residence widow until the time of her death .

N EW F I ELD .

N ewfi eld G a lr s o f H E ancient name of was ig , which was spelled , under the lax rules T ” ” G a ri i s G alri x G a rri ki s c . orthography that formerly prevailed , gg , , and The first family of o f G a ri i s connected with the estate of which any trace has been found is that Wallace gg , who 8 held the lands in 1 5 7 . This branch of the Wallace family seems to have been of some standing

F ulla rtoun s — in he locality, since i s members married wi h he , Blairs , and Boyds the most potent t t t t n names in the neighbourhood . The exact successio to the estate cannot now be determined ; but wa s o f G a lri s a s it is certain that the last of the family William Wallace g , who entered heir to his - 1 1 1 2 0. great grandfather and grandfather in 7 4 , and was in possession of the property in 7 For a shor time af erwards the place was occupied by Captain Lawrence Nugen , whose name appears t t ” t “ f wfi ld 1 2 1 o e e 8 . , 7 5 7 5 , t with the territorial affix N from till I t is likely therefore, tha the change m of name in the estate a y be attributed to him . I n the records of the estate of N ewfi eld a serious hiatus exists between the dates 1 7 5 8 and 1 8 to u en t 7 3 , and it is impossible tell at this time whether the N g family continued in possession

r during this quarter o f a century o not . At the latter date the lands came into the hands of a scion o f o n e e . of of of the oldest Ayrshir families Major Craufurd, who claimed to be chief the name Craufurd through his descent from Patrick Craufurd of Auchi n a m es (ci r ca returned from 1 8 to I ndia, where he had won merited distinction , in 7 3 , and sought obtain standing in his ancestral f N wfi eld county by the purchase o e . Shortly afterwards he married a daughter of the family of ‘ M Kerrell o f 1 s o n , , 794 , , H illhouse and at his death in he was succeeded by his eldest Robert , who claimed to represent the families o f Craufurd and Crosbie . As the discussion upon the rights of the Auchi na m es ewfi eld of and N families rests upon points recondite genealogy, we may safely leave it o f s o ewfi eld C ra ufurds to the decision experts , noting only that far as the N are concerned , the

. 1 s n 94 , o claim is practically abandoned M ajor Craufurd died in 7 and his Robert, who was - o f N ewfi eld to Colonel of the Ayrshire Yeomanry and a Deputy Lieutenant, left the estate his 8 1 8 s o n 1 . E s , , 4 3 43 , eldest Robert in I t was sold in to James Finnie q , an Ayrshire gentleman hi s ; i s o f who had made fortune in London and it now in the possession his third son , William E s N ewfi eld - L 1 8 1 M P Finnie, q . of , appointed Deputy ieutenant of Ayrshire in 7 , and . . for the 1 8 68 o 1 8 northern division of the county of Ayr from t 74 . The present mansion is in the J acobean

o f style , introduced to Scotland by the Duke York (afterwards J ames though the building is u n t i r f e c ca 1 2 . o a more recent date, and may have been erected by Captain N g , 7 5

P E R E T N C O .

E R C E T O N o f old Peri s toun Pi e rs toune , or, as it was called , or , has long been the residence o f of families of standing in the county Ayr . Originally Crown lands , it passed by charter so n of of B onkill of from King Robert I . to J ames Stewart, Sir J ohn Stewart , and grandson Peri s toun Alexander, Lord H igh Steward of Scotland . The Stewarts of ended in an heiress , who o f Pe ri stoune married into a branch the great H ouse of Douglas . J ac de Douglas de is witness to a charter signed in the parish church o f Perceton apud eccles ia m pa rochi a lem de Peri stoun e

— th 1 6 — 5 March 4 7 ; and soon afterwards , again it is said by marriage , the Barclays possibly of — the Ardrossan family came into possession . 1 668 of 1 2 0 , , 7 I n Sir Robert Barclay, knight was created a Baronet N ova Scotia and in his

Pe rceto n M a c redie . grandson , Sir J ames Barclay , the fourth Baronet , sold to Andrew The r Barclays have no longer any connection with Ay shire , but the family still flourish , and are settled o f in the island Mauritius .

