Counties > Renfrewshire > 1832-1833 - Historical and descriptive sketches of the towns and principal villages in the Upper Ward of Renfrewshire

24 SKETCH OF LOCHWINNOCH, &C.
Kilbirnie quarry, also, some smaller blocks, for more dogs
to attend the falconer.
The Barr Castle once belonged to the Glen family. Glen
of the Barr, being with Queen Mary's troops at the Battle of
Langside, in 1568. the Castle was forfeited by the Regent,
and restored, by the treaty of Perth, in 1753. The Hatnil-
tons possessed this castle all the course of the last century.
William Macdowall, Esq., is the present proprietor. It is in
good preservation, and is an interesting ruin, with gun ports,
battlements, and other furniture of defence.
From the eminence on which this Castle stands, exquisite
prospects may be enjoyed of the vale, its town, its lake, its
groves, and its environed hills : the last embellished with
villas, farm-houses, and cottages ; all, or nearly so, shaded by
shaws or groves of trees.
It confers high credit on the judicious taste of Mr. Macdow-
all, the sacred preservation of this venerable castle- For
many instances occur, even in this county, in recent times, of
ruthless barbarity in razing old castles and other ancient
buildings to their foundations. But the time, we hope, is
not far distant, when the enviable possessors of old edifices,
must be taught that good taste, their own interest, and na-
tional glory, require the conservation of these venerable
relics of olden time. But for the keeping up of the auld
kirk of Alloway, we never should have enjoyed the admirable
Tarn o'Shanter of Burns.
Some rustic Tower,
Founded by Norman or by Saxon hands,
Beloved of old, and that delightful time
When all alone, for many a summer's day,
I wandered thro' your calm recesses, led
In silence by some powerful hand unseen.
Akenside.
The Castle of Castletown, or Sempill, was built by John
Lord Sempill about 1500. It stood on freestone, built over a
strong arch with bulwarks and gunports, but it was demo-
lished by Colonel Macdowall in 1735, who built an elegant
large modern house.
The Peil on a small isle in the loch, which the great Lord
Sempill built about the middle of the 16th century, is now in
ruins, the vault is still preserved. There were found in the
water round the Peil, some canoes and cannon, by the Mac-
dowalls.
The Earl of Eglintoun was killed by t\n Cunninghams in
1586. All the friends and allies of the bouse of Eglintoun
rallied about the chief of the clan, to revenge the death of his
brother ; and, in the heat of their resentment, assassinated