Vol 13 - Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian ...

28 Antiquities of Buittle.
He afterwards ascertained that the island forms part of the
parish of Rerrick. Paluackie, the one village of the parish, had
suffered decay in consequence of the introduction of railways,
which had diverted traffic from its port. There were old people
still to tell you of strings of carts extending from the little quay
away up the street, waiting their turn at the vessels' side. At
this period the village was the seat of a flourishing ship carpentry
industry, many ships being repaired, and at least one built
there. But he must not speak of the village as if it was dead.
There was still considerable shipping, especially at some seasons
of the year. The average number of vessels arriving was from
60 to 64 in the year. He had seen as many as seven schooners
lying in the river at once ; and a steamer sometimes found its way
up. He found reference to a harbour church. That must have
been what was known when he went to the parish as " the wooden
kirk," but the wooden walls of which were then only used to
shelter a wedding party engaged in their festivities. " To such
base uses." As if anticipating a revival of the old prosperity, there
was now in the village a substantial mission church of granite,
built by his predecessor, the Rev. Mr Grant. Noticing the pro-
minent heights in the parish, he observed that great part of
Craignair was now to be found on the Thames Embankment and
at the Liverpool docks, and its rough rock had made smooth the
pavement of many a city since the granite-crushing process had
been developed. Iron had been often sought without success.
An old tenant on the farm of Barchain, he mentioned, went to
Munches one day declaring excitedly that at last the metal had
been found in quantity ; but it turned out to be refuse iron from an
old smithy. Among the antiquities of the parish first place was
assigned to Buittle Castle, of which there are now no visible
remains, which was built by John Baliol in the thirteenth century,
and from which his widow, the Lady Devorgilla, dated the charter
of Baliol College, Oxford. It had been said to him that Old
Buittle farm steading, which is an old building with thick walls,
formed part of the court of the castle. Reference was made to
the former existence of a church at Kirkennan and the tradition
that there was one on East Logan farm, where there is a field
called the Kirkhill ; but Mr Tarbet was puzzled to know what
church was referred to as St. Colmonell, Buittle, in a grant to
Sweetheart Abbey. The only name resembling Colmonell in the