Descriptive account of the principal towns in Scotland

ing, mathematics, navigation, geography, logic, rhetoric,
botany, chemistry and natural philosophy. This Academy
has acquired a high degree of celebrity from the abilities of
its teachers, and the excellent system of Education which
they have followed. The number of Pupils attending this
seminary, average 500.
The old Church was built in the year 1654-, and is still
in good repair. In 1808 a new Church was built fit to
contain about 1200 persons. Besides the Churches of the
Establishment, there are two places of worship belonging to
the Secession church, one to the Relief, one Moravian, one
Methodist, and an Independent chapel. The Secession
churches are properly in the adjoining parish of St. Quivox,
as is also an elegant Roman Catholic chapel, newly finished.
The Independent chapel is adjoining the parish of Newton,
where there is also an Established church.
The ancient church of Saint John the Baptist, is noted
for being the place where the Scottish Parliament met in
the year 1315, when they unanimously confirmed the title
of Robert Bruce to the throne of Scotland, and settled the
order of succession among the members of the family. This
church was converted into a place of arms, and surrounded
by fortifications during the protectorate of Oliver Crom-
well, the ruins of which remain, and the tower or steeple of
St. John's church still remains entire.
There is a subscription Library upon an enlarged plan,
containing many thousand volumes, in all the various de-
partments of Literature and the Arts.
Ayr possesses a number of charitable endowments, the
chief of which is the Charity House, or Towns' Hospital, —