The Galrigs Loch was a substantial freshwater loch situated in low lying area between Newfield and Dundonald in

South Ayrshire South Ayrshire ( sco, Sooth Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir a Deas, ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. On 30 June 2 ...

, Scotland. It was drained in the early 18th century.

History

The loch was a natural feature, a post-glacial 'Kettle Hole' once of a substantial extent, fed mainly by the Broomhill Burn, rainfall, and field drainage. It is recorded in the placenames of Lochend, Lochside, and Mosside. The Broomhill Burn has been diverted away from the site which however remains dominated by rushes (''Juncus'' species) and constitutes poor quality grazing. The loch site still floods in winter. No open outflow is now present and the site shows evidence of drainage in the form of

rig and furrow Rig may refer to: Objects and structures * Rig (fishing), an arrangement of items used for fishing * Drilling rig, a structure housing equipment used to drill or extract oil from underground * Rig (stage lighting) * rig, a horse-drawn carriage ...

. The lands, variously known as 'Gariggis', 'Galriggis' and even 'Garrix', were held by a William Wallace in 1578, later by the Craufurds, and in the 1860s by the well known Finnie family from Kilmarnock who were heavily involved in the coal industry.

Usage

No watermills seem to have been associated with Galrigs Loch and the Ordnance Survey maps of the mid 19th century only show the farm of Lochend or Lochside sitting above the old loch's site, approached by a lane, hedged on both sides, leading down from Newfield Mains. It may have been used for

curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...

, however Newfield House had its own curling pond, opened on 4 February 1856, the site of Eglinton Jug playdowns. The 'Finnie Kettle' annual curling competition also took place at Newfield with a "''..tea kettle modelled as a curling stone..''" as the challenge cup. This competition still takes place at an indoor rink. At the foot of the brae below where the now demolished Newfield House was situated, are remains of a stone dam and sluice.

Cartographic evidence

Blaeu's map of 1654, dating from

Timothy Pont Rev Timothy Pont (c. 1560–c.1627) was a Scottish minister, cartographer and topographer. He was the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an a ...

's survey of circa 1604, shows the loch as a significant body of water, extending towards Gar Rigs (sic), with no inflow and one outflow running down to the Dundonald Burn and eventually into the

River Irvine The River Irvine ( gd, Irbhinn) is a river that flows through southwest Scotland. Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill, Drumclog Moss, Drumclog, and SW by W of Strathaven. I ...

near Shewalton. The farm on the loch's edge is recorded as Mosside. This is the last map to show the loch and this indicates that its drainage took place in the early 18th century. Roy's map of 1747 shows no clear loch, however a habitation recorded as 'Lochend' is present. The OS maps record the farm's name as 'Lochside'.

Drainage

Although the loch's drainage may have begun in the 18th century when

Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton (10 February 172325 October 1769), was a Scottish peer. Eglinton was the son of The 9th Earl of Eglinton. His mother, who was the third wife of the 9th Earl, was Susanna, Countess of Eglinton, the ...

, was pursuing a number of agricultural improvements on his extensive estates and other landowners followed his example. Intensive drainage work may also have taken place in the 1740s as part of the improvements undertaken to provide employment for Irish estate workers during the Irish potato famines of the 1740s and the mid 19th centuries. Many drainage schemes also date to the end of World War I when many soldiers returned en masse to civilian life.

Micro-history

The Lands and mansion house of Galrigs were renamed 'Newfield' circa 1723 by Captain Lawrence Nugent who had fought at the Battle of Neufeldt (Newfield) in Germany, however Galrigside Farm retained its ancient name.Love (2005), Page 53 No link between the draining of the Galrig Loch and the 'New Field' therefore seems to exist.Love (2003), Page 230 Lochside Farm is now only marked by its foundations although OS maps show it as still standing into the 1980s. File:Newfield Mains - pend and dovecot.JPG, Pend and dovecot at Newfield Mains Farm. File:Newfield Mains - south range.JPG, The south range of nearby Newfield Mains Farm. File:Galrigs Loch site, Lochside Farm ruins.JPG, The site of Lochside Farm. File:Galrigs Loch site, Lochside Farm lane.JPG, The old lane leading to Newfield Mains. File:Galrigs Loch, Newfield Mains.JPG, A view of Newfield Mains from the loch site. File:Galrigs Loch site, eastern shore.JPG, The eastern shoreline of the old loch.

References

Notes

Sources

# Aiton, William (1811). ''General View of The Agriculture of the County of Ayr; observations on the means of its improvement; drawn up for the consideration of the Board of Agriculture, and Internal Improvements, with Beautiful Engravings''. Glasgow. # Gillespie, James H. ''Dundonald. A Contribution to Parochial History''. Glasgow : John Wyllie. # Love, Dane (2003). ''Ayrshire : Discovering a County.'' Ayr : Fort Publishing. . # Love, Dane (2005). ''Lost Ayrshire : Ayrshire's Lost Architectural Heritage''. Edinburgh : Birlinn Ltd. . # MacIntosh, Donald (2006). ''Travels in Galloway''. Glasgow : Neil Wilson. . # McClure, David C. ''The Finnie Kettle''. AA&NHS. Ayrshire Notes 42, Autumn 2011. {{commons category, Galrigs Loch Lochs of South Ayrshire History of South Ayrshire Former lochs Freshwater lochs of Scotland Lakes of South Ayrshire