Cunninghamhead is a hamlet in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the centre of the lands of Cunninghamhead, Perceton and Annick Lodge in Cunninghame. This mainly rural area is noted for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire, Cunninghame or Dunlop breed of cattle.
Bourtreehill Estate The estate was within the demesne of the De Morvilles,Paterson, James (1863–66). History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton. V. - III - Cunninghame. J. Stillie. Edinburgh. pp. 274–275. Lords of Cunninghame, and passed by marriage to Alan de la Zouche and William de Ferrars (see Lambroughton) who, as supporters of John Baliol forfeited the property to Robert the Bruce. James Francis of Stane obtained most of the property and Roger de Blair of that Ilk, a small portion, for which he had to annually pay twelve silver pennies or a pair of gilt spurs to the King. Listed by Pont/Blaeu as 'Bourtreen' in 1654 and other variations are 'Bourtree' and 'Bow Tree'. EtymologyA 'Bour Tree' is the Ayrshire name for the Common Elder tree, Sambucus nigra, often found in the older and more biodiverse local woodlands.
The Hunter family papers as published by the Scottish Record Society include 16th - 17th century references to Bourtreehill in connection with a family of Lynns who were the Lords of Lynn in nearby Dalry, the location also of Lynn Glen and Lynn Falls. Another mention of the Lynns in Bourtreehill can be found in a 1608 testament. The record of Lynns of Bourtreehill is as follows: On 7 Nov 1522, Robert Hunter resigned lands of Highlees [Dundonald] to John Lyn of Boutrehill. On 2 May 1528, John Lyn of Bowrtrehill (Sic) witnessed an instrument in Glasgow concerning the Montgomeries. On 21 January 1548, John Lyn of that Ilk and Bowtrehill conveyed the lands of Highlees to Archibald Crawford as guardian for the heir of Hunterston. On 8 Feb 1568, Laurence Lin of Bourtrehill witnessed an instrument executed by John Lin of that Ilk, superior of Highlees. Lawrence Lyn in Bourtriehill was widowed in 1608, a testament being recorded on 17 Oct of that year for his wife, Bessie Wallace. In 1621 William, son of John Cuninghame of Cunninghamhead holds the property and by 1661 it is in the hands of Hugh, later Earl of Eglinton.
In 1685, and 1696 the barony belonged to Sir James Montgomerie of Skelmorlie, from whom it was purchased in 1748 by Peter Montgomerie, merchant in Glasgow whose son, James Montgomerie, sold it to Robert Hamilton of Rozelle, prior to 1748. Robert Hamilton of Rozelle was born 5 January 1698 and was the eldest son of Hugh Hamilton of Clongall, merchant in Ayr. He and his younger brother, John, ancestor of the Hamiltons of Sundrum, were long resident in Jamaica, where they possessed the estate of Pemberton valley, and acquired very considerable wealth. Robert died 4 June 1773, aged 75. He was succeeded by his eldest daughter, Jean, the Countess of Craufurd, who died 6 October 1809. Her sister, Dame Margaret Hamilton Cathcart, widow of Sir John Cathcart of Carelton, who died in 1785 then succeeded. She died in 1817 and the property devolved upon her nephew, Archibald William, Earl of Eglintoun through the marriage of Hugh, twelfth Earl of Eglinton to his cousin Eleonora, youngest daughter of Robert Hamilton.
Alexander Guthrie of Mount in Kilmarnock purchased Bourtreehill in 1847 and it passed to his daughter, Christina in 1852 (Dobie 1876). Christina married the Hon. D. A. F. Browne, who became Lord Oranmore and Browne in the Peerage of Ireland. Nothing now remains of Bourtreehill House, however remains of outbuildings are still visible. In 1776, plate 45 of G. Taylor and A. Skinner's 'Survey and maps of the roads of North Britain or Scotland' shows Bourtreehill and gives the Countess of Crawfurd as proprietor. This was a valuable Barony, lying partly in the Parish of Irvine and partly in Dreghorn.
In the 18th century, the Earl of Crawford, whose house in Kilbirnie burned to the ground, rescued his wife and daughter and took residence in Bourtreehill House. The building was demolished in the 1960s. The woodland policies with many specimen trees and a good quality ground flora are still of significance today (2009).
Views of the old Bourtreehill Estate (2007)
Standalane
Above Cunninghamhead station in 1860 was a cottage, Standalane, lying on the left hand side of the old road to Springside, which is now closed as a new road has been constructed closer to Irvine for traffic safety reasons. Standalane's position in 1897 is shown as being almost on the mineral line; The OS maps after this date do not show it at all. The name 'Standalane' is quite common and was applied to dwellings which lay just outside and thus separated and 'standing alone' from villages or small towns, in this case Crossroads. In 1776, plate 45 of G. Taylor and A. Skinner's 'Survey and maps of the roads of North Britain or Scotland' shows 'Standalone' marked.
The sandstone parapet of the old bridge overlooking the site of Cunninghamhead railway station has many naive graffiti carvings on it, made over the years by local children / pupils from the local village school as they watched the old steam and diesel trains going by on the railway below.
Warrickhill and Righouse Estates Like Annick Lodge, Righouse was also described as a 'ferme ornee' or 'rustic dwelling'. It was occupied by Colonel Fullarton of Fullarton in 1838.
