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THE lands of Cardross parish
have, with one or two exceptions, frequently changed hands during the past
century. Commencing at Kirkmichael Stirling, beside the town of Helensburgh,
it would seem that in 1610 it was sold by the successors of John Wood of
GeiIston to Walter Dennistoun of Colgrain, in whose family it remained till
the end of last century, when it was purchased by Sir James Colquhoun of
Luss. Kirkmichael was, in 1825, once more united to Colgrain estate, in
excambion for Iands in Glenfruin. A small portion of the property, known as
Drumfork, was feued in 1748 by John Dennistoun of Colgrain to his
son-in-law, John Stevenson, who built a mansion-house there. Adjoining are
the lands of Colgrain, which, with Meikle and Little Camis Eskan, belonged
to the Dennistouns before 1377, but which were sold, as we have seen, in
1836. It was purchased by Colin Campbell, third son of John Campbell of
Morreston, in Lanarkshire, who claimed kindred with the house of Breadalbane.
Keppoch, the next estate, was in 1545 the property of Stirling of Glorat,
and in the following century passed into the hands of the Ewings, and
remained in their family till 1820, when it was bought by a banker in
Greenock, Alexander Dunlop, one of whose ancestors was the famous counsellor
of William of Orange, Principal Carstares. Ike built the present
mansion-house, but after holding the estate for about thirty years, it was
again sold by Mr. Dunlop to the late Mr. James Donaldson of Keppoch. A few
years ago the estate was sold to its present proprietor, Alexander Crum
Ewing of Strathieven, who has continuously resided there and done much to
improve the property. The two Ardardans succeed; Ardardan Lyle (or Wester)
was in 1466 owned by John Lyle of the family of Lord Lyle. In 1537 his
successor conveyed it to James Noble of Ferme, in whose family it continued
till 1708, when it was sold to James Donald of Lyleston. Ardardan-Noble, or
Mid-Ardardan, was the property of Noble of Ferme about the year 1500, and
remained, along with Ardmore, in the family till 1798, when William Noble
sold both these properties to his brother-in-law, General Thomas Geils,
whose younger son, Major Edward Geils, succeeded and built the house on the
point of Ardmore. Ballimenocb, previous to 1630, was owned by Macaulay of
Ardencaple, and then was sold to William Noble, whose grandson sold it to
the Trustees of Mrs. Moore's Mortification. Blairhennechan or Drumhead, as
it is now called, formed part of the estate of Macaulay of Ardencaple in the
sixteenth century. In 1530, owing to the marriage of a daughter of that
house to William Buchanan of Boturich, it passed to that family, in whose
possession it has remained. The male line of the family terminated with
Archibald Buchanan, and the estate passed to his sister, Janet, who had
married Robert Dunlop, of the Garrikirk family, and by deed of entail the
proprietor is obliged to assume the name of Buchanan of Drumhead.
We now come to Nether
Ardardan and Geilston, the latter of which was acquired in the sixteenth
century by John Wood, and since then was owned by Bontine of Milndovan,
Buchanan of Little Tullichewan, and Donald of Lyleston. In 1803 it was
bought by General Thomas Geils, in whose family it remains. Milndovan, part
of the estate of John Wood of Geilston, after being possessed by Bontine of
Ardoch, became part of Drumhead property. Next we come to the fine estate of
Kilmahew, long possessed by an eminent family, the Napiers, who seem to have
owned the lands from the close of the thirteenth century down to the year
1820, when William Napier, resident in America, made up titles to Kilmahew
and Wallacetown, as heir of his uncle, and conveyed them to Alexander Sharp,
brother of the husband of his sister Elizabeth. The Kilmahew estate was
acquired in 1839 by James Burns. Ardoch estate comes next, stretching along
the shores of the Clyde; it was long possessed by the Bontines, and about
the close of last century was disposed of by Nicol Bontine to his cousin,
Robert Graham of Gartmore, whose descendant, the well known ex-member of
Parliament, and champion of the working-classes, now owns the property. The
adjoining lands of Dalquhurn, Ardochbeg, Pillanflatt, and Kipperminshoch,
according to Irving, were likely embraced within the bounds of the royal
park laid out by King Robert the Bruce in connection with his residence at
Castlehill, and they continued to be royal property until the time of King
James V. Dalquhurn was conveyed, in the fourteenth century, by Malcolm, Earl
of Lennox, to his seneschal, Walter Spruell, in whose family it remained
until it was sold by James Spruell to his son-in-law, John Dennistoun.