M a c redie of Perceton of . Andrew , he new proprie or , was a member a Galloway family H is

t t ‘ residence was in Stranraer, where he built what at that time was the best house in the place , and o f lived there in a style great hospitality . H e was the Provost of the burgh , and universally M a cr d ton s on . e ie Perce respected M r was succeeded in by his only , Andrew, who married J ean

Pitco n . Boyd , only daughter of Thomas Boyd of , one of the best families in Ayrshire H e died in

1 6 r so n 7 4 , leaving issue , William , his only su viving and successor, and three daughters , of whom f , o ; the eldest Christian , married Archibald Cunninghame Caddel and Thornton H elen , the T rees ba nk second , married James Campbell of ; and J ane, the youngest , was drowned at Arran 1 in 79 5 .

M a c redie o f Perceto n a 1 6 2 William , third , had m rried , in 7 , Barbara Wilson , a most excellent — Perc eto n and accomplished lady , and by her had a large family J ohn , his successor in ; Andrew, captain of an East I ndiaman , and who was lost at sea ; Robert , who also commanded an East W illia mfi eld ; , o f I ndiaman , and afterwards retired and lived at , near I rvine William Captain o f Artillery, and who was killed at the siege Seringapatam ; Archibald , who was also o n in the and died when the march to the same fortress ; and Thomas , an Army

M . f H . o C romla of Ada mton Surgeon in service , and af erwards in Arran . Mrs Reid , a well

t ’ w f i a s o M a c red e s . known Ayrshire lady , one William daughters M a credi e Pe rceto n J ohn , four h of , was an officer in he Royal Navy when he succeeded hi

t ’ t s father, and had served his country in Rodney s great victory . On his marriage to M ary Rachel , Perceton hi s daughter of Major David Morrison , he left the service , and lived at till

1 8 . 1 8 death in 34 H e had an only daughter, Rachel Ann , who married , in 3 5 , Patrick Boyle Mure, s on W a rri ston o f Advocate , second of Thomas Mure of , M idlothian, a cadet of the ancient family M ure of Caldwell .

- M a c red ie 1 868 two — M r Mure died in , leaving sons Thomas Mure Mure , Advocate , whose untimely death in 1 8 76 at the terrible railway accident at Abbots Ripton was universally deplored m i th M a cred e 4 , in the county and by his any friends and J ohn Mure , a Captain in the 3 Regiment whose inventions in scientific-musketry , and skill in applying them , gained him the appointment - 1 8 of Deputy Assistant Adjutant General for that branch o f the service ; he died in I ndia in 79 . w s a . M r Thomas M . M ure unmarried , and Captain Mure left no children - M a c redie Pe rc eto n M rs Rachel Ann Mure , fifth of , survives her husband , and, with her daughters , Mary Rachel and H elen J ane , resides at the old family place . of Perc eton 1 0 The old house was taken down about 7 7 , and the present one was built at the o f same time a little to the south the former site . I t is pleasantly situated , among fine old timber, in the parish of Dreghorn and district of Cunninghame .

RO S E M O U N T

W F ulla rtoun 1 0 h a s T H E mansion of Rosemount was rebuilt by Dr illiam about 7 7 , and undergone few alterations since that time . The estate upon which it stands was formerly called 1 S cha ws of Goldring ; and under that title it can be traced back to 549 , when it belonged to the rn n ot s s o S o beg . There are many properties in Ayrshire that have pa sed through many vicissitudes “ o n e of as this . During the remainder of the sixteenth century it was in the hands George

a m esoun of o f . J , burgess Air, and afterwards J ohn Wallace of Craigie I t came back to the ‘ S cha ws of M Kerrels in the early part the seventeenth century, but passed to the of H illhouse in 1 C uni n ha m f P of 6 6 . e o revi ck 1 6 3 William g had the lands in 47 , but they were in the possession al 1 6 the third Earl of Dundon d in 90 . From the sixth E arl they were acquired by Patrick F ulla rto un of of F ulla rtoun of 1 , the family that Ilk , who died in 74 3 , and was succeeded by his

F ulla rtoun eldest son , that Dr to whom we have alluded . The latter had been a surgeon in I ndia, a i i o f t and he did much to improve the est te by plant ng t mber, and introducing methods ar ificial - . 8 1 0 his . manuring H e died without issue in 5 , in sixty eighth year Rosemount was next occupied 1 - 1 8 of by Lord J ames Stuart ( 794 brother the late Marquess of Bute , who took the territorial 1 8 his , 34 title and represented first the Ayr Burghs, and then Ayrshire , in Parliament from till

. E s 1 8 , 39 , death The estate was in the possession of George Bogle, q in and was purchased

E s f . . o s on is af erwards by the late William Baird , q Elie , whose now proprietor Rosemount is i n t ’ f o t . the parish Syming on , near the main road between Monkton and Kilmarnock

