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Loch Brand or Loch of Boghall was a
Loch Bran or Brand was the name by which the Loch of Boghall was formerly known.Arch & Hist Collections of relating to the counties of Ayr & Wigton. Page 28 The loch, drained in 1780, is one of the sources of the Powgree Burn and lay on the lands of Boghall and Hill of Beith.
;Crannog
In the bottom of the loch piles or stakes of oak or elm have been found at various times and are thought that these may be the remains of crannogs or connected with fishing on the loch. Dobie, writing in 1876 states that the loch was drained about 60 years ago, thus about 1826.Dobie, page 95 The 'cut' through the natural dam that once held back the loch waters below Boghall is clearly visible. The Boghall Burn runs from a drainage ditch through this 'cut'.
;Land improvements
Land improvements and reclamation was taking place in many areas, for example in 1814 Barr Loch and the Aird Meadow was bunded and drained.Scottish Natural Heritage
Retrieved : 2010-10-24 Although the loch's drainage may have begun in the 15th century, Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton, was pursuing a number of agricultural improvements on his extensive estates in the 18th century and other landowners followed his example. Intensive drainage work may 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. The nearby placenames of Bogholm, Bogside and Boghall are self-evident as an indicators of the nature of the area.
As stated, the loch and bordering lands once belonged to the monks of Kilwinning Abbey and to the Montgomeries of Broadstone who held the Lands of Boghall. In 1691 Hew Montgomerie held the lands and his son Mathew inherited them.Dobie, Page 94 The loch formed part of the Barony of Beith, which had been given to the monks in the twelfth century. The monks' Grange lay nearby in the vicinity of the present day Grangehill Estate. Yester Hill of Beith or Hill of Beith Castle was a successor to the lands owned by the monks, however the Cuninghames had sold the castle and lands of Hill of Beith by the end of the 17th century.Dobie, Page 133 In around 1798 Hugh Brown of Broadstone purchased the lands of Hill of Beith Castle and part of the loch lands.Dobie, Page 134
RCAHMS
Retrieved 2010-09-30 The Ordnance Survey maps of the mid 19th century indicate that the area was farming land devoid of marsh, bog, or wetland, however the area in 2010 is as stated above.
Commentary and video on Loch BrandCommentary and video on Hill of Beith Tower
Brand Brand History of North Ayrshire Brand Brand
loch
''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots language, Scots and Irish language, Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is Cognate, cognate with the Manx language, Manx lough, Cornish language, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh language, Welsh w ...
situated in a depression between the Grange Estate, Crummock, Hill of Beith Castle site and Boghall in the Parish of Beith, North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Àir a Tuath, ) is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and so ...
, Scotland. The loch was fed by the Grange Burn and surface runoff
Surface runoff (also known as overland flow) is the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil. This can occur when th ...
, such as from the old rig and furrows indicated by Roy's Maps of the mid 17th century. The loch was drained by the Boghall Burn that runs passed the 'Court Hill' and into Powgree Burn at Gateside.
History
Loch Bran or Brand was the name by which the Loch of Boghall was formerly known.Arch & Hist Collections of relating to the counties of Ayr & Wigton. Page 28 The loch, drained in 1780, is one of the sources of the Powgree Burn and lay on the lands of Boghall and Hill of Beith.
;Crannog
In the bottom of the loch piles or stakes of oak or elm have been found at various times and are thought that these may be the remains of crannogs or connected with fishing on the loch. Dobie, writing in 1876 states that the loch was drained about 60 years ago, thus about 1826.Dobie, page 95 The 'cut' through the natural dam that once held back the loch waters below Boghall is clearly visible. The Boghall Burn runs from a drainage ditch through this 'cut'.
;Land improvements
Land improvements and reclamation was taking place in many areas, for example in 1814 Barr Loch and the Aird Meadow was bunded and drained.Scottish Natural HeritageRetrieved : 2010-10-24 Although the loch's drainage may have begun in the 15th century, Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton, was pursuing a number of agricultural improvements on his extensive estates in the 18th century and other landowners followed his example. Intensive drainage work may 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. The nearby placenames of Bogholm, Bogside and Boghall are self-evident as an indicators of the nature of the area.
A dispute
In 1482, when Loch Brand was the property of the monks of Kilwinning Abbey, it is recorded that the Abbot and Convent of Kilwinning took legal action against Robert Montgomerie and his brother John of Giffin Castle, William Montgomerie, Alexander Montgomerie and James Ker who were accused of ''dangerous destruction and down-casting of the fosses and dikes of the loch called Loch Brand.'' It is not recorded what the judgement was or the effect these actions had upon the size and depth of the loch.Ownership
As stated, the loch and bordering lands once belonged to the monks of Kilwinning Abbey and to the Montgomeries of Broadstone who held the Lands of Boghall. In 1691 Hew Montgomerie held the lands and his son Mathew inherited them.Dobie, Page 94 The loch formed part of the Barony of Beith, which had been given to the monks in the twelfth century. The monks' Grange lay nearby in the vicinity of the present day Grangehill Estate. Yester Hill of Beith or Hill of Beith Castle was a successor to the lands owned by the monks, however the Cuninghames had sold the castle and lands of Hill of Beith by the end of the 17th century.Dobie, Page 133 In around 1798 Hugh Brown of Broadstone purchased the lands of Hill of Beith Castle and part of the loch lands.Dobie, Page 134
Habitats
The site is now represented by a low, marsh and reed covered area (less than 2 ha in extent) centred at NS 358 543 on the OS map.Retrieved 2010-09-30 The Ordnance Survey maps of the mid 19th century indicate that the area was farming land devoid of marsh, bog, or wetland, however the area in 2010 is as stated above.
See also
* Gateside, North AyrshireNotes
Sources
* Archaeological & Historical Collections relating to the counties of Ayrshire & Wigtown. Edinburgh : Ayr Wig Arch Soc. 1880. * Archaeological & Historical Collections relating to the counties of Ayrshire & Wigtown. Edinburgh : Ayr Wig Arch Soc. 1882. * Dobie, James D. (ed Dobie, J.S.) (1876). ''Cunninghame, Topographized by Timothy Pont 1604–1608, with continuations and illustrative notices''. Glasgow: John Tweed. * MacIntosh, Donald (2006). ''Travels in Galloway''. Glasgow : Neil Wilson. . * Smith, John (1895). Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire. London : Elliot Stock.External links
{{Commons category, Loch BrandCommentary and video on Loch Brand
Brand Brand History of North Ayrshire Brand Brand