Afterwards it was bought by Thomas Fleming, and purchased from his son in
1692 by Sir James Smollett of Bonhill. Kipperminshoch for two centuries was
owned by Woods of Geilston, afterwards by Noble of Ardardan, Edmonstone of
Duntreath, and latterly by Barton Aiken. Succoth was held in the sixteenth
century by a cadet of the family of Ardoch, from whom it passed in 1616 to
Robert Campbell, whose family became eminent on the Scottish bench in the
persons of Lord President Campbell, and his son, Lord Succoth. It is now the
property of James Aiken of Dalmoak, which estate was long possessed by the
Sempills of Fulwood, latterly by Graham of Gartmore and Dixon of Levengrove.
Mr. Aiken is the principal partner in the legal firm of Burns, Aiken & Co.,
founded by William Burns, author of the Scottish liar of Independence, a
learned work pervaded by an enthusiastic spirit of patriotism. Rosruvan and
Pillanflatt at one time were Church properties, and passed into possession
of the Lindsays of Bonhill, on the breaking up of whose estates in 1666, the
lands became part of the lands of Smollett of Bonhill. The estate of Kirkton
of Cardross, on which is the site of the old parish church, belonged in 1528
to John Smollett, burgess of Dunbarton, and in 1654 the estate passed into
the hands of Bontine of Ardoch. The old property of Ferry-lands is in the
extreme east of the parish, close to the river Leven, and upon it is built
the suburb of West Bridgend. In 1512 the property was conveyed by Robert
Ferrier to Andrew Dennistoun of the Colgrain family, and it subsequently was
laid out for feuing purposes. Levengrove was acquired from Richard
Dennistoun of Kelvingrove by John Dixon, Provost of Dunbarton.
On a fine summer day the walk
from Dunbarton across the fine bridge over the Leven down to Cardross is
interesting, and affords many views of the Clyde scenery. Ascending from the
Vale of Leven, on the right hand there is the round mound, covered with old
trees, which is undoubtedly the site of Cardross Castle, where King Robert
the Bruce spent his closing years. No trace of any building is to be seen,
and the name of the farm, Castlehill, is all that remains to support the
tradition that once the hero lived in this spot. About a mile from this we
pass the site of the ancient house of Ardoch —or, as it used to be written,
Airdoch—the dwelling-place of the Bunteins. The castle was succeeded by a
tall, bare-looking structure, which stood empty for a number of years, until
it was occupied as a velvet factory. The road now makes a descent, until it
is but little above the shore level, and presently the old mill and the
houses near Cardross Church come into sight. There is little in its present
aspect to remind the visitor of the hamlet which, in the last century,
occupied the vicinity of Cardross Church. The meal mill, called Cardross
Mill, used to stand further up from the present structure, built by Robert
Ferrier in 1818, and still in the family. The smith's shop was near the
church, and the neat cottage, in which the venerable Alexander Ewing now
resides, used to be a shoemaker's shop. On the opposite side of the road is
the small house known as Bainfield, once possessed, with the land attached,
by a family of that name, whose ancestors purchased it from the Napiers of
Kilmahew. Part of it is old, and used to be occupied as a ferry-house by
Robert Barr, whose family have long been connected with the parish. The old
houses which, in Mr. Ewving's early days, he recollected near the church,
have mostly been pulled down, and a succession of modern ornate villas now
constitutes the village of Cardross. One of them, a two-storey building
called Seafield, stood near the old bridge, and a family of \rapiers resided
in it, one of whom was afterwards the wife of Robert Napier of Shandon.
Beyond the church the end of
Auchenfroe glen and burn of the same name is reached, and the road crosses
the stream by the bridge erected, as before mentioned, by the grateful Mrs.
Moore. Though over 200 years old, the bridge is in excellent preservation,
but the introduction of a modern iron railing over the archway, in the
parapet wall, somewhat takes away from its antiquity. On the north wall can
be read the inscription—"Not we but God—Jean Watson, 1688," and alongside is
another stone with the date 1690, and a shield with quarterings; the motto
on the lower part being obliterated. On entering the small gate, and
proceeding up the glen some old trees are noticeable and the rocky sides are
picturesquely covered with ferns and creeping plants. Above the side of the
glen Bloom-hill House is seen through the trees, finely situated, and of
handsome architectural proportions.