Sir William , who was knighted by Charles I . in H e was thrice married , and left a

1 6 son numerous family at his death in 39 . H is , Sir William , is perhaps best known to the Scottish nation as o ne o f the poets to whom the General Assembly committed the task of preparing a o f of o f wa s metrical version the Psalms David , which received the approbation Robert Baillie, but

. of own rejected for the version by Francis Rous still used in Scotland H e wrote a history his family,

- 1 6 . and was M ember for Ayrshire in the Convention of 43 44 Though an ardent Covenanter, he

of o n was opposed to the execution the king, and composed an elegy his death . A curious fact regarding his connection with Glasgow U niversity has not been recorded by his biographers .

’ Z o f of Z i on s F lowers H is kinsman , achary Boyd, Rector the U niversity and author , had lent

of R o wa lla n of x of considerable sums money to , the Earl Loudoun , the Earl of Glencairn , M a well

Ne her Pollok , and others, holding heir bonds for repayment ; and whe Boyd died he left this t t n ” im l d f r of o e o . money by will to the Senate, to be p y building newe buildings in the said College not fo r of R owa lla n The bonds were immediately redeemed, and several years the estate contributed of f old towards the erection the H igh Street frontage o the Glasgow College buildings . Sir 1 66 William M ure died in 7 . H is grandson , who bore the same name , was the sixteenth and last l n his d 1 of R owa la . 1 6 0 00 Mure H e represented Ayrshire in Parliament from 9 till eath in 7 , and

wa s f gave his hearty support to William of Orange . H is daughter married to the first Earl o o f of Glasgow , and her elder daughter married S ir J ames Campbell of Lawers , third son the Earl

f wa ll n 1 2 o R o a . Loudoun , who thus became Laird H e was Member for Ayrshire from 7 7 till

n f 1 - 1 1 o o . 74 , and died the field Fontenoy in 745 H is son , Major General J ames Mure Campbell l n 1 2 6 m 1 2 R owa l a 8 . of ( 7 beca e fifth E arl of Loudoun in 7 H is only daughter, Flora , Countess f own of 1 80 1 8 2 6 o Loudoun in her right , married the first M arquess H astings in 4 , and died in ;

- - of and her great grandson , Charles Edward H astings Abney H astings , eleventh Earl Loudoun

1 8 R owa lla n (born 5 5 , succeeded is the present proprietor of Castle, and the representative of f the ancient Scottish families o Mure and Campbell of Loudoun .

T he om e of the L i nea e o fl u M ui rs o R owa lla n e ent ron i n h ono o a t th o n a s h e c pil r g f f is vid ly w g his c r l gy is p i t, i r a m a t a n a n n e b e a e a nd a mo t o ut e two o f u e o . T he a e ou run t u ma ke the fi S g ,

s rst Willi t i i cr di l l s liv his s c‘c ss rs d t ssh ld h s = m 1 . 6 1 o 6 6o . ll a b 1 6 1 m 1 6 . 1 66 i a b. d . S 1 (li e/l 1 8 wta t. S S o n M u e born 1 , . , 4 , l , 7 , , 5 5 5 Jh r , 5 5 ir W lli Wi li ir ) l 6 6 1 60 ( . 1 6 . a m I . 4 , 7 Willi , 3 F S EA I ELD .

E AF I E L D a i of , near Ardrossan, is a modern building, in which the architectur l peculiarit es a a s o to the Scottish Baroni l , J acobean, and I t lian styles are blended as make a very pleasing combination . When seen from the avenue by which it is approached , it presents the appearance of . s a French chateau The sloping terrace upon which it is erected , and the taircase leading - . wa s Ba rtlemore to it, seem to favour this illusion The original mansion built by Mrs , great aunt 1 8 20 of the present proprietor, in , and consisted of a substantial, roomy house, with ornamental f o . 1 8 8 E s portico, in the prevailing style that period I n 5 it was acquired by W . G . Borron , q , of who x e old Glasgow, made e tensiv additions to the house , and erected the tower and turrets which

s b . b . . form the mo t striking feature in the uilding I t was purchased y the present proprietor, A D - D l E s 1 880 has B ryce oug as , q , in , and he also made considerable and judicious alterations and extensions o f the structure .

M S K EL O RLI E CAS T LE .

