The book Arran; - Cook Clan

IMPROVEMENT AND EMIGRATION 227
the crown in the royal procession of August 22nd, 1822, when
George iv. proceeded from Holyrood Palace to the Castle of
Edinburgh. The minor proprietors of the island were not
so forward in their policy. As yet there were two others
besides the Duke. On the west side an encroachment had
been made upon the Hamilton lands, when Douglas, the
eighth Duke (1755-99), conferred certain unentailed portions
upon his daughter Anne as a marriage dowry. These
extended to about 15,000 imperial acres, and, according to
advertisement, included the farms of 'Altgoloch, South and
North Penrioch, South, Mid, and North Thundergay, Catacol,
Imachar, Dougarie, and Auchingallan.'
The mother of this Anne Douglas was Mrs. Easton, an
actress, and her husband was the Hon. Henry Westenra,
afterwards Lord Rossmore. Duke Douglas, leaving no other
issue, was succeeded by his uncle Archibald, ninth Duke, as
above.
We recognise the lands thus conveyed : they are the two
old holdings of Ranald M'Alister in the fifteenth century,
and afterwards of the Montgomerys of Eglinton. In 1838
they are to be offered for sale at the upset price of £34,000.
The advertisement provides some interesting comments upon
the state of things in this portion of the island. On behalf
of Mr. Westenra it is stated that the property is too far from
his residences and other properties for him to superintend
the improvement which it requires. Further, no other
property in the island is to be had by purchase ; while the
island itself ' has been very strictly preserved, and all intrusion
carefully prevented. . . . All strangers have been
sedulously excluded, and Arran is almost a terra incognita
to its very nearest neighbours.' ^ The advantages of purchase
at the present stage are then set forth in these words :
' 'The Duke, being desirous of preserving the game in Arran, does not much
encourage the residence of strangers.'—Sketches of the Coasts and Islands of Scotland,
by Lord Teignmouth (1836), vol. ii. p. 394.