Proceeding up the glen under
the old trees which clothe both sides, the policies of Kilmahew are
traversed for some time before the large and imposing residence is reached,
which was commenced in 1865, and finished in 1868 by Mr. Burris. The house,
beautifully embowered amidst trees, from its topmost storey enjoys an
extensive prospect over the Clyde estuary, and is beside the brawling burn,
which is spanned by Mrs. Moore's bridge. It stands on the estate of
Milndovan, which was part of the old Ardoch Bontine property, sold by Graham
of Gartmore to the granduncle of Mr. Burns, Thomas Yuill of Darleith, by him
to Buchanan Dunlop, who disposed of it to James Burns. There was a small
residence on the adjoining field, known as the Triangle of Milndovan, of
which a few old stones may be seen below Kilmahew, bearing the inscriptions—R.B.M.B.
1738 on one stone, and on the other only the date 1732, that are understood
to have come from that old house. The first two initials were those of
Robert Bontein, and the latter those of his wife. Near this was the small
croft known as Ladeside, probably from the mill lade, which can still be
traced for a long way on that side of the glen.
The chief interest in
Kilmahew lies in the semi-ruinous castle, which is situated near the upper
end of the glen, with a few old trees, and the site of a large orchard in
its vicinity. There is little of architectural interest in the lofty pile,
which presents a solid square appearance, its walls being about one hundred
feet in height. , Probably it was erected about the period of Oliver
Cromwell, and it may have given shelter to some of his adherents in the
troubled times of Scottish history. On all sides the walls and windows have
been closed up and it is thickly overgrown with ivy on the south wall. Owing
to the strange idea of Mr. Sharp, who, for a brief term after 1820 owned the
estate, and who thought of making the old castle habitable, it was a good
deal altered externally. He knocked out several new windows in the ancient
walls, affixed a wooden balustrade on the south wall, and partially built a
new entrance, flanked with niches for columns on the south-west angle of the
wall. The general outline of the castle measures 46 by 25 feet, and it was
altered from being a four storey to a three storeyed building. The broad
lintel over the door at the north-west angle bore the motto, "The peace of
God be herein." Some of the corbels left are large and shapely, and there
are smaller ones in good preservation. The staircase near the doorway
probably was carried up, and the passage along the west wall would give
access to the kitchen and cellars. Towards the end of the last century the
castle was burnt, when it is likely that the upper part of the battlements
was much destroyed.
On the high ground above
Kilmahew, on Walton Moor, in the middle of a small plantation there is a
curious monolith standing erect upon a rocky foundation, which may possibly
be an ancient tomb, as there were some smaller stones like the sides of an
old cist found at the foot of the monolith. Those interested, also, in
boulder stones will find a good specimen about five and a half feet in
height, and a little less in width, right in the middle of the stream of the
Wallace-town glen, which joins the Kilmahew glen a little below the mansion
house. A great deal of its surface is white quartz, and obviously it has
been deposited by ice in its present position long centuries ago. A much
smaller boulder with well' defined ice marks upon its surface is in the
grounds close to the mansion.
From Kilmahew a wide prospect
is gained of the Killiter range of hills, the highest in the parish, and it
is a pleasant walk to the top of the principal peak, going past the
mansion-house of Darleith. Leaving the Helensburgh road beside the Geilston
burn, the tourist sees on his left many umbrageous trees surrounding the
house of the Geils family, with the waters of the burn rustling unseen
below. The road is a plain country track, leading across the moor to the
upper part of the Vale of Leven. On the right is passed that burying-place,
known as the Kirkton of Kilmahew, to which allusion has already been made. A
few trees throw their sheltering shade over the fragment of the chapel,
which still stands in excellent preservation, the roof and door being in
good order. On gaining admission through the iron gate of the enclosure, a
few moss-grown old tombstones can be seen, slabs lying on the ground, one of
date 1735, and two others to members of the family of Buchanan of Drumhead,
whose estate is adjacent. On one of these can be made out: "Archibald
Buchanan of Drumhead, died 26th May, 1189," and the other is that of
"Dorothy Buchanan, who died 21st July, 1780." The rippling stream below
gives appropriate music to this retired and peaceful resting place of the
dead.
