LARGS, a parish, in the district of Cunninghame,
county of Ayr; containing, with the former quoad sacra
district of Fairlie, 4044 inhabitants, of whom 35'23 are
in the town and suburbs of Largs, 13| miles (N. N. W.)
from Saltcoats, and 79| (W. by S.) from Edinburgh.
The name of this place is supposed to be derived from
the term Learg, signifying " a plain;" but this etymology,
the only probable one assigned, is not clearly
established, as there is no considerable portion of
ground in the locality answering to that distinctive
appellation. The ancient records connected with Largs
refer chiefly to the history of its church, which was
dedicated to St. Columba, abbot of lona, and was a rectory,
the patronage belonging to the lordship. At the
beginning of the fourteenth century, Walter the Stewart,
" for the safety of his own soul and that of his late
spouse Marjory Bruce," granted the church with all
the tithes, " in pure and perpetual alms," to the monastery
of Paisley. The church continued in the possession
of the monastery till the Reformation, when Lord Claud
Hamilton, commendator of Paisley, obtained the patronage
and tithes of Largs, and the other revenues and
lands of the monks, the whole of which were made a
temporal lordship for himself and his heirs, with the
title of Lord Paisley. In 16'21, he was succeeded by his
grandson, James, Earl of Abercorn, from whom, in the
reign of Charles L, the patronage and tithes of the
church of Largs passed to Sir Robert Montgomerie of
Skchnorlie. Lilias Montgomerie, heiress of Skelmorlie,
by marriage in 1735 carried them to Alexander ISIontgomerie
of Coylsfield; and their son and heir. Colonel
Hugh Montgomerie of Coylsfield, succeeded in 1796 to
the earldom of Eglinton; so that Archibald William,
thirteenth Earl of Eglinton, is now patron of the church
of Largs. A celebrated battle took place here on the
3rd of October, 1263, between the Norwegians and Scots.
The former, under their king, Haco, were at first victorious;
but fearing that subsequent reinforcements
might enable the Scots finally to triumph, they retreated,
and Haco not long afterwards died at Kirkwall, in the
Orkneys, on his return to his kingdom of Norway. His
son and successor, ?>ic, however, married one of King
Alexander's daughters; and thus all future hostilities
were prevented.
The TOWN was formerly but a small village clustering
rcund the church, and has attained its present
populous and thriving condition by degrees, chiefly from
its situation on the shore of the Firth of Clyde, from
its superior facilities for sea-bathing, from the salubrity
of the climate, and the beauties of the surrounding
scenery. Some parts of the vicinity are marked with
features of a bold character. The hills on the east,
which form a barrier against the violence of the winds,
rise to a great elevation as they approach the town, and
comprise the eminences called the Hill of Stake, and,
more southward, Irishlaw and Knockside hill; reaching
respectively the height of I69I feet, 1576 feet, and 1419
feet above the level of the sea. From the summits of
these heights, and from their abrupt declivities bordering
on the town, views of the most diversified and picturesque
scenery may be obtained. Among the other
objects of interest is the Gogo river, which, rising in the
south-eastern quarter, receives the water of the Greeto
about the middle of its course, and falls into the sea on
the south side of the town. The Noddle rises in the
north-east, and after traversing the vale of Brisbane,
empties itself into the sea on the north of the town.
Largs has been celebrated for a considerable period as
an agreeable and healthy summer resort; and from the
month of May till about the middle of October, the
population derives an increase, owing to the influx of
visiters, varying from 300 or 400 to 1000. The plain
on which the town stands consists of a fine gravel,
quickly absorbing the moisture after rain; the whole
coast is perfectly safe, and by its gentle slope the beach
affords good opportunities of bathing at all times of the
tide. The town has been completely remodelled and
enlarged since the beginning of the present century, and
lighted with gas since the year 1839. The environs are
richly studded with elegant villas; but the only public
building is that of the baths, which, in addition to
accommodations for hot and cold bathing, contains a
large billiard and reading room. Two circulating libraries
have been established. About three miles
south of Largs, and also on the coast, is the pleasing
little village of Fairlie, inhabited by above 300 persons,
and, on account of its retired and attractive character,
and the handsome villas lately erected there, preferred
by many persons to the town. See Fairlie.
