Parish of Kilbride
1846
KILBRIDE, a parish, in the island of Arran,
county of Bute, 20 miles (S. W. by W.) from
Saltcoats; containing, with
the
villages of Brodick and Corrie, 2786 inhabitants, of whom 271 are in the
village, or
Kirktown, of Kilbride, called also
Lamlash from its situation on the
bay of that name. This parish, which derives its name from the dedication of its
ancient church to St. Bridget or St. Bride, was the scene of some interesting
events during the wars with England which originated in the disputed succession
to the Scottish throne, after the death of Alexander III. In 1306, Robert Bruce,
who, during his reverses of fortune, had remained for some time in concealment
in Ireland, landed on the Isle of Arran, with a small fleet, and, being joined
by Sir James Douglas and others of his adherents, assaulted and reduced the
Castle of Brodick, which was then held by
Sir John Hastings, for Edward I. of
England. Upon this occasion, Bruce, in recompense of their important services,
conferred upon his friends many of the lands of Arran, which, however, long
since passed from their descendants, and are now the property of the Duke of
Hamilton. The island, which at that time was thickly wooded, became a favourite
resort of the Scottish kings, for pursuing the diversion of the chase; and the
castle of Loch Ranza, of which the remains denote its former magnificence, was
erected as a hunting-seat by one of the Stuarts, prior to the year 1380.
In 1544, the
castle of Brodick was demolished by the
Earl of Lennox, whom Henry
VIII. of England had sent with an army to punish the Scots for their refusal to
concur in the proposed alliance of the Princess Mary, afterwards Queen of Scots,
with Prince Edward, afterwards King of England. A few years subsequently, the
Earl of Sussex, lord lieutenant of Ireland, who had landed with a considerable
force in
Cantyre, then in the possession of
the Macdonalds, to retaliate the frequent incursions of the islanders
into the north of Ireland, sailed to the bay of Brodick, and laid waste the
adjacent country. In 1651,
the castle of
Brodick was garrisoned by Cromwell, who also repaired the fortifications, and
erected an additional bastion; but the garrison, who had rendered themselves
obnoxious to the inhabitants, were surprised while on a foraging party, and put
to the sword. The remains of this fortress are considerable, though, from its
frequent demolition, but little of its ancient character is preserved. The
Duchess of Hamilton, more than a century since, made a large addition to the
buildings; and it is still the occasional residence of the Hamilton family. The
principal tower fell down in February, 1845, but has been rebuilt.
The parish, which occupies nearly one-half of the Isle of Arran, is bounded on
the east by the Frith of Clyde, and on the west by a range of mountains
separating it from the parish of Kilmorie, which forms the remainder of the
island. It is about twenty-two miles in extreme length, from north to south,
varying from two miles to four and a half in breadth; and comprises an area of
42,000 acres, of which nearly 6000 are arable, 900 woodland and plantations, and
the remainder hill pasture, moorland, and waste. The surface is strikingly
varied with hills and mountains, interspersed with deep and narrow glens of
picturesque character; and the scenery abounds with features, either of wild
magnificence, majestic grandeur, or romantic beauty. The hills, from the
southern boundary of the parish to the bay of Brodick, rise gradually in gentle
undulations to a height of 800 feet, and are covered to their summits with grass
and heath. Towards
Loch Ranza, near the northern boundary, however, they rise
precipitously in rugged masses of barren rock, of which the highest,
Goatfell,
has an elevation of nearly 3000 feet above the level of the sea. The glens, of
which the principal are
Glen-Rosa, Glen-Sannox, Glencloy, and Ashdale, are
watered by their respective rivers, flowing between narrow banks of mountainous
acclivity which darken their stream. The
river of Ashdale, obstructed in its
course by masses of rock, forms two romantic cascades, falling respectively 100
and 50 feet from ledges of columnar basalt. These rivers, which, in their
progress through the glens, receive numerous tributary streams, abound with
trout and eels of small size; and when swollen with rains in summer, salmon and
sea-trout ascend in considerable numbers. The only inland lake belonging to the
parish is
Loch Urie, on the hill of that name, but it is of small extent.