E li ntoun T H E old baronial Castle of Skelmorlie , near Largs , belongs to the present E arl of g W i ntoun of and , and the earliest portion it was erected by his ancestor, the second M n m ri 1 0 2 o t o e e . g of Skelmorlie in 5 M any additions have been made o it since hat time , but i s

‘ t t t o f ex ension has been by means of accretion rather han renovation , and the appearance the firs t t ’ t castle may still be distinguished . I t is one of the oldest inhabited houses in Ayrshire, and Pont s “ of 1 608 lesa ntl sea tted d ecorred description it in , as a fair weill bult housse and p y , wi h orchards ” t

d wn . v oo e s o . and , is applicable to it in our times The castle has long been tenanted by J ames N E s of i s one m unifi cent of Graham, q , Glasgow, who well known as of the most patrons art in the West of Scotland . The estate of Skelmorlie belonged to the C uni ngha m es of Kilmaurs during the reign of 1 0 1 60 was Robert I I I . ( 39 but about 4 it divided , the northern portion falling to the

M o nt om e ries u C un i n ha m es g , and the so thern part remaining with the g , each division being distinguished by the addition of the name of i ts possessor Skelmorlie - M o ntgom erie and “ - C uni n ha me 1 6 1 M nt m r Skelmorlie g . I t is usually asserted that in 4 Sir Alexander de o go e ie of rst L M o n t o m eri e of s on Ardrossan , fi ord g , granted a charter the lands of Skelmorlie to his second , M o nt omeri e r of M ont om eri es of George g , who thus became the progenito the g Skelmorlie ; but a s s o n this is manifestly wrong , both the first lord and his were dead before this time, Lord 1 1 a Alexander dying i n 4 5 , and his son and names ke in the following year without having assumed ’ “ ” n é li n to un f s E . o wa s the i le (Burke s Peerage , g ) The Cas le Skelmorlie probably buil , t t ’ t t ’ o f o f E li ntoun secona therefore , by a brother H ugh , first Earl g , whose father was Alexander, Lord m ri M o nt o e e . g , and grandson of the first Lord M o nt ome ri e son o f A title was first brought into the Skelmorlie family by Robert g , Robert M o nt o m eri e of S e m ill g of Skelmorlie and Dorothy , daughter Lord p , who was knighted by

2 1 6 2 8 . J ames V I and created a Baronet by Charles I . on December 3 , H e was married to o f D rumla nri 1 6 2 Margaret , daughter of Sir William Douglas g, who died in 4, and to whose memory he erected the eccentric structure known as the Skelmorlie Aisle in the o ld burying-ground wa s u f . o 1 6 1 6 1 of Largs H e Member for B teshire in the Convention 44 , and died in November 5 ,

. on th 1 68 leaving the succession to his grandson and namesake The latter died 7 February 4 , and wa s who followed by his son , Sir J ames , represented Ayrshire in the Convention and Parliament o f 1 68 o f 9 , and was one those deputed to administer the oath to K ing William and Queen M ary 1 6 in that year . H e adhered to the J acobite faction , however, and was unseated in 9 3 , not having f . o of signed the Assurance H e was married to a daughter the Earl Annandale , and died in

1 6 so n . September 94 , being succeeded by his , Sir Robert, fourth Baronet of Skelmorlie As the hi s M o n t omeri e o f B usbi e latter had no male heirs , he sold the estate to uncle , H ugh g , Lord o f a s o f for Provost Glasgow, to whom the title reverted , and who had sat Member Parliament 8 1 0 2 1 0 . 1 1 Glasgow from 7 till 7 Sir H ugh entered upon his acquisition in 7 3 , but he also died in 1 of 7 3 5 without issue , and the baronetcy thus became extinct . The estate fell to Lilias , daughter M o n t om eri e C o ils field the fourth Baronet , who married her kinsman , Alexander g of , and became s o f E li n to un s n o f . o progenitrix the familie g and Annick Lodge H er , H ugh , succeeded as twelfth o f E li nto un 1 6 - E arl g in 79 (see article and his great grandson , Archibald William

M ont o m eri e E li nto u n W i n toun . g , is the fourteenth and present Earl of g and

N D R U M S U .

of S undrum on of o f H E mansion is situated an eminence , around the base which the Water

i s o ne of . Coyle flows , and the most ancient houses in the county Though it has undergone

of . frequent alteration , the earliest portion the structure is still distinguishable The style in which h the old tower a s been built shows that it was erected during a lawless period , and long before the of time when the feudal fortalice had gone o ut of fas hion . The greater portion the existing mansion was constructed by the first H amilton of S undrum in 1 79 2 ; and as the older parts are an e skilfully wrought into the newer building , there is undeniable air of antiquity thus impart d to

