99-458: The Annick Water (previously also spelled as Annack, Annoch (1791) or Annock) is the largest tributary of the River Irvine . The river runs from Long Loch , just inside East Renfrewshire , in a generally south-western direction through North Ayrshire and East Ayrshire , to confluence with its parent river at Irvine, North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland. The name may derive from
198-605: A Stewarton boy fell into the Annick Water when it was in flood. The scene of the tragedy was near Lainshaw House. Royal Navy 'Search and Rescue' helicopter from HMS Gannet searched the river for several hours, unsuccessfully. The body was found in the river a few days later near the sewerage works. Craignaught Hill lies in the north-east area of the Parish of Dunlop, with the Clerkland Burn running beneath and on through
297-510: A conventicle (an illegal religious meeting of Covenanters) on the lands of Harelaw, in the Parish of Loudoun , on 1 June 1679, the worshippers were warned of the approach of John Graham of Claverhouse and the King's troops. The battle itself took place in Avondale near Drumclog . The Laird of Torfoot graphically described the scene of bloody hand-to-hand fighting with no 'quarter' given. At
396-537: A Montgomerie who was Lord of Lainshaw and whose Lady was a Margaret Cunninghame of Aiket Castle , with sisters married to John Cunninghame of Corsehill and David Cunninghame of Robertland. It seems that a plot to kill the Earl as an act of revenge had been organised and the Lady, or some say a servant girl who was also a Cunninghame, climbed to the battlements after the meal to hang out a white table napkin and thereby spring
495-681: A cheap dish in the United Kingdom . During the 1990s, their numbers collapsed across Europe. They became a delicacy, and the UK's most expensive species. Eels, particularly the moray eel , are popular among marine aquarists . Eel blood is toxic to humans and other mammals, but both cooking and the digestive process destroy the toxic protein. High consumption of eels is seen in European countries leading to those eel species being considered endangered. In 2010, Greenpeace International added
594-587: A concrete manhole indicates this trough now (2006). In 1856 the water for baptism in Dunlop Kirk was still drawn from this Holy Well. St Winnans Well runs into the Garnock at Kilwinning and tradition ascribes healing properties to its holy waters. Dentibert well is on Mid Muir hill on the upper reaches of the Craufurdland water. A Lady's Well is also present near Auchmannoch farm on the upper reaches of
693-589: A keeper to take care of it as the mineral water was of some value. The mineral well waters empty into the Glazert , which joins the Annick Water at Watermeetings near Cunninghamhead . The Chapel Burn rises near the Anderson Plantation in the fields below Lainshaw Mains and it is marked as a chalybeate or mineral spring on the 1911 6" OS map. Bore holes nearby suggest that the water was put to
792-495: A monarch who had spent much time at Dundonald Castle. Another source spoils the story by giving Dumbarton as the place of the Red Stuart's death. In April 1586, Hugh, 4th. Earl of Eglinton was travelling to Stirling to join the royal court having been commanded to attend by the King. He was accompanied only by a few domestic servants and being in no great hurry he stopped at Lainshaw Castle to dine with his close relative,
891-443: A more formal use at one time, supplying cattle troughs or possibly even for a stand pipe as mineral water was popular for its supposed curative properties. According to the opinion of the day, it could cure 'the colic, the melancholy, and the vapours; it made the lean fat, the fat lean; it killed flat worms in the belly, loosened the clammy humours of the body, and dried the over-moist brain. The main spring here has been covered over and
990-605: A narrow mouth or strait with the Firth (previously Frith) of Clyde. The course of the Irvine is recorded as having shifted in an old Eglinton Estates document, a map recording the previous course with a note that the water left the old riverbed in 1758. This altered the confluence of the River Irvine with the Annick Water. The Irvine is tidal as far as the nature reserve at Shewalton, one-half mile (800 m) or so upstream from
1089-617: A narrow pass) to the north of Craignaught on the old lane to Grange Farm, now named South Grange. Boyd's Hill has been undamaged (2007) by the quarrying and domestic waste disposal operations and the Boyd's slack is also clearly identifiable. A little below the watermeetings of the Irvine and the Kilmarnock Water took place a pivotal incident in 1297, which led to the Scottish Nation regaining its independence following what
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#17327797663481188-424: A spout through which the spring water once passed into a cast iron 'bowl'. It seems unlikely from the workmanship that this stone and cross have anything to do with the old chapel, but one possibility is that it came from over the entrance door to Laigh Chapelton as the custom was for a Templar property to have the 'cross' symbol of the order displayed in such a fashion[2]. On the other hand, it could have been made for
1287-554: A stone pipe, situated in a stone-faced cutting in the hill slope, the spring water running into the Annick Water. The Monk's or Mack's or Maaks Well at Kilmaurs, pronounced 'Manks Well' runs into the Carmel beneath Kilmaurs Place. It is said that many years ago the local laird tried to prevent the local people from using the well. It dried up until the lord changed his mind, but has run continuously ever since. A few deaths have occurred here by drowning or by physical trauma Next to