Proceeding along the Balloch
road, the woods around Darleith house are now entered, and passing by a
small sheet of water, and along the avenue, bordered by ancient trees, the
dwelling-place of the Yuills is reached. Around it are grassy parks, with
some lofty trees scattered over the turf. The burn winds its course through
the grounds, with masses of ivy in some parts overspreading its rocky banks,
and overhanging canopy of ferns, while little rills of water trickle down
the mossy rocks. Through the leafy vista of trees glimpses are gained of the
dark, purple, heathery slopes of the hills. In those verdant glades are some
noble specimens of the beech, the ash, and the oak, which long have
flourished in this beautiful spot. Darleith house is partly modern, but the
original fortalice stands between a former addition and the later one in
front, and tall, solid stacks of chimneys dominate the whole. In the north
gable is a stone, with the arms of Darleith of Darleith, the initials J. D.,
and the date 1616, while on the eastern side of the tower are the letters I.
Z., A. F., 1676, representing John Yuille, the first of Darleith, and Agnes
Fisher his wife. On the west side are the family arms of the Yuills, with
the date 1678, and the motto,
"GOD'S PROVIDENCE,
IS MY INHERITANCE."
[The old mode of spelling the name of the estate was Darlieth.]
Leaving the farm-road near
Darleith, and striking across the grassy and bracken clad stretch of
intervening ground, the steep side of Killiter is gained. Ascending the
heather brae, it takes not much time to reach the summit, and from it will
be enjoyed an extensive panoramic view. Looking over to the Clyde, the most
prominent features are the towns of Port Glasgow, Greenock, and Gourock,
with their chimneys, factories, and shipyards, from which, on a still day,
there comes the iron resonance of an army of labourers. The trees and
cultivated grounds are further down the river, with the varied outline of
Bute and the Cumbraes, and afar off the mountains of Arran. Between Bute and
the purple ridges of Arran a gleam of sea is seen, and the different lines
of the upper reaches of the Cum-braes and adjoining land come into view.
Patches of sunshine, here and there, lighten up the masses of trees and
moorlands blending into the Renfrewshire hill country. The spires and church
towers of the villages and towns on the opposite shore catch the sunbeams,
and, if it is an autumn day, there is a misty exhalation from the land which
gives a hazy aspect to the landscape. On the near shore the hill of Dumbuck,
and the Kilpatrick braes crested with trees, stand in relief against the
sky, and the strong, solid mass of Dunbarton rock, of a dusky green colour
dominates the river. Nearer to Car-dross the fields show alternate layers of
green and yellow, with white farm houses and red tiled cottages embowered in
trees painted with the tints of autumn.
Looking towards the Gareloch,
there juts out into the Clyde the rounded point of Rosneath, well clad with
woods, and the brow of the peninsula, defined against the higher Cowal
mountains of Argyllshire. The Holy Loch, and the many mansions and
garden-fringed villas all down that shore, are partly enveloped in haze.
Mingling their swelling outlines are seen in the distance the Loch Long and
Gareloch mountains, and glancing down the latter loch, the eye rests upon
the straight streets and verdant surroundings of the Helensburgh villas,
with the broad grassy slopes conducting to sequestered Glenfruin. Ardmore
point from this view loses the long promontory look which it has from the
shores of the Clyde, and has an ample rounded surface, diversified with many
old trees. The summit of Killiter itself is a comparatively level mass of
mantling heather, with turf march dykes crossing its surface ; on the one
side the hill sloping steeply down to Darleith, and declining on a more easy
descent towards the Camis Eskan moors. The eye can follow the farm road past
Darleith on to the high ground above the Vale of Leven, which is generally
overhung with a dark canopy of smoke from the manufactories which have added
so much wealth to that once beautiful valley.