. of old the whole The walls the tower are ten feet in thickness, and this part was probably built r f . o at a ve y early period The arms Alan , seventh Baron Cathcart, quartered with those of his wife , Elizabeth , daughter of the first Viscount Stair, were recently found by the present Laird o n S undrum of of carved a stone in , and were fixed by him in the wall the old church Coylton , near the family vault o f the C a thca rts and Hamiltons o f S und rum . old The actual builder of this tower cannot be accurately identified, though there can be no question a s to the fact of its being an important baronial residence in the beginning of the fourteenth

. s wa s o f n o s century Tradition a serts that the tower Pictish origin, but this legend rests upon of D reasonable foundation . The first historical name associated with it is that S ir unca Wallace , ” n “ n 1 his who had a charter of the baroni es of S o ndrom and D alm elyntou in 3 73 . At death S undrum A uchencrui ve C a thkert of and became he property of his ephew, Alan de , he son Sir ’ t n t - o f 06. Duncan s sister, and the great grandfather the first Baron Cathcart ( and these two of 1 1 estates were united into the barony Cathcart in 7 3 by Alan , seventh Baron Cathcart 1 64 S undrum of 1 0 ( 7 came into the possession the Hamilton family in 7 5 , and still remains f with a member o that race . of J ohn H amilton , second son of H ugh H amilton Clongall , served in the Royal Navy, and afterwards settled in J amaica . H e was drowned when returning from the West I ndies , and left an of S undrum only son , J ohn , then an infant , under the charge of trustees . The estate was purchased

1 0 old of for this son by his guardians in 7 5 , when he was eleven years , and he remained Laird

n rum 1 1 f f li n un S u d 8 2 . o o E to until H e was married to his cousin , a sister H ugh , twelfth Earl g , f F or and became progenitor o f the H amiltons o f Pinmore and o Rozelle . a long period he was a - f - o wa s . Vice Lieutenant Ayrshire , and Convener of the county for thirty six years H e was u so n 1 6 of s cceeded by his eldest , J ohn ( 7 4 who was a Commander in the naval service the E 1 80 of o f ast I ndia Company ; was married in 4 to Christian , eldest daughter George Dundas s si x son o f Dunda ; and left sons and eight daughters . H is eldest , J ohn , who is now proprietor m h - S und ru as 1 8 8 . , been a Deputy Lieutenant for Ayrshire since 3

B T R E E S A N K H O U S E .

o f T reesb a nk R i c c a rto n H E mansion is in the parish of , at a short distance from K ilmarnock ,

i n t n C a r o . and about a mile from p g Castle The building, which was merely a plain - 1 8 8 manor house before 3 , was considerably enlarged at that time ; and it now forms one of the 1 6 2 most attractive mansions in the district . The original structure was erected about 7 by the of T reesba nk o f old first the Campbells of , part an tower then sta ding having been incorporated

‘ n ; son in the building and the property has descended from father to , without intermission , till this date . J ames Campbell of T reesba nk (ci rca 1 6 5 0 second son of Sir H ugh Campbell of Cessnock , obtained the lands from his father probably at the time of his marriage with J ean , o f o f R owa lla n 1 6 2 a daughter Sir William Mure , in 7 , and became male represent tive of the H ouse

o n o f . of Cessnock the death his brother, S ir George , without male issue H e was succeeded by so n 1 2 of o f his eldest , George , about 74 , who was married to a daughter David Boswell Auchinleck ,

s o n o f T reesba nk . 1 6 and whose eldest , J ames, became third Laird The latter died in 7 7 , and

s o n — — his by a second marriage then in infancy succeeded to the estate . George James Campbell o f T r ba nk ees 1 8 1 son . died in 5 , and his eldest and namesake succeeded him The second George

of T reesba nk wa s 1 800 - J ames Campbell born in , and was Lieutenant Colonel , Ayrshire Yeomanry, - and Deputy Lieutenant o f Ayrshire from 1 8 2 8 till his death in 1 880. H e was twice married ‘ a M Kerrel of 1 8 2 6 first, to Eliz beth Reid , daughter Colonel J ohn Reid , by whom (who died in ) 1 8 2 — he had a son , George J ames , died 9 , and two daughters Elizabeth , married Count E insiedel W olk n - da mton e bour x o f A , ; g (Sa ony) , and succeeded her grand uncle in the estate Ayrshire and to Mary, married J ames Campbell , Esq . of J ura . M r Campbell married , secondly, Catharine