1386-554: A weir existed close to Lainshaw House, raising the water level to form an area which was ideal for water fowl. A small weir is still present beneath the surviving bridge into the Lainshaw Holm. Wooden carriageway bridges existed at two places on the Lainshaw estate; the stone built abutments are still visible. A number of old bridges cross the Annick Water along its entire length, such as at Stewarton and Chapeltoun . Notable
1485-567: Is a monophyletic group that originated among the deep-sea eels. The earliest fossil eels are known from the Late Cretaceous ( Cenomanian ) of Lebanon . These early eels retain primitive traits such as pelvic fins and thus do not appear to be closely related to any extant taxa. Body fossils of modern eels do not appear until the Eocene , although otoliths assignable to extant eel families and even some genera have been recovered from
1584-652: Is a commoner, a husband or in a derogatory sense, a churl or male of low birth. More commonly the name Carlin was used as a derogatory term for a woman meaning an 'old hag'. It is also said to be a corruption of the Gaelic word "Cailleach", meaning a witch or the 'old Hag', the Goddess of Winter. This would therefore be the Witch's or Hag's Stone, one of several in Scotland with this name. It has been much visited at one time, with
1683-488: Is a crab apple or gnarled tree stumps in old Scots and this 'nickname' well describes the area where the mill stood. At Galston the Burnanne joins the Irvine. This tributary was famous for its rich jasper pebbles; semi-precious stones, which were collected, cut and polished for use in jewellery. The gravel bed of rivers was an important source of income for millers and others who owned the rights of extraction. The gravel
1782-713: Is a traditional Māori food in New Zealand . In Italian cuisine , eels from the Valli di Comacchio , a swampy zone along the Adriatic coast, are especially prized, along with freshwater eels of Bolsena Lake and pond eels from Cabras, Sardinia . In northern Germany , the Netherlands , the Czech Republic , Poland , Denmark , and Sweden , smoked eel is considered a delicacy . Elvers, often fried, were once
1881-491: Is also quite probable. The River Irvine rises in two head-waters, the one in a moss at Meadow-head, on the eastern boundary of the parish of Loudoun or of Ayrshire, and the other a mile eastward in the parish of Avondale in Lanarkshire, near the battle-field of Drumclog . About 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (4.4 km) from the point it enters Ayrshire, Glen Water joins it from the north. Strictly speaking Glen Water
1980-599: Is an adjective form of an older word, ελλυ, meaning "snake", which is directly comparable to Hittite ellu-essar- "snake pit". This myth likely came to Greece via Anatolia. In the Hittite version of the myth, the dragon is called Illuyanka : the illuy- part is cognate to the word illa , and the -anka part is cognate to angu , a word for "snake". Since the words for "snake" (and similarly shaped animals) are often subject to taboo in many Indo-European (and non-Indo-European) languages, no unambiguous Proto-Indo-European form of
2079-518: Is derived from the Gaelic iar-an meaning 'westward-flowing' river. A Brittonic origin is also possible. The root *arb-īno , meaning "wild turnip", has been suggested (c.f. Welsh erfin ), though the earliest record and the possibly identical River Irfon in Wales do not encourage this. The Middle Welsh adjective erbyn , meaning "hostility, fighting against", might also be considered here. An ancient river-name formation of very obscure origin
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#17327797663482178-568: Is now officially closed as a commercial port and now houses a number of privately owned pleasure craft. It is also now home to part of the Scottish Maritime Museum with numerous vessels on display, including the 'Spartan', one of the last surviving Clyde puffers. Fishing is a very popular pursuit and many angling clubs maintain the river and its banks, monitor fish stocks, report on pollution and carry out conservation measures. Pont in 1604 – 08 writes that salmon are plentiful in
2277-576: Is the 17th century remains of bridge-supports in Bourtreehill 's own stretch of the Annick. Other early railway bridges cross its shallow and easy waters. The lower reaches were known as Strathannick in the 18th century, but the name has sadly gone out of use. During a particularly long feud between the Cunningham and Montgomery families in the 16th and 17th centuries, the fourth Earl of Eglinton
2376-583: Is the parent stream, because it is longer and carries more water; for the Glen Water rises at Crosshill in Renfrewshire, a mile (1.6 km) north of the East Ayrshire boundary, and runs 6 miles (9.7 km) southward, joined by five rills (small streams) in its progress, to the point of confluence with the Irvine. Swollen by the Glen Water, the Irvine immediately passes the town of Darvel on
2475-542: Is used as a metaphor for Nazi atrocities, and the sight of eels being killed by a fisherman triggers the madness of the protagonist's mother. Sinister implications of eels fishing are also referenced in Jo Nesbø 's Cockroaches , the second book of the Harry Hole detective series. The book's background includes a Norwegian village where eels in the nearby sea are rumored to feed on the corpses of drowned humans, making
