Ayrshire > Volume 1

306 HISTORY OF AYRSHIRE
were laden with peaches, apricots, cherries, and other
fruit. Ardmillan extorted the curate's admiration,
which may possibly have been due to the fact that the
laird was well affected towards Prelacy, and was one of
those who were conspicuous in haling the nonconformists
to prison and to judgment. " It looks like a palace,"
he writes, " built round courtways ; surrounded with a
deep broad ditch, and strengthened with a movable
bridge at the entry ; able to secure the owner from the
sudden commotions and assaults of the wild people of
this corner, which on these occasions are set upon
robbery and depredations ; and to enable him the better
to endure a siege he is well provided of well in his court ;
and a handmill in the house for grinding meal or malt,
with which two lusty fellows set a-work will grind a
firlott in the space of an hour. It is well surrounded
with good cornfields and meadow, with large parks for
pasturage and excellent good gardens and orchards that
yield plenty of apples and pears, and one more
particularly that for its precocity is called the early
pear of Ardmillan, and of a very pleasant taste."
The chief house on the water of Doon was Cassillis,
the principal mansion of the Kennedys. One of the
peculiarities of Cassillis was that it had " a fine stone
stair, turning about a hollow casement, in which are
many opens, from the bottom to the top, that by putting
a lamp into it gives light to the whole turn of stairs."
In the river there were cruives for the taking of salmon,
there were ponds for other fish, the gardens were large
and fenced about with exceedingly high stone walls,
and the fruits grown were similar to those of Ardmillan.
Auchendrane had its orchards and gardens, its parks
and cornfields ; so also had Blairston (Low Auchendrane)
and Bridgend, close by the " exceeding wide " bridge
of Doon, the only bridge in these days on all the river.
Blairquhan Castle was great, " the fine building and
huge bulk a plain demonstration of the sometime
greatness of the family ;" well provided with wood,
covered, with planting of " barren " timber, and