Springs of the purest water, issuing from the rocks, occur in many parts; and
some are impregnated with iron and other minerals.
The whole extent of sea-coast, except where it is indented with bays, is guarded
by a ledge of rude cliffs and rugged precipices, between which and the sea is a
narrow tract of level land. These rocks are in many places clothed with ivy, and
interspersed with birch ash, oak, and brushwood. On the eastern shore are
the
bays of Lamlash and Brodick, the former a fine circular haven, about three miles
in length, of sufficient depth to afford safe anchorage to a large fleet of
vessels of any burthen, and surrounded with a fine sandy beach. The entrance to
this bay is by two inlets at the extremities of the island of Lamlash, or
the
Holy Isle, which lies in front of it, a picturesque island of conical form,
rising to a height of 900 feet above the level of the sea. A quay was formed
here by the Duchess of Hamilton, at a cost of nearly £3000; but the materials
were, from time to time, removed for building the village at the head of the
bay, and the loss is now severely felt. The bay of Brodick, to the north of
Lamlash, is about two miles in length, and of considerable depth; and at the
northern extremity are the remains of the ancient castle, now Arran House, the
occasional residence of the Duke of Hamilton. To the south of Lamlash is
Whiting
bay, of smaller dimensions, but of which the shores abound with interesting
scenery; and to the north of Brodick is the bay of
Corrie, where is a small
harbour. There is also a good harbour at
Loch Ranza, on the north-west. The sea,
off the coast, abounds with various kinds of fish; the most numerous are whiting
and haddock, but cod, ling, mackerel, conger-eels, skate, flounders, soles, and
turbot are likewise taken in considerable quantities. Lobsters, crabs, and great
varieties of shell-fish are also to be obtained on every part of the coast;
oysters are found only at
Loch Ranza. Herrings occasionally visit the coast, but
in greater numbers on the north and west sides of the island.
The soil of the cultivated lands is generally light. In the valleys it is
extremely various; in some places, little more than sand; and in others, a fine
alluvial loam, and moss and marsh converted by draining and manure into rich
black loam, more or less interspersed with gravel. The crops raised are, oats,
barley, beans, peas, potatoes, and turnips, with a few acres of flax. The system
of husbandry has been greatly improved under the encouragement of the principal
proprietor, and the stimulus of a farming association which awards prizes for
the best specimens of stock and rural management. The lands have been well
drained and inclosed; the farm houses and offices are generally substantial and
commodious; and the various recent improvements in the construction of
agricultural implements have been introduced. The hills afford good pasturage
for numerous flocks of sheep, which are of the black-faced breed, with a few of
the Cheviot and Merino on the lower grounds. The cattle are mostly of the
Argyllshire Highland breed, to the improvement of which much attention is paid.
Ayrshire cows are kept on the dairy-farms, which are well managed; and the
butter and cheese produced here are equal to what is made in the best districts
of Ayrshire. There are some remains of the ancient woods, which were very
extensive. The plantations round the castle of Brodick, near the bay of Lamlash,
and at
Kilmichael, which last are of very recent date, consist of larch, Scotch,
spruce, and silver firs, oak, ash, elm, sycamore, and birch, and are in a very
thriving state. The rateable annual value of the parish is £4548.