2574-478: Is visible when the water is low. It is unlikely to have gained its name from various similar sounding Roman and Celtic deities. Many of the weirs, dams and fords on the rivers were built on or developed at natural stone dikes , which already raised the water level at that point. In Kilmarnock in 1880 the Glencairn Mill stood near Riccarton, just before the two bridges, with a long lade running up to join
2673-511: The Annick Water , again on the right bank. The river now runs 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km) in a north-west direction, passing through the town of Irvine ; it then suddenly bends round until it follows a southerly direction; and opposite the town of Irvine, when running southward, it suddenly expands into a basin 3 ⁄ 4 of a mile (1.2 km) wide. It receives the Garnock river at its north-west extremity, and communicates by
2772-666: The Campanian and Maastrichtian , indicating some level of diversification among the extant groups prior to the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction , which is also supported by phylogenetic divergence estimates. One of these otolith taxa, the mud-dwelling Pythonichthys arkansasensis , appears to have thrived in the aftermath of the K-Pg extinction, based on its abundance. Taxonomy based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes : Order Anguilliformes In some classifications,
2871-481: The European eel , Japanese eel , and American eel to its seafood red list. Japan consumes more than 70% of the global eel catch. The English name "eel" descends from Old English ǣl , Common Germanic *ēlaz . Also from the common Germanic are West Frisian iel , Dutch aal , German Aal , and Icelandic áll . Katz (1998) identifies a number of Indo-European cognates, among them
2970-788: The Northeast . Freshwater eels, known as Kusia in Assamese , are eaten with curry, often with herbs. The European eel and other freshwater eels are mostly eaten in Europe and the United States , and is considered critically endangered. A traditional east London food is jellied eels , although the demand has significantly declined since World War II. The Spanish cuisine delicacy angulas consists of elver (young eels) sautéed in olive oil with garlic ; elvers usually reach prices of up to 1000 euro per kg. New Zealand longfin eel
3069-543: The Sargasso Sea has been known to cross land at certain sections of the Annick River. This is a common habit of the eel but the sight is rather odd. As well as some Trout and Salmon it has a healthy population of Sticklebacks, Minnows, Freshwater Shrimps, Freshwater Limpets, Caddisfly Larvae, Blackfly, Stonefly and Leeches, indicating that the water quality is good. Mallard and heron are frequently encountered and
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3168-431: The slender giant moray . Adults range in weight from 30 g (1 oz) to well over 25 kg (55 lb). They possess no pelvic fins , and many species also lack pectoral fins . The dorsal and anal fins are fused with the caudal fin, forming a single ribbon running along much of the length of the animal. Eels swim by generating waves that travel the length of their bodies. They can swim backward by reversing
3267-592: The 16th century. Timothy Pont c. 1606 states that "not far from Kilmarnock, in ye midell of ye river Iruin, was the Read Steuart slaine, after he had receaved a Responce from a vitch yat he should not perrish nather in Kyle or zet in Cuninghame, the said river being the merch betwixt the two, and being in nather of them." This Red Stewart was Sir John Stewart of Dundonald , a natural son of Robert II of Scotland,
3366-656: The 1870s; called 'Struthers Steps' they crossed the river Irvine below Struther's Farm, home to James Paterson . The Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers in 1931 remark on the stepping stones at Struthers having long since disappeared and that stepping stones at Haining on the Cessnock Water still survived. Eel see text Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes ( / æ ŋ ˈ ɡ w ɪ l ɪ f ɔːr m iː z / ), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families , 164 genera , and about 1000 species . Eels undergo considerable development from
3465-464: The 1897 OS map as being located just downstream from the present Chapeltoun bridge over the Annick Water and further upstream near Townhead of Lambroughton. The then owner of Chapeltoun Mains had the Chapeltoun stepping stone sremoved in the 20th century. Stepping stones are shown near Waterside Farm on the Irvine at Galston . Stepping stones and a ford existed at Kaimshill House near Crookedholme in
3564-559: The A77 Ayr Road on the site. From The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace , a poem by Blind Harry . Three slew he there, two fled with all their might, unto their horse in a confounded fright; Left all their fish, no longer durst remain, and three fat English bucks upon the plain; Thus in a great hurry, having got their cuffs, they scampered off in haste to save their buffs. On
3663-746: The Annick, which had 'Andra Sweelzies' and the Ladies 'Dookin' Hole. The Burnanne or Burnawn joins the Irvine at Galston. It is named after St Anne , said to be the mother of the Virgin Mary . The St Anne's holy well is marked on the OS and lies above Bank wood, flowing into the Burn Anne. Maria's well lies on the Byrebank burn, in the Loudoun castle policies, which runs down near Loudoun Academy to join
3762-517: The Chapelton (old) House to associate the building with the Christian history of the site. The stone is unusually thick and has been clearly reworked to pass a spout through it. The OS record that in the 1970s a Mr. H. Gollan of Chapeltown stated that the 'Monk's Well', was believed to have been associated with the chapel. In July 1956 the OS state that the 'Monk's Well' is a spring emerging through
