KILBRIDE, a parish, on the island of Arran,
county of Bute, '20 miles (S. W. by W.) from Saltcoats;
containing, with the villages of Brodick and Corrie,
2/86 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 ])arish, which
derives its name from the dedication of its ancient
church to St. Bridget or Bride, was the scene of some
interesting events during the wars with England that
originated in the disputed succession to the Scottish
throne, after the death of Alexander III. In 1306,
Rol)ert Jiruce, 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 of Arran, 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, the remains
of which 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 expedition against the west coast of Scotland,
this being one of the king's warlike measures to punish
the Scots for their refusal to concur in the proposed alliance
of Mary of Scotland with Prince Edward, afterwards
King of England. Some 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 within the last few years, extensive repairs and additions
have been effected. In February 1845, a few weeks
after the principal tower had been completed, that portion
of the structure fell down; but it was soon afterwards
rebuilt, with every precaution taken to prevent a
similar accident. The castle is now called Arran House,
and is the principal residence, especially during the summer,
of the Marquess and Marchioness of Douglas.
The PARISH, which occupies nearly one-half of the
Isle of Arran, is bounded on the east by the Firth of
Clyde, and on the west by a range of mountains separating
it from the parish of Kiimorie, 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 4'2,000 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
and majestic grandeur, or of 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, the highest of which, Goatfell,has
an elevation of nearly 3000 feet above the level of the
sea. The glens, the principal of which are Glen-Rosa,
Glensherag, Glenshant, Glen-Sannox, Glencloy, and Ashdale,
are watered by their respective rivers, flowing between
narrow banks of mountainous acclivity that 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 lake belonging
to the parish is Locli Urie, on the hill of Urie; it is of
small extent. Springs of the purest water, issuing from
the rocks, occur in many parts; and there are some
springs impregnated with iron and other minerals.
The whole extent of the 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. That of Lamlash is 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 residence of the Duke of Hamilton's
eldest son. To the south of Lamlash is Whiting
bay, of smaller dimensions, but the shores of which
present much 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 abounds with various kinds of
fish; the most numerous kinds are whiting and haddock,
but cod, ling, mackerel, conger-eels, skate, flounders,
soles, and turbot are likewise taken in considerable quantities.
Lobsters, crabs, and other 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 the soil 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 in the parish 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 by 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. On the hills there is good
pasturage for the 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 has been 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
thriving condition. The annual value of real property in
the parish is £4,548.
The geology of the district is in the highest degree interesting,
exhibiting within a small compass a kind of
epitome of the mineral structure of Scotland. There are
granite, trap, porphyry, and porphyritic clay-stone; and
rock crystals of almost every variety are found: the
substrata also 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 for some reason it was abandoned; and a slatequarry
in the neighbourhood was for a time in operation.
At Sannox is a quarry of barytes, the proprietor of vkhich
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: 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. Two branch
offices in the parish, under the post-office of Saltcoats,
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 a 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.
For KCCLESiASTiCAL purposes the parish is within the
bounds of the presbytery of Cantyre, 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. Kilbride church, situated on the shore of the
bay of Lamlash, was erected in 1773 j it is a plain structure,
without either tower or spire, and contains 560 sittings.
A chapel in connexion with the Established
Church was erected at Loch Ran/a, about the year 178'2,
by tlie Duke of Hamilton, for the accommodation of both
the parinhcs of Arran; it contains sittings for 400 pers(>
n<^. 'I he 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; it is now occupied by
the Free Church of Scotland, the missionary or assistant
minister who officiated in it having seceded at the time
of the Disruption in 1843. The salary of the parochial
school is divided among four teachers, one of whom, at
Lamlash, has £19; one at Brodick £16; one at Corrie
£4; and the fourth, at Loch Ranza, £6, with nearly an
equal sura 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, established in 1824, and having 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 Monieraore 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 lona to this place, whence he diffused the
light of Christianity among the pagan inhabitants of Arran.
The cave that was his abode 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, the ruins of which 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 ten years,
when they were removed. In Glencloy were till lately
the remains of the ancient chapel of Kilmichael; and at
Sannox was a church, the only vestige of which now remaining
is a rude figure of its patron saint, built up in
the wall of the cemetery, which is still used.