o f 2 th who 1 8 I ndiana, daughter the late Major J ones , 5 Light Dragoons, and by her ( died 7 9) he — th left surviving issue two sons George James , his successor , and William Hugh , Captain 4 us iliers ; , Regiment Scots F and a daughter , J emima, married to Baron de Schaeffer Colonel of r v of D agoons in the ser ice Prussia . th , 4 The present Laird George J ames Campbell , served in the Light Dragoons and in the o f W urtember 1 8 0 army g , when he attained the rank of Captain , and married , 7 , Pauline, daughter

f - o H u en oeth . Baron Nesselrode g p , and has issue a son , George J ames Mr Campbell is Chief o f a s to o f m the H ouse of Cessnock , and such claims be male representative the Ca pbells of Loudoun .

W O O D S I DE .

- O O D S I D E of . , near the town of Beith , is the seat Robert William Cochran Patrick , Esq of L a d la nd y and Woodside, who has been M ember of Parliament for North Ayrshire 8 of R a lstouns of 1 80 . since For a long period it was the residence the that I lk , an ancient family of which was settled in Renfrewshire early in the thirteenth century . Several of the members this family rose to eminence in the political and military service of their country and they were related R a lstoun by marriage to some of the most prominent families in Scotland . H ew of that I lk , whose father was slain at the battle o f Pinkie acquired the estate o f Woodside and T urn erla nd 1 1 , in 5 5 , from Gavin H amilton , Commendator of K ilwinning , and built the square o f tower which still forms a portion the present mansion , intending to make it the chief seat of his 1 608 family . When Timothy Pont visited the place in the original builder was alive , and he ’ t " - n o f , b elo es topographer s descrip ion i is in these words Woo'd syde is a proper duelling and g t ” t f l n 1 1 wa s a o R a a stoune . R a lstou 6 to ye L ird H ew died at Woodside in 3 , and succeeded by his R a ls oun s on of 1 6 2 . t grandson William , only the latter, came into the estate in 5 , and increased it of by the purchase o f several adjoining properties . During the unsettled times Charles I . and the Commonwealth he took an active part with the Royalists , and held a commission from the K ing as - Lieutenant Colonel . Latterly he joined himself to the Covenanting party , but only to share in their to misfortunes ; and he was finally compelled to flee for safety Argyllshire , where he died at an 1 6 1 l o f advanced age in 9 . H e probably made severa alterations upon the mansion Woodside R a ls toun s till of , as a carved stone exists bearing the arms and initials himself and his first wife, f G la nders toun R a l toun o 1 6 . s Ursula M ure , who died some time before 74 Gavin succeeded his

1 6 1 grandfather in 9 , and severed the connection of the family with Renfrewshire by the sale of o f R a ls tou n r 1 the ancient estate to the Ea l of Dundonald in 704 . H is grandson and namesake l or n 1 di ed 1 8 1 o f , 9 . hi s ( 7 3 5 ) was the last this ancient family H e spent early years in Virginia , 1 8 o f A rth urlee and on his return in 7 5 he married Annabella , daughter of J ames Pollok , and settled

- . old at Woodside H e made extensive additions to the mansion house, removing the turrets , erecting a new roof, and transforming it into a modern dwelling . Two stones are inserted in the of corners of the gables , near the eaves , which bear his initials and those his wife , with the date 1 7 9 . , 5 Having been overtaken by misfortune and involved in pecuniary difficulties principally, it R a lstou n is said , through cautionary obligations , Gavin was compelled to part with the estate of o 1 1 Auch le of Wo dside in 7 7 and it was then purchased by Dame J ean Stirling of y , wife J ames Ba r a r Erskine of Alva , Lord j g of Session , and afterwards Lord Alva . When Lady Alva died

- D uchree— 1 8 — the estate fell to her heir, Alexander Graham Stirling of gazetted General in 3 7 who 1 8 R ou hw d W f R lst un s oo S . o a o disposed of it in 3 3 to William Patrick of g , . , a descendant the by

. 1 8 8 the female side The latter proprietor made still further additions to the mansion in 4 , leaving it nearly in the condition , structurally , in which it is now . The house became the residence of his - of nephew , William Charles Richard Cochran Patrick , and his wife , Agnes Cochran , heiress L a d l nd ° so n - a M P . to o n y and their , Robert William Cochran Patrick , . , succeeded the estate the f h i s - 1 8 6 1 o . death grand uncle , William Patrick , in