Turning to the north the
spectator sees the lower end of Loch Lomond, with its richly wooded banks,
sleeping in peaceful beauty, its waters reflecting the sinuous strand. Ben
Lomond itself, and other less lofty peaks, are prominent against the
northern sky, their seamed sides in deep shade and clad in purple panoply of
heather. Round by the Endrick Valley, and towards the distant hills of
Campsie and Stirling, there is a variegated and smiling country, cultivated
fields, yellow in the sunshine, green plantations, and plenished farm-yards,
with the curious cone of Duncroin in relief against the pasture and corn
lands. Alternate stretches of light and shade vary the landscape, while many
a dark ravine and shady hollow introduce another and a pleasing feature to
the picture. Quietly rippling away amidst green meadows, and by
briar-scented hedges, are many glancing burns, whose streamlets swell the
rivers and lochs, but from the vantage ground on which he stands the
spectator hears no sound of cascade or rush of water. The twitter of a stray
swallow, the guttural tok tok of a grouse, the quick note of a stonechat, or
the `tiny hum of a Iaden bee languishing amid the flowery sweets, may
perchance lightly fall upon the ear, along with the far off clangour of the
CIyde building yards. \Vhen there are so many visible features of interest
for the visitor he may perchance indulge in thoughts taking him back into
reminiscences varied and stirring, for in this district were enacted scenes
which have left deep traces on our Scottish history.
Returning to the public road
from Dunbarton to Helensburgh, an inspection may be made of the modern
village of Cardross, and what remains of the older hamlet of a past century.
One or two of the older houses are seen beyond the Parish Church, and others
in the vicinity of the Geilston burn and mansion, but there is nothing of
special interest to be noted. A conspicuous feature amongst the modern
villas is the Free Church, which edifice is due to the liberality of the
family of Burns of Kilmahew. A number of years ago the "Cardross case"
caused great stir throughout Scottish ecclesiastical circles, for it
appeared as though the cherished immunity of the Free Church from civil
jurisdiction was to receive a rude and awakening shock. A notable minister,
the Rev. Robert Boag Watson, LL.D., since December 1879, has officiated in
this charge, one whose career has been interesting and honourable. When the
Crimean War broke out in 1854 Dr. Watson was ordained chaplain to the
Highland brigade, and he endured many of the terrible hardships incident to
those who took part in that historic struggle. As chaplain to the troops in
India also, Dr. Watson was an eye-witness of some of the dreadful atrocities
of the Indian Mutiny, when the fabric of British power in India was shaken
to its base. Subsequently, in 1864, he was nominated to the post of chaplain
to the Free Church in Madeira, where he remained for ten years, and his
services were highly esteemed. Dr. Watson, in addition to eminent gifts as a
Christian minister, is a scholar and a scientist, and when the Challenger
Exploring Expedition was despatched, he was one of the staff, his special
duty being to prepare the official report on the Mollusca discovered.
Mention has already been made
of Drumhead, long in possession of the Buchanan family, and the grey mansion
house stands a little to the north of Geilston, not far from the small
Kirkton burying-ground. The older portion of the house is to the back, and,
from an inscription on the gable, seems to have been built in 1700. Geilston
house is of much more recent date, but has an attractive and antiquated
appearance from the old trees which surround it. For a considerable distance
in front of Geilston, the public road is overshadowed by a fine avenue of
trees, from which glimpses of the shining firth, with the numerous steamers
passing up and down, can be obtained. Many lovely and lonesome scenes for an
artist can be found in the shady nooks and fern-clad banks up and down the
Geilston burn, which takes its rise in the Killiter range of moors. At a
turn of the burn there is a very picturesque mill which has long done duty
in various ways, first as a wool mill, latterly for charcoal, and now,
extended in size, is known as the Kilmahew saw-mill. It is occupied by a
well-known native of Cardross, Major M'Intyre, V.D., who is noted as a crack
rifle-shot, having, on Lanark Muir, performed the splendid feat of making
thirteen "bull's eyes" in succession at 900 yards. A still older structure
behind the saw-mill, was from time immemorial a meal mill.
Following the Auchenfroe or
Cardross burn down to the shore the beacon, shaped like an Iona Cross and
painted black and white, will be noticed on the shore, close to the burn's
mouth. Several more beacons of similar form are placed at intervals across
the firth, the last at Newark Castle on the opposite shore. This indicates
the jurisdiction of the Clyde Trust, and the posts are very serviceable in
fogs to guide the ferry-boat across the river. There used to be several
ferries in former days, with good substantial "wherries" for conveying
passengers and goods across the firth, but now they are little used for that
purpose. Cardross ferry over the river Leven at Dunbarton, where now is the
old bridge begun in 1765, and several times altered and enlarged Craigend
ferry; Burnfoot ferry at mouth of Cardross burn; Geilston ferry; at The
Murraghs, and others. There was an old-fashioned hotel, known as Fraser's
Hotel, which did a good business in those days, especially on Sundays, when
the farmers and their servants would adjourn to the hotel after morning
service. Murraghs farm is a small house with its gable on to the shore, it
used to be a red-tiled structure from whence the ferry boats use to start,
and there can be seen the remains of a yair for fishing in front of the farm
building. An old right to the yair fishing must have been enjoyed here, as
at other places on the shore. The rude quay from whence passengers used to
embark on the boats, is standing yet, not much the worse of the storms of
generations, and is often used by excursionists from Port-Glasgow and other
places. Close to the farm building is the modest single-storeyed dwelling
Sea-bank, where lived the last of the Sharp family who owned Kilmahew estate
for a time. These old ferry houses, which have a few trees and shrubs around
them, were well patronised until the construction of the Helensburgh
railway, brought their trade to an end.