3861-521: The Corsehill Burn, which arose from the Clerkland Burn. Lambroch Mill was located near Laigh Castleton Farm. Scroaggy or Fairliecrevoch Mill was a waulk mill for preparing cloth and existed until the 1960s, with its lade cutting across the large loop in the river near Ramstane. Downstream from Cunninghamhead was a sawmill and a corn mill existed in Perceton near the old church. Scroag or scrog
3960-570: The Craufurdland water. A fair number are present, often on the higher reaches of the rivers. Some are named, such as Lizzie's Linn at Caven Mill, Montgreenan , on the Lugton Water. The Cessnock Water has a number on its course through the woods at the Carnell estate near Fiveways outside Kilmarnock. A series of low waterfalls occur at Cunnighamhead on the Annick Water, these being, like many others, dykes that are more resistant to erosion than
4059-451: The Gaelic for 'overflowing' and Strathannick is very much prone to flooding as recorded by SEPA . The water now (2006) appears to be pollution free for most of its length. An independent survey in the Bourtreehill (1999) area revealed a strong colony of freshwater shrimp, a crustacean known only to live in relatively clean water. On 27 January 2009 a BP tanker train carrying liquid fuels (diesel and heating oil) from Mossend to Riccarton
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4158-692: The Glazert, and Lambroughton on the Garrier . In the area around Stewarton the valley of the Annick Water was known as 'Strathannick'. Dunlop house and Corsehill castle (ruin) are on the Clerkland Burn and Robertland House is on the Swinzie Burn, both of which flow into the Annick Water. A large procumbent boulder known on the OS map as the 'Carlin's Stone' lies next to the Carlin Burn near Craigends Farm below Cameron's Moss in East Ayrshire. A Carl
4257-632: The Howard Park in Kilmarnock , previously 'Barbadoes Green'; the old 'fossilised' river bank is still discernible. It is said that this was done deliberately by a Lord Boyd, the local laird, so that he could claim more land. The river formed the boundary and by moving it permanently he gained more land. St. Winnan of Kilwinning is said to have made the River Garnock change its course and follow another "adverse to nature". The river's mistake
4356-526: The Irvine. A mineral spring is recorded as being near Stewarton , North Ayrshire, called the Bloak Well. Robinson gives the Scot's word 'blout' as meaning the 'eruption of fluid'. Bloak Well was first discovered in 1800, 1810, or in around 1826, by the fact that pigeons from neighbouring parishes flocked here to drink. Mr. Cunningham of Lainshaw built a handsome house over the well in 1833 and appointed
4455-581: The Kilmaurs-Glencairn church in Kilmaurs is a patch of woodland that was once an orchard. The Tour streamlet joins the Carmel nearby and before the confluence can be found an old well, arched over, known as the Lady's Well, with never-failing, excellent and refeshingly cool water. A small wooden bridge used to run across to the Lady's Well from the church glebe side. Saint Inans well lies close to
4554-518: The Old English word for "hedgehog", which is igil (meaning "snake eater"), and perhaps in the egi- of Old High German egidehsa "wall lizard". According to this theory, the name Bellerophon ( Βελλεροφόντης , attested in a variant Ἐλλεροφόντης in Eustathius of Thessalonica ) is also related, translating to "the slayer of the serpent" ( ahihán ). In this theory, the ελλερο-
4653-650: The Paleobiology Database: Freshwater eels ( unagi ) and marine eels ( conger eel , anago ) are commonly used in Japanese cuisine ; foods such as unadon and unajū are popular, but expensive. Eels are also very popular in Chinese cuisine , and are prepared in many different ways. Hong Kong eel prices have often reached 1000 HKD (128.86 US Dollars) per kg, and once exceeded 5000 HKD per kg. In India , eels are popularly eaten in
4752-436: The River Irvine and on the banks of its tributaries are Craufurdland (Craufurdland Water) and Dean castle (Fenwick Water), the two joining to form the Kilmarnock Water; Rowallan, Tour house, Kilmaurs Place, Carmel Bank and Busbie castle (demolished) on the Carmel; Lainshaw (restored 2006), Chapelton (demolished), Annick Lodge, and Bourtreehill (demolished) on the Annick Water ; Aiket , Bonshaw (demolished) and Kennox House on
4851-467: The River Irvine. The river contains, amongst others, brown trout, sea trout, salmon, eels, minnows, and sticklebacks. Rivers have always been used for swimming and one such favourite swimming pool, called the 'Toad Hole' is found near Ramstane on the Annick Water above Cunninghamhead . Many others exist, such as the 'Auld dam' and the 'Munt' on the Corsehill (Clerkland) burn at Stewarton , running into
4950-407: The Shawhill Woods at Hurlford by some of Mr John Carse's sons. Margaret Irvine of the nearby old Shaw Farm had something of a reputation as a witch and it was thought appropriate that a man drowned by the Devil should be recovered by one of his adherents. Placed on a cart, the body was taken to Galston, accompanied en route by an unknown man dressed in black! Maid Morville's mound was located to
5049-430: The arch of the 'Auld Brig', killing the unfortunate woman outright. It is recorded that stilts were sometimes used to cross the river, for example Thomas Raeburn of Holmhead near Hurlford worked as a gardener at Shawhill House and regularly crossed the River Irvine using stilts. At nearby Barleith, Mayday festivities sometimes included stilt races across and back, resulting in much amusement as many competitors fell into