About '240 or 250 hands in the parish are employed
in the manufacture of shawls and shawl borders, the
work being obtained chiefly from Paisley. There are
branches of the Western Bank of Scotland and the City
of Glasgow Bank, and a general post-office. The public
road to Ayr and Irvine runs along the coast; and an
excellent road has been formed of late years across the
moor, passing in a south-eastern direction to Kilbirnie
and Dairy, and being of great benefit to the neighbourhood
for the conveyance of lime and coal. A parish
road, also, has been constructed through the vale of
Brisbane to the boundary of the parish, near Loch
Thom; it joins the (jreenock parish road, and shortens
the distance between that place and Largs about two
miles. The boundaries of the harbour extend from
Haylie to Noddleburn, and there is a considerable
traffic carried on by means of steam-boats. Till lately
the accommodation for them was indifferent; but on
application to Sir Thomas Macdougal Brisbane, Bart.,
he agreed to give some ground for a pier, receiving its
value in shares: a subscription was commenced, and
an act of parliament being obtained in 1H32, the foundation-
stone was laid on the 10th of January, 1H33,
and the pier opened on the 1st of December, 1S34. Great
advantage has been experienced in the landing and
shipping of passengers and goods by this pier, the cost
of which was £42/5; the shareholders are thirty-one in
number, and the shares, of £50 each, return about six
per cent. The produce of the parish is generally sent
for sale to Greenock, Glasgow, and Paisley; but a considerable
portion is reserved for domestic use. A fair,
called vulgarly Comb's-day, from St. Columba, is held
on the second Tuesday in June, O. S., for pigs, horses,
and especially young cattle, large numbers of which
last are brought from the Highlands. The town has a
baron-bailie appointed by the superior; but he rarely
interferes in judicial matters, the justices holding a
monthly court, where cases of small debt and breaches
of the peace are tried.
The PARISH stretches along the coast of the Firth for
nine miles, and measures in breadth a little more than
four miles, comprising 19,143 acres, of which 8598 are
heath and moorland pasture; the remainder comprehends
1145 acres in tillage, 3300 pasture and meadow,
5500 green pasture, and 600 woodland and gardens.
The usual kinds of grain and green crops are raised, with
the exception of wheat, which is but little cultivated;
and the four and the six shift courses of husbandry
are each in operati(m. About 600 cows, of the pure
Ayrshire breed, are kept for the dairy; the farmers near
the town mostly sell the milk, or make butter, while
those in the rural district convert the produce into
cheese. The number of young cows yearly reared is about
300; nearly 500 head of cattle are fattened, and 4600
sheep are kept on the high lands, besides a few English
sheep on some of the lower grounds; with a considerable
number of swine. Improvements of various descriptions
are gradually advancing, especially the draining and recovering
of waste land; and some new plantations have
been formed. Red and white sandstone are quarried
for building houses In the neighbourhood: the substrata
of the higher grounds consist mainly of secondary trap.
The annual value of real property in the parish is £13,743.
Among the seats is the old mansion of Kelburne Castle,
which was originally a square tower, but was enlarged
by David, Earl of Glasgow, and is the seat of the present
earl, having been the property of the family from a
remote period; it is situated two miles south of the
town, and embraces beautiful views of the Firth and
the surrounding scenery. The house of Brisbane, the
seat of Sir Thomas Macdougal Brisbane, who Is of a
family long located here, and the chief of their name,
stands two miles north of the town, in the beautiful glen
of Brisbane. Skelmorlle Castle, a seat of the Earl of
Eglinton's, is an ancient structure, having been built in
the year 1502; and is pleasantly situated on a commanding
eminence upon the coast, four miles north of
Largs. In addition to these, are numerous elegant residences
and villas, among which is that of Hawkhill, on
the Gogo, near the town.
Largs Is in the presbytery of Greenock, synod of
Glasgow and Ayr, and in the patronage of the Earl of
Eglinton; the minister's stipend is £246, with a manse,
and a glebe valued at £36. 8. per annum. The parish
belonged to the presbytery of Irvine until 1S34, when
it was tranferred to that of Greenock, newly formed.
The present church was built on a new site in 1812,
and enlarged in 1833; it contains 1268 sittings. The
Skelmorlie aisle of the old church, with the monument
erected by Sir Robert Montgomerie, and the enrichments
of the ceiling, attracts and merits the attention of the
antiquary, being unquestionably the finest sepulchral
design extant in the west of Scotland. A chapel in
connexion with the Establishment, containing 300 sittings,
was erected at Fairlie in 1833, by private subscription,
and made the church of a quoad sacra parish
in 1835; but It has now no ecclesiastical district attached.
There are places of worship for members of the
Free Church and the United Presbyterian Church. The
parochial school affords instruction In the usual branches;
the master has a salary of £25. 13., with a house, and
about £2 fees; also the interest of £1/5 bequeathed
for his use. A school, likewise, has been founded by
Sir Thomas M. Brisbane, and premises erected, with a
house for a master, at a cost of £350: the nomination of
the teacher, who has a salary of £30, and the management
of the institution, are vested in the family of
Brisbane, and the minister and Kirk Session of Largs.
In the south of the parish, and situated within the ancient
baronj' of Fairlie, is the ruin of an old castle,
which belonged for more than 400 years to a family of
that name, and at the beginning of the ISth century was
sold to David, Earl of Glasgow, with whose descendants
it still remains. The ruins of the house of Knock are
also yet standing: the Frazer family possessed the
estate for about 250 years till 1650, when the property
passed into other hands. Kelburne confers the title of
Viscount on the Earl of Glasgow; David, Lord Boyle,
having been created Viscount Kelburne and Earl of
Glasgow, April 12, 1703.