Once more returning to the
Helensburgh road the two properties of Brooks and Ardardan are passed on the
left, and to the right is Mollandhu. The latter is owned by the Parochial
Board of Cardross, which has the administration of Mrs. bsoore's bequest.
These all formed part of the old estate of the Nobles of Ferme, and now have
returned to the possession of Sir Andrew Noble. Ardardan is a long,
old-fashioned, commodious house, which was described in 1178 as "a new
built, genteel, modern house, pleasantly situated, and fit to accommodate a
large family." The eastern wing was added by Mr. Neilson, the main building
having been erected by Mr. Andrew Buchanan, a tenant who held under a long
lease, and recently large additions have been made. Where the estates of
Ardmore, Lyleston, and Keppoch march with one another, there is a splendid
view of the Clyde estuary, with its mountain banks, and all the wooded and
moorland scenery in the vicinity of the Gareloch and Loch Long, with the
numerous embowered villas of Helensburgh in the foreground. On the left hand
is the Ardmore peninsula crowned with fine trees, the trap rock shining at
intervals amid the - encircling belt of verdure, and the heaving waters of
the Clyde lave this curious point of land.
Ardmore has indeed many
features of strange interest, and will richly reward the geologist and the
botanist, and it has a history and tradition which will repay investigation.
It means literally the "great height" or promontory, and no doubt, ages ago,
was a mere rocky island. Tradition tells that formerly there was a stone
castle upon Ardmore, with deep dungeons hewn out of the solid rock, and it
is almost certain that the hill of Ardmore was occupied as a camp by the
Romans. These invaders left traces of their occupation, so it is alleged, in
a rude causeway which led inland towards Keppoch, although there is no
longer any remains of this to be found. Of Celtic occupancy there are many
evidences in the names of the neighbouring places, such as Camis-Eskan,
"curve of the waters," Drumfork, "ridge of the port," Keppoch, "the tilled
land," Kipperminshoch, "field of ash stumps," and many others. The land on
the neck of Ardmore point is but little higher than the shore, but the round
mass of red puddingstone rock, in which are embedded pebbles of quartz,
rises to the height of over forty feet above sea level. On the summit of
this great mass of rock, which seems to stand as a tower to mark where the
narrower estuary of the river widens out to the full breadth of the noble
Frith of Clyde, there is a table land of excellent soil. Many venerable
trees, particularly some large beeches, and several noble Spanish chestnuts,
the latter over 200 years old, with numerous other varieties, form a leafy
fringe of deep verdure round this remarkable rocky barrier. But the chief
interest is in the round rampart of conglomerate, where Romans, Celts, Picts,
and other ancient dwellers, found an appropriate stronghold from whence to
issue on their despoiling forays.
It is well to make the round
of the great circular sea wall, and at some points it presents a singularly
picturesque bit of scenery, the red rugged rock overhung and festooned with
many different creeping plants, and ivy of several varieties, wild briars,
broom, and whins, and ferns of delicate foliage, with interesting groups of
wild flowers nestling amidst the clefts and hollows of the rock. In some
places the ivy has grown into huge umbrageous masses of pendant verdure, and
at intervals there may be seen long bare faces of the rock. Cracks, caves
and fissures every few hundred yards, shew how the action of the wave3, long
centuries ago, had told upon the mass of conglomerate, detaching the quartz
pebbles from their sockets. On the lip of the precipice different trees have
formed a resting place, and their' waving boughs mingle their sighing and
rushing wail, as the storm winds wrestle with the long pendant branches. And
a little way off the hoarse surges of the Clyde, on the long winter's night,
form an appropriate dirge in the brief intervals of the howling tempest.