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#17327797663485148-456: The battle, but the Scots troops had dug trenches and were relatively unharmed. The English cavalry were panicked by the pikes of the Scots and a slaughter of the English soldiers developed ending in complete victory for the Bruce's Scots army. At the Nether Ford on the Irvine near Riccarton, Robert the Bruce in 1307 sent Sir James Douglas to intercept the English soldiers commanded by Sir Philip de Mowbray . The English were ambushed as they crossed
5247-414: The centuries the River Irvine and its tributaries have been associated with many violent deaths and accidental drownings, some famous enough to have been recorded and remembered in the folklore of the county. It is recorded that a deep pool in the River Irvine at Irvine was called the 'Witches Plumb' and that it may have been used to duck supposed witches to see if the Devil would save them. This pool lay near
5346-424: The clear remains of a footbridge running to it across the Hareshawmuir Water. The Grannie Stane (or Granny Stane) is described as "one of Irvine's prehistoric puzzles", this boulder is either left behind from the Ice Age or is the last remaining stone of a stone circle – others were removed, by blasting, after the Irvine weir was constructed in 1895, but popular protests saved this remaining stone. The Grannie Stane
5445-400: The confluence with the Annick Water. The main contributing rivers and rivulets in descending order of their confluences are therefore the Glen Water, Polbaith Burn, Cessnock Water, Kilmarnock Water, Carmel Water, Annick Water, and the Garnock. Many watercourses have changed direction over the years for various reasons. The Kilmarnock Water used to run slightly to the west as it passes through
5544-462: The direction of the wave. Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. Most eel species are nocturnal , and thus are rarely seen. Sometimes, they are seen living together in holes or "eel pits". Some eels also live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes deep as 4,000 m (13,000 ft). Only members of the Anguilla regularly inhabit fresh water, but they, too, return to
5643-469: The early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators . The term "eel" is also used for some other eel-shaped fish, such as electric eels (genus Electrophorus ), swamp eels (order Synbranchiformes ), and deep-sea spiny eels (family Notacanthidae). However, these other clades , with the exception of deep-sea spiny eels, whose order Notacanthiformes is the sister clade to true eels, evolved their eel-like shapes independently from
5742-636: The earth riverside banks at Cunninghamhead and elsewhere. The riverside vegetation includes Butterburr, Reed-Canary Grass, Rushes, Water Forget-Me-Not, Brooklime-Speedwell, Giant Hogweed, Hemlock Water-Dropwort, Willows and Alders. River Irvine The River Irvine ( Scottish Gaelic : Irbhinn ) is a river that flows through southwest Scotland . Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of 810 feet (250 m) above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill , Drumclog , and 7 miles (11 kilometres) SW by W of Strathaven . It flows 29 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi (47.5 km) westward, dividing
5841-442: The eel fisheries at Ballisodare were greatly improved by the hanging of loosely plaited grass ladders over barriers, enabling elvers to ascend more easily. Several sets of classifications of eels exist; some, such as FishBase which divide eels into 20 families, whereas other classification systems such as ITIS and Systema Naturae 2000 include additional eel families, which are noted below. Genomic studies indicate that there
5940-411: The end of the day the Covenanters , commanded by Robert Hamilton, were victorious. Following the Battle of Drumclog , the defeated Claverhouse and his remaining troops escaped to Glasgow to fight another day, leaving 36 dead on the battlefield. According to tradition, the Puddleford in Irvine, was the site of a skirmish between Wallace and the English – there is no evidence that Wallace was present, but
6039-798: The family Cyematidae of bobtail snipe eels is included in the Anguilliformes, but in the FishBase system that family is included in the order Saccopharyngiformes . The electric eel of South America is not a true eel but is a South American knifefish more closely related to the carps and catfishes . Phylogeny based on Johnson et al. 2012. Protanguillidae Synaphobranchidae Heterenchelyidae Myrocongridae Muraenidae [REDACTED] Chlopsidae Derichthyidae Nettastomatidae Congridae [REDACTED] Ophichthidae Muraenesocidae Moringuidae Eurypharyngidae Saccopharyngidae [REDACTED] Monognathidae Cyematidae [REDACTED] Nemichthyidae Serrivomeridae Anguillidae [REDACTED] Based on
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#17327797663486138-412: The ford on the Irvine and sixty lay dead before the panic-stricken survivors fled in panic. The Hagg burn joins the Irvine just before the town of Galston, having run past the old ruined castle of Achruglen or Arcklowdun, near Loudoun Castle. Achruglen tower, now a ruin, was the site of the burning to death of two Campbells, the Countess of Loudoun and her son and heir, by the Kennedys of Bargany in