The rocks are chiefly composed of granite, trap, porphyry, and porphyritic
clay-stone; and rock crystals of almost every variety are found. The substrata
comprise sandstone, clay-slate, limestone, ironstone, and coal, which last is
found near the Cock of Arran. There are quarries of limestone and freestone near
Corrie. An attempt was once made to work the coal, but was for some reason
abandoned; and a slate-quarry in the neighbourhood was for a time in operation,
but has been discontinued. At
Sannox is a quarry of barytes, the proprietor of
which has erected a large mill for pulverizing the mineral, and extracting the
sulphate, which obtains a high price in the market. The ironstone, though
abundant, is not wrought. The whole of the parish, with the exception only of
the farm of
Kilmichael, belonging to
John Fullarton, Esq., who resides on his
estate, is the property of the Duke of Hamilton. The village of Lamlash consists
chiefly of a few rural cottages and some shops, and, during the summer, is the
resort of visiters for sea-bathing, for whose accommodation there are three good
inns. A small fair is held at
Lamlash, about the commencement of winter,
principally for horses, but it is not much frequented; and there is also a fair
at
Brodick, for cattle, horses, and wool, held in the last week of June, and
numerously attended. There are two branch offices in the parish, under the
post-office of Saltcoats, which have daily deliveries. Facility of communication
is afforded by good roads in various directions, and by steamers which frequent
the bay, plying in summer daily, and in winter twice in the week, between Arran
and
Ardrossan, and also twice in the week between Arran and
Glasgow, from the
beginning of June till the end of September.
The Ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of
Cantyre and synod of
Argyll. The minister's stipend is £259, with a manse, and a
glebe valued at £20 per annum; patron, the Duke of Hamilton. The church,
situated on the shore of the bay of
Lamlash, was erected in 1773; it is a plain
structure, without either tower or spire, and contains 560 sittings, all of
which are free. A chapel in connexion with the Established Church was erected at
Loch Ranza, about the year 1782, by
the Duke of Hamilton, for the accommodation
of both the parishes of Arran; it contains 400 sittings. The minister has a
stipend of £41, arising from an endowment by the Duchess of Hamilton. A church
was erected at Brodick in 1839, at an expense of £850, of which £100 were given
by the duke, £167. 15. by the extension committee of the General Assembly, and
the remainder raised by subscription; the service is now performed by a Free
Church minister, who derives his income from the seat-rents and collections. The
salary of the parochial school is divided among four teachers, of whom one, at
Lamlash, has £19; one at Brodick £16; one at
Corrie £4; and the fourth, at
Loch Ranza, £6, with nearly an equal sum from
the parish of Kilmorie, to which that
school is open. The masters have each a house and garden, rent-free, from the
Duke of Hamilton, in addition to their fees, which vary from £14 to £5 per
annum. There is also a school at Whiting bay, to the master of which a salary of
£25 is paid by the General Assembly. A parochial library, which was established
in 1824, and has now a collection of more than 300 volumes, is supported by
subscription.
There are some remains of Druidical circles; and several have been destroyed at
different times, to furnish materials for building. Near the manse are two
sepulchral cairns; and at the head of
Moniemore glen, is one more than 200 feet
in circumference at the base, on the removal of part of which stone coffins were
found. Similar coffins have been found in various places, containing human
bones; and in one of them was a piece of gold, supposed to have been part of the
guard of an ancient sword.
The Holy Isle, at the entrance of Lamlash bay, was
the solitary retreat of St. Molios, a disciple of St. Columba, who, for greater
seclusion, is said to have removed from
Iona to this place, whence he diffused
the light of Christianity among the pagan inhabitants of Arran. The cave which
was his residence was hewn in a sandstone rock; and in the roof is a Runic
inscription, setting forth his name and office. A monastery was afterwards
founded on the island, of which the ruins were visible in 1594: the cause of its
abandonment was the loss of a vessel, conveying a number of people attending a
corpse for interment in its cemetery, which was distinguished by various rude
tombstones till within the last five years, when they were removed. There were
in
Glencloy, till lately, the remains of the
ancient chapel of Kilmichael;
and at
Sannox was
a church, of which the only vestige now remaining is a rude figure of its patron
saint, built up in the wall of the cemetery, which is still used.
From: A
Topographical Dictionary of Scotland (1846)