Warrix (now Warrick) Hill also formed part of the demesne of the De Morvilles who forfeited their lands to Robert the Bruce. Sir James, son of Sir James Stewart of Bonkill, son of Alexander the High Steward of Scotland, obtained Peirstoun and Warrixhill, and his son, also Sir James, in turn inherited. This son had only a daughter as heir and she married Sir William Douglas and thus the property passed by marriage to the Barclay's of Pierstoun. Warrixhill became divided into two and the Montgomeries of Bourtreehill held one half while the Cunninghamhead family obtained the other. In 1524 William Cuninghame inherited the lands from his father John and both parts were sold to John Edmeston, Minister of Cardross, whose son John sold them to Jonathan Anderson, a Glasgow Merchant. William Henry Ralston, a cadet of the Ralstons of that Ilk purchased them in 1790 from John, son of Jonathan Edmeston. A nephew, Alexander MacDougal Ralston inherited in 1833. Margaret Fullarton was the wife of Alexander McDougall Ralston. They were buried in Dreghorn parish churchyard. The three sections of Peirstoun were known as Pierstoun-Barclay, Pierstoun-Blair and Pierstoun-Cunninghame. This latter portion is thought to have contained Warrickhill itself. John Muir of Warwick Mains died in 1875. He was a private in the Ayrshire Yeomanry Cavalry and was killed in an accident by his horse. He was buried in Dreghorn Parish Churchyard.
Mr & Mrs Ralston of Warrickhill attended the famous 1839 Eglinton Tournament in what is now Eglinton Country Park and were allotted a seat in the Grand Stand.Aikman, J. & Gordon, W. (1839) An Account of the Tournament at Eglinton. Pub. Hugh Paton, Carver & Gilder. Edinburgh. MDCCCXXXIX.
Langlands Farm
This farm is shown on Pont's / Blaeu's 1654 map and it is close to the River Annick (previously Annock or Annack Water) in the area once known as Strathannick. The name may refer to the appearance of the long strips of land which were typical of the 'rig and furrow' ploughing system. Langlands Farm overlooks the confluence of the Annick and the Glazert at Water Meetings; two high-arched bridges provide the road crossing. Langlands was owned at one time by the Sword family who ran the Western SMT Bus Company in the mid-20th century. They had a large collection of Hackney horses with an exercise track and other facilities at Langlands (Smith 2006). A rare example of a pear tree grows near the farm.
Scroaggy or Fairliecrevoch Mill A mill is marked on Timothy Pont's map of 1604–1608, published in 1654, identified as a waulk mill, used for preparing serge for clothing. The site of the mill is marked on Aitken's 1829 map as Scroaggie Mill, in Robertson (1820) it is called Scrogie Mill and valued at £36 rent. Thomson's 1832 map shows it as being close to and upstream from Ramstane on the Annick Water. It was on the west side near to a pronounced bend in the river. EtymologyThe word Scroag or Scrog in Scots means a gnarled or stunted tree or tree stump. Specifically it can mean a Crab Apple tree or Scrog-Apple as they were known.
William King was born to Thomas King and Barbara Neilson who are recorded on the 1755 baptismal records as living at Sevenacres Mill near Kilwinning. William went on to become the miller at Scroggie Mill and also worked as a farmer. Baptismal records show that his son, also William, was born in 1792 at Scroggie. His son, again a William, was born in 1833 remained at Scroggie until 1851 when he moved to Old Monkland, his place of work. Buried in St Maurs-Glencairn Kirk in Kilmaurs William and Mary King's gravestone reads "...late of Scrogiemill parish of Stewarton d. 3.6.1816 aged 61y. Also his wife Mary Aitken d. 17.11.1841 aged 86y".
Aiton comments that crab-apple-trees were sometimes used in the hedges which were erected since the year 1766. The 'Place of the Crab apples' description fits well with the present appearance of the site which has an old wood next to it with a contiguous woodland recently planted by the farmer at Langlands. Crab apples trees are common among the ruins of the old mill itself.
In 1832 Thomson's map shows a ford and a lane running down from Ramstane, which can still be made out and the natural bedrock dyke of the river bed here made this an obvious site for a ford. The 1860 OS shows a lade running across the 'peninsula' of land made by the 'U' bend, with a dam across the river below Langlands farm forming a mill pond. At this date the mill is known only as Fairliecrevoch, being a clothmill with a track running down to it from Barnahill and a footbridge across the river from Ramstane.
StevenSteven, Rev. Charles Bannatyne (Revised 1842). Parish of Stewarton. Presbytery Of Irvine, Synod of Glasgow and Ayr states that the representative of the family of Ross now the Earl of Glasgow, has inter alia the title of Lord Boyle of Stewarton, and at this date, January 1842, has now only about in the parish, formerly called Crivochmill, but now commonly called Scrogmill where was till late, a meal - mill, now converted to a wool - spinning mill.
The 1923 OS marks the site and the ford, but does not name it as a mill and the 1963 OS indicates a single building at the end of a rough track which would originally have been the miller's dwelling. Very little remains today (2006) other than the vague line of the lade, the ruins of the miller's house, the foundations of the mill and the lade water outlet area beside the river. The name change may have occurred as the mill at Fairlie-Crevoch by Kennox had been abandoned and could now be used here next to the farm of that name. Scroaggy is a name still used for this area by local farmers (Hastings 2006).
A very substantial metal bridge with concrete abutments crosses the Annick nearby. It is now without its wooden decking and was presumably built by the Sword's when they owned both Barnahill and Langlands farms. The map rather improbably shows the track from this bridge running up to join the mainroad near the point where the lane runs down towards Aultonhead and Aulton Farms. The track can still be seen below the hedge with a gradient that would be too great for most vehicles and a dangerous proximity to the river. The exit to the road was at a dangerous bend and this route must have been abandoned after only a relatively short period of use.
Ramstane