6237-535: The grounds of Dunlop House to join the Annick Water at Stewarton. On the slopes of Craignaught Hill was fought a singularly unusual battle between the Boyds of Kilmarnock and the Stewarts of Darnley. Sir Alan Stewart had been treacherously slain by Sir Thomas Boyd, and his son, Alexander Stewart, was determined to take revenge. Sir Thomas was surprised on the night of 9 July 1439, whilst riding past Craignaught on his way north and although outnumbered, he and his followers fought on, even taking agreed rest periods indicated by
6336-461: The left of the bridge over the Irvine at Holmford near Dreghorn . It commemorated the tragic drowning of a female member of this family whilst crossing the Irvine at the old ford. The De Morvilles were the overlords of the Baillie of Cunninghame in feudal times. The mound was destroyed by the earthworks of the new expressway. A 'Maid Morville' street still exists in Dreghorn to commemorate the event. A tombstone in Dreghorn parish churchyard records
6435-409: The monks of Kilwinning Abbey; only the name 'St. Marys' given to the nearby 'modern' dwellings, built on the site of the chapel record past significance. The Holy Well still exists, the nearby houses pumping water up from its source. The water from the well used to run under the road and emerge in a trough surrounded by a metal fence and then on into the Black Water, which joins the Glazert nearby. Only
6534-463: The moors that form the watershed. At one time people were carried across rivers, usually at fords, but not necessarily. A fee would normally be charged or it might be part of the 'job description' of a servant. One Ayrshire story tells of a rich farmer who employed a servant girl to carry him across the river on his way to church each Sunday. As time went by he became very fond of the servant and eventually they married. She willingly carried him across on
6633-793: The needs of cutlers and tinkers in Kilmaurs. The king allowed the diversion of water that would flow through the 'leg of a boot'. The parishes that border the river's south bank are Galston, Riccarton, and Dundonald; and on its north side are Loudoun, Kilmarnock, Kilmaurs, Dreghorn and Perceton, and Irvine. The presence of country estates effected the river and its tributaries, often through landscaping and engineering works such as weirs, embankments and minor alterations of its course. The feudal or Victorian estates of Loudoun castle (ruin), Cessnock house, Lanfine house, Holms house (ruin), Kilmarnock house (demolished), Peel house, Caprington, Fairlie house, Craig house (restored 2006), Newfield, Auchans (demolished), and Shewalton (demolished) were all connected with
6732-455: The north the Polbaith burn; 3 ⁄ 4 of a mile (1.2 km) lower down, the Cessnock water joins it from the south; and 3 miles (4.8 km) later it passes Kilmarnock and Riccarton on opposite sides, and receives on its right bank the tributary of the Kilmarnock (or Marnock) Water. Four miles (6.4 km) or more along its bed, Carmel Water joins it on the right bank; and 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (4.0 km) farther on, it receives
6831-432: The occasional Great Crested Grebe can be seen. Eels are sometimes to be found on land, especially in wet weather, taking a shortcut across the top of the lengthy loops that are found in the river in the area. Marchantia polymorpha, the Common Liverwort grows on the bare bedrock dykes of the Annick near Cunninghamhead Mill, this plant being much rarer than the name suggests. Pellia epiphyla and Lunularia liverworts grow on
6930-399: The old district of Cunninghame from that of Kyle, until it reaches the sea via Irvine Harbour in the form of the Firth of Clyde , and flows into Irvine Bay by the town of Irvine . It has many tributaries , some of which form parish, district and other boundaries. Irvine was first recorded in 1258 as Yrewyn , and several etymologies have been proposed. According to Groome, Irvine
7029-452: The oldest continually used settlement in Europe. This mesolithic village was on the banks of the Annick. A number of mills existed along its length with only Cunninghamhead Mill still standing today (2006). Lambroch Mill was located near Laigh Castleton Farm. Scroaggy or Fairliecrevoch Mill was a waulk or cloth mill and existed until the 1960s, with its lade cutting across the large loop in the river near Ramstane. Downstream from Cunninghamhead
7128-644: The plot. Thirty Cunninghames attacked the Earl at the Annick ford and cut his servants to pieces with swords and other weapons, the Earl himself being finally dispatched with a single shot from the pistol of John Cuninghame of Clonbeith Castle. His horse carried his dead body along the side of the river, still known in Stewarton as the 'Weeping', 'Mourning' or 'Widows' path. A wave of bloody revenge swept over Cunninghame and elsewhere, with Cunninghame friends, relatives and adherents killed without restraint. Following
7227-543: The remaining soldiers then fled. He went to his uncle's castle, the nearby Riccarton Castle , and in the following months an uprising slowly gained impetus through the example of one unarmed Scotsman killing three armed soldiers. A thorn tree called the " Bickering Bush " stood nearby and a public house by that name existed in Kilmarnock until it was demolished prior to the construction of the A71 Irvine flyover across
7326-446: The right, then 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (2.8 km) onward, the town of Newmilns and 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (3.6 km) farther on, the town of Galston, on the left. The Hagg burn joins before the town, having run past the old ruined castle of Arclowden: Old Loudoun Castle or "The Old Place", near the present Loudoun castle. The Burnanne joins at Galston. One and a quarter miles (2.0 km) below Galston it receives from