Almost at the extreme end of the precipice there is a curious old round
tower, built right against the rocky face, and which seems to have been a
sort of outwork of defence. It is entered from the ground by a large door,
and inside the tower there are traces of two distinct floors, also loop
holes in the wall, and small windows. The height of the whole is over 30
feet, and it is not easy to conjecture to what purpose the structure may
have been put in former days. From this point the promontory runs out some
distance into the firth being now a field of rough grass pasture, with
traces of former cultivation, for it is evident that all over the hill of
Ardmore there was good arable soil.
There is a grass-grown road
running around the rock, and many varieties of shrubs and wild flowers
cluster along the verge of this roadway, and at the foot of the rock.
Numerous botanical specimens of some of the rarer plants, mosses, and ivies
may be culled. General Geils, who acquired the estate in the end of last
century, built several wells, where beautiful clear water trickled in a
copious stream from the rock, and these remain to this day, yielding a
refreshing draught in the hottest day of summer. On ascending to the plateau
above, there are several good sized fields, and embowered amid some fine old
lime trees is Ardmore house, a good substantial structure, built in the
beginning of the present century, of plain architecture, and well sheltered
by the belt of trees from the tremendous gales which prevail on that exposed
point. At the back of the house a walk with thick hedges on either side
leads up to a curious telescope-shaped structure, known as "The Tower," with
an open gallery all round the lower storey, and one or two rooms in the
upper part.
Near the garden of Ardmore a
grassy road leads to the old ferry-house, in the middle of which stands a
stone pedestal, once surmounted with a statue of Diana. The ferry-house at
one time did a good business along with the others between Helensburgh and
Dunbar-ton, but now it presents a rather ruinous aspect. Twenty years ago,
in a violent winter storm, a great part of the building, and the ground on
which it stood was washed away; though the rough pier still stands on the
shore in fair preservation. On the opposite side of the promontory is seen
the old yair house, where the man lived who gathered in the fish left by the
receding tide in the rude enclosure of stones, the remains of which can
distinctly be traced in the bay of Ardmore. There was another yair a little
way down, opposite Camis Eskan, known formerly as the Colgrain yair. Even at
the present day salmon are sometimes taken near Ardmore point, arid the long
flat shore, with patches of half submerged turf arid mounds of sea weed
observable at low water on either side of the promontory, is a great haunt
of numbers of sea birds. In winter time, large flocks of red shanks, golden
plovers, geese, and ducks, gather on this favourite feeding ground. Great
flights of golden plovers come together in time of snow, and alight upon the
long reaches of sandy and muddy shore. Woodcock, snipe, teal, moor hens, and
other fresh water fowls congregate along these flats, and feed upon the
innumerable marine insects, sandworms, and molluscs to be found in the
pools. When winter approaches these birds, along with sandpipers, curlews,
widgeons, teal, ducks, and others, leave their accustomed haunts, and flock
together near the Cardross shores. Even barnacles, and other Norwegian
geese, are found amongst our home birds feeding upon the marine grasses, or
occasionally betaking themselves to the inland fields.
The following description of
the wild fowl shooting as it used to be carried on, and still is, to a
smaller extent, taken from the old Helensburgh guide before referred to,
will be found of interest. "It is by no means an easy task to obtain a shot
at a flight of ducks, and exercises a more thorough knowledge of the habits
of this wary bird than seems at first necessary. The sportsman must make up
his mind to fatigue, cold, and repeated disappointment, if he would earn
success. There are two methods of following them generally employed, which
we will attempt to describe. The first is by a sailing boat. A bright day,
with a smart breeze blowing, is preferred. Armed with guns of larger calibre
than are generally used on the moor, and using No. 1 shot, or B.B., the
sportsman endeavours to manage his boat so as to keep- the sun betwixt him
and the birds. The light thus prevents his approach being noticed so easily
as it would be if it were behind him, and a sailing craft glides much more
noiselessly and rapidly down upon the object than under oars. If he can get
within ninety yards of the flock, success is almost certain. A few outer
birds rise first, the others are alarmed and swim rapidly off, turning their
heads every way, apparently planning the best mode of escape from danger ;
suddenly a rustle of a multitude of wings, a rush of water, and the whole
are under flight. Now is the moment. Fairly risen from the water, with
outspread pinions, the gunner draws upon them once or twice, as their
distance may admit, and a successful shot shows half a dozen of them
dropping with a helpless flap into their native element. The slain are
immediately picked up, and chase given to those only wounded, who oftentimes
are difficult to recover, and afford a long hunt before all are captured. If
not carefully watched from the very first, they disperse about by swimming
and diving in various directions, and the pursuit soon becomes utterly
hopeless. Few things require more careful watching than a wounded duck in
the water."