7425-532: The river Irvine on a path running parallel to the Old Irvine Parish churchyard. It bears the date 839 AD (see photograph). A monastic settlement and chapel of Saint Mary at the Thurgartstone near Dunlop 's Chapel Crags, is a Christian centre established to eradicate the pagan significance of the site. Monastic cells, a chapel and a graveyard are all now lost to view, originally constructed by
7524-461: The river for several hours, unsuccessfully. The body was found in the river a few days later near the sewerage works. North American mink have been sighted along the banks of the Annick. This aggressive animal was unfortunately introduced to Britain and has been the cause for much concern for many years. Kingfishers have been spotted flying above the surface of the water, successfully catching small fish in their beaks. The eel, which originates in
7623-590: The river near the Glenfield Iron Works; Richardland Brewery sat on the river bank and no doubt used its waters. A slaughter house sat where the Kilmarnock Water joins the Irvine, with an engine works just upstream from it. A Foundry, a forge and an engine works sat beside the Kilmarnock Water at Townholm. A large number of mills existed along the length of the Annick Water, with only Cunninghamhead Mill still standing today (2006). The Corsehill Mills (corn and wool) were at Stewarton, powered by water from
7722-426: The sea to breed. The heaviest true eel is the European conger . The maximum size of this species has been reported as reaching a length of 3 m (10 ft) and a weight of 110 kg (240 lb). Other eels are longer, but do not weigh as much, such as the slender giant moray , which reaches 4 m (13 ft). Eels begin life as flat and transparent larvae , called leptocephali . Eel larvae drift in
7821-508: The sea's surface waters, feeding on marine snow , small particles that float in the water. Eel larvae then metamorphose into glass eels and become elvers before finally seeking out their juvenile and adult habitats. Some individuals of anguillid elvers remains in brackish and marine areas close to coastlines, but most of them enter freshwater where they travel upstream and are forced to climb up obstructions, such as weirs , dam walls, and natural waterfalls. Gertrude Elizabeth Blood found that
7920-766: The second part of the Latin word for eels, anguilla , attested in its simplex form illa (in a glossary only), and the Greek word for "eel", egkhelys (the second part of which is attested in Hesychius as elyes ). The first compound member, anguis ("snake"), is cognate to other Indo-European words for "snake" (compare Old Irish escung "eel", Old High German unc "snake", Lithuanian angìs , Greek ophis, okhis , Vedic Sanskrit áhi , Avestan aži , Armenian auj, iž , Old Church Slavonic *ǫžь , all from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ogʷʰis ). The word also appears in
8019-405: The site of the old Gallows Knowe where the old Irvine Royal Academy building was constructed. In the 19th century a Mr. Roxborough, weaver of Galston , after a drinking bout lasting several days, called for his suit one night, saying that the gentleman in black wanted him. Leaving the house with the imaginary man he was later found drowned at the large whinstone rock near the southern termination of
8118-493: The sounding of a horn. Eventually and inevitably Sir Thomas was killed, stabbed in the back by a Stewart, and a large number of his followers were also killed. The result of this encounter led to killings and counter killings that involved a great part of the West of Scotland. Boyd's wife had dreamed all that came to pass, and died of grief within days of her husband death. The 1860 OS marks 'Boyd's Hill' and 'Boyd's slack' (Scots for
8217-478: The surrounding rocks. Other notable waterfalls are on the Polbaith burn, Fenwick Water (near Rigghill), Glen water (Darvel) and Burn Anne. Weirs were often built to divert and provide a head of water for the many mills. A more unusual use of a weir was that at Lainshaw House where two weirs, together with a realignment of the Annick Water, provided a large area of water for waterfowl, shooting and ornament. Over
8316-874: The town is located. The daylight passage in the spring of elvers upstream along the Thames was at one time called "eel fare". The word 'elver' is thought to be a corruption of "eel fare". A famous attraction on the French Polynesian island of Huahine (part of the Society Islands ) is the bridge across a stream hosting three- to six-foot-long eels, deemed sacred by local culture. Eel fishing in Nazi -era Danzig plays an important role in Günter Grass ' novel The Tin Drum . The cruelty of humans to eels
8415-465: The tradition gained credibility when repeated as fact in the 1920s. In 1826, a severe drought forced farmers to collect water from the Monk's Well in Kilmaurs, a spring never known to be dry. They drove their carts along the dry bed of the Carmel to catch the water, which poured from an exit high up on the wall. One of these farmers horses bolted, bringing the head of a female rider into violent contact with
8514-539: The tragedy of the drowning in the Annick Water at Perceton of Aurthur Watson, aged two years and eight months on the twelfth of July 1867. His mother was Agnes McAntosh. In 1843 two young women crossing the pedestrian 'Auld brig (1824)' across the Carmel in Kilmaurs on a stormy night December night carrying a heavy load between them; they missed the way and the one in front was swept away and drowned. On 18 August 2007
8613-437: The true eels. As a main rule, most eels are marine. Exceptions are the catadromous genus Anguilla and the freshwater moray , which spend most of their life in freshwater, the anadromous rice-paddy eel , which spawns in freshwater, and the freshwater snake eel Stictorhinus . Eels are elongated fish, ranging in length from 5 cm (2 in) in the one-jawed eel ( Monognathus ahlstromi ) to 4 m (13 ft) in
8712-513: The upper reaches of the Irvine at Loudoun Hill , Wallace intercepted a convoy and routed those accompanying the English supplies. An earthwork at Loudoun Hill is still known as "Wallace's Knowe." On 10 May 1307 Aymer de Valence , King Edward 's commander, fought Robert the Bruce at Loudoun Hill, who was protected on either side by peat mosses, impassable by heavy cavalry. The English bowmen opened
8811-498: The water piped out to the burn, which runs down to join the Annick Water at Chapeltoun Bridge. In the woodland policies of Chapeltoun House is the Monk's Well (OS 1974), fountain or spring as indicated on the OS maps going back as far as 1858. Its present appearance is probably as a Victorian or Edwardian 'whimsy' or 'folly' with a large, thick sandstone 'tombstone appearance' with a slightly damaged cross carved in relief upon it and
8910-421: The water. Rivers form physical boundaries and are only crossed with either trouble or expense. At the port of Irvine itself ferry boats took passengers across to Ardeer , further upstream fords and /or stepping stones were present in many places. These were often treacherous and could turn from tranquil to lethal in a matter of minutes, often with no warning as the rainfall could well have fallen far upstream or at
9009-480: The way to their wedding, but she refused on the way back and never carried him again. The Kilmarnock Standard newspaper recorded in 2011 that a leisure boat service had been set up in the 1930s, running from a short concrete jetty, however it was not a success and did not continue for long. Many sets of stepping stones are recorded on OS maps, such as at Shawhill Farm near Hurlford, crossing over to Templetonburn and Skerrinngton Mains nearby. Stepping stones are marked on
9108-554: The word for eel can be reconstructed. It may have been *ēl(l)-u- , *ēl(l)-o- , or something similar. The large lake of Almere , which existed in the early Medieval Netherlands , got its name from the eels which lived in its water (the Dutch word for eel is aal or ael , so: " ael mere " = "eel lake"). The name is preserved in the new city of Almere in Flevoland , given in 1984 in memory of this body of water on whose site
9207-408: Was a sawmill and a corn mill existed in Perceton near the old church. Scroag or scrog is a crab apple or gnarled treestumps in old Scots and this 'nickname' well describes the area where the mill stood. A number of fords and stepping stones are present, notably at Chapeltoun , Lambroch Mill, and at Ramstane where a footbridge was also present. A footbridge is still present at Laigh Castleton and
9306-588: Was an island. Subsequent to Pont's time, the sea came right up to the town, with vessels loading and unloading at the Seagate, which is now half-a-mile from the sea. The Earl of Eglinton changed the course of the Lugton Water where it ran through what is now Eglinton Country Park . Adamson records that a link once existed between the Carmel Water and the Fenwick Water so as to provide more water for
9405-478: Was derailed near the bridge over the Stewarton to Kilmaurs road at Peacockbank Farm. Several wagons subsequently caught fire. The Annick Water was polluted, however, it escaped major contamination. Mesolithic man used the Annick as his waterway. From Bourtreehill to Dreghorn , the Annick has presented us with many artifacts dating from that time. Indeed, recent archaeological evidence from Dreghorn uncovered
9504-442: Was effectively its conquest by Edward I of England . Sir William Wallace was fishing on the Irvine when a troop of English soldiers dismounted and demanded that he give up his catch. He offered to share, but this was refused and he was grossly insulted by the soldiers for his temerity. He had no weapons, however he used his fishing rod to disarm one soldier and then killed him with his own sword. He similarly dispatched two others and
9603-564: Was murdered at a ford on the Annick at Bridgend in Stewarton. The river can be dangerous and a gravestone in Dreghorn Parish Church records the death by drowning of a young lad from Perceton in Victorian times. On 18 August 2007 a Stewarton boy, Dean McGregor, fell into the Annick Water when it was in flood. The scene of the tragedy was near Lainshaw House . An RAF 'Search and Rescue' helicopter from HMS Gannet searched
9702-527: Was sold for various farm and horticultural purposes, such as infilling drainage ditches, the surfacing of field entrances and driveways, road surfaces, horticulture, etc. In 1656 a report to Oliver Cromwell describes the port of Irvine at being "clogged up and almost choked with sand." In 1760 Irvine was the third most important port in Scotland, behind Port-Glasgow and Leith second. The River Irvine and its tributaries have many leisure uses, such as sailing, swimming, fishing, riparian walks, etc. Irvine harbour
9801-467: Was to fail to deliver up any fish to one of the saint's angler friends! The Garnock, Annick and Irvine did not even have the same confluence within recorded history, for Timothy Pont 's (1604–08) and Herman Moll 's (1745) maps show the Garnock emptying into the sea, about two miles (3.2 km) from the mouth of the Irvine. The Annick did not flow into the Garnock at this time and the Ardeer peninsula
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