"The other, and perhaps more
successful, mode of duck shooting is followed by moonlight at low tide, upon
those banks where the birds feed. When the moon is full, or nearly so, with
a gray sky overhead, the sport may be pursued with some prospect of success,
varying, of course, according to the knowledge and practice of the shooter.
A blue sky is quite unsuitable, as, however near the birds may be, you
cannot see them with the distinctness necessary to a fair shot. The mode of
proceeding is thus. On arriving at the bank, the shooter selects a stone in
a Iikely spot—the drier the more comfortable—squats down upon it, and
invokes patience to his aid. If the ducks are in migratory mood—which they
are not always—his reverie will be soon broken, and his congealing blood
startled into circulation by the whistling of the teal, or the melodious
quack of the mallard approaching him. Cocking his gun and rapidly scanning
the horizon, his eye catches sight of the birds. If they are only within
doubtful range, an old hand will let them pass without risking a shot,
knowing that, in all probability, they may return again more closely to him.
If a fair shot offers, the birds are allowed to pass beyond the sitter, who
should on no account fire at advancing birds, as the chances against his
killing any of them, no matter how near, are twenty to one. Once past,
however, he selects a bird from the centre of the group, and fires. If they
are anything compact, three, four, or five birds may fall. Now is the value
of a good dog known. If the shooter rises to collect his birds, he will get
the slain, but may have a weary and difficult hunt after the wounded, and
probably lose some of them in the dark. What is perhaps worse, the time he
is dancing about he is scaring other flights of birds, and losing chances he
may never again have. The rule seems to be never to let him rise from his
seat if he can avoid it, and the dog saves any necessity for running after
wounded birds ; but if he have gone, let him regain his post as soon as
possible. If the night is favourable, the sport may be pursued as long as
the shooter can endure the cold, and the tide admits. When once the water
flows to his knees it is time for him, at all hazards, to take himself off,
and seek the shortest road to land. This sport is chiefly followed at
Cardross, and the bays at Hill Ardmore."
Returning to the Helensburgh
road the estates of Lyleston and Keppoch are passed, and then the extensive
property of Colgrain so long owned by the Dennistoun family. From 1466 to
1337 Lyleston was in the possession of the family of Lord Lyle, who conveyed
it to James Noble of Ferme, whose family held it till 1708, when it was sold
to James Donald. In 1890 the estate was sold by the Rev. Duncan Macalister
Donald, now minister of Moulin, to Sir Andrew Noble, the descendant of its
former owner. Keppoch estate which adjoins was acquired by William Dunlop,
banker in Greenock in 1820, who built the present mansion near the site of
the old tower erected when the Ewings owned the property, which a few years
ago passed into the hands of Alexander Crum Ewing of Strathleven. The
Keppoch estate was formerly given by John, Earl of Lennox to William
Stirling of Glorat, for special services in the taking of the castle of
Dunbarton. Camis Eskan has a fine situation, embowered in woods which clothe
that portion of the estate, and are carried well up the heather hills at the
back of the house, which is an irregular pile, part of it as old as the year
1648. The house was begun by that devoted adherent of the crown, John
Dennistoun, but not completed till a number of years after his death in
1655. Even in 1667 the mansion was yet unfinished, for in that year his
daughter Margaret was married to William Dennistoun, younger of Dalquhurn,
"in a barn at the Feddans of Colgrain." On the Colgrain estate there are
some valuable farms, the soil in this neighbourhood being alluvial, of great
fertilising power, and the improvements commenced by Mr. Dennistoun were
continued by his successors the Campbells. A short distance from Camis Eskan
brings the visitor to the Craigendoran station of the North British Railway,
which only a few years ago was the site of a comfortable farm house with the
clear burn running down from Drumfork and mingling its pellucid waters with
the broad estuary of the Clyde. |
