days near Turnberry; but succours having arrived from Antiquities. the neighbouring garrisons, he was obliged to seek shelter in the mountainous parts of Carrick. Some years after this, however, Bruce stormed the castle, though at the expence of the destruction of the building. We do not find that it was ever afterwards inhabited. We have already remarked, that it was one of the favourite maxims of the policy of Bruce to destroy the castles which he took. He saw that the English, by means of forts judiciously placed, had maintained themselves in Scotland with little aid from their sovereign. He wished to prevent such a misfortune from occurring for the future; and perhaps he apprehended that when the country came to be settled in peace, the possession of fortified castles might render his own barons no less formidable to the crown than the English garrisons had been to the nation.

The situation of the castle of Turnberry is extremely delightful, having a full view of the frith of Clyde and its shores. Upon the land-side it overlooks a rich plain of about 600 acres, bounded by hills, which rise beautifully around. Little more than the foundations of this ancient building remain. There is still to be seen the vestige of a ditch, and part of the buttresses of the drawbridge.

There is a passage which opens towards the sea, arched above, leading to a large apartment in the castle, which by tradition is said to have been the kitchen. This castle has been built of whin-stone, and is remarkable for the very strong cement that has been used in building it. The ruins, as they now lie, cover an acre of ground,

abbey.

In the same parish, about two miles from the town of Crossrague Maybole, is the abbey of Crossraguel, Croceregal, or Crossragmol, founded in 1244 by Duncan, son of Gilbert Earl of Carrick. It is more entire than any other abbey in the west of Scotland. The situation is very low; the

Antiquities. surface of the ground is irregular, swelling into hills on all sides. The view from it is therefore extremely confined, excepting towards the east, where there is a small opening of the hills. It is supplied with abundance of excellent water. The walls of the church are almost entire, about 164 feet long and 22 feet high. Near the west end of the church, on the north side, is a door of a conic form, nine feet high, and at the bottom five feet broad; towards the east remains the niche where the principal altar stood. On the right of this is the vestry and the abbot's ecclesiastical court, all entire and arched, much in the style of the cathedral at Glasgow. There are besides several vaults and cells, all built of fine hewn stone. On the west end of the abbey stands the last house which the abbot inhabited. In this the stair is entire from top to bottom of a tower 30 feet high, with several apartments, all of free-stone. At the south end a dovecot, of a very singular construction, is still ex

tant.

The shaft of it is circular, and surrounds a well of excellent water. About five feet from the ground is the floor of stone, which serves as a covering for the well. From the floor it begins to swell, and continues for six or seven feet, then contracts as it rises, till it comes to a small circular opening, which lights the whole; the sides within are full of square holes for pigeons. Its height is 16 feet, and its greatest diameter eight feet within. At the east of the abbey stand the ruins of the abbot's first house, with only the outer walls remaining. The whole building stands in the middle of eight acres of ground, commonly called the abbot's yard, or precinct of Crossraguell. This belongs to the chapel royal, and is set in tack to the family of Kilkerran. It is subset to one of the tenants of the barony of Baltersan, the property of the family; in the middle of which rich and beautiful ba

rony of land this abbey stands. The above precinct has Antiquities. been walled in with a very strong stone and lime wall,. little of which is now remaining. This ruin is preserved with great care and attention; the tenants not being allowed to take down and use any stone from the abbey itself.

town.

In the same neighbourhood, about half a mile south-Thomas east of the modern castle of Cullzean, are the ruins of the castle of Thomas town; it is said to have been built by a nephew of Robert Bruce in 1335. It has been large and strong, and was inhabited in the early part of the late century.

Maybole.

At Maybole there is an ancient building, commonly College of called the College, the walls of which are still standing, and the area within is used as a burying place by the family of Cassilis. It was a collegiate church, founded in the year 1441 by Sir Gilbert Kennedy of Dunure, ancestor to the Earl of Cassilis, for a provost or rector, and several prebendaries. It was consecrated in honour of the blessed Virgin Mary. The founder, by his charter dated at Edinburgh the 18th of May, in the year before mentioned, endowed it with all and singular his lands of Largenton and Brock lack, within the county of Carrick."

In a manuscript description of Carrick by the Reverend Mr Abercrombie, minister at Maybole, among Mr M'Farlane's Collection, there is the following description of this place: "There was also a collegiate church at Maybole; the fabric is still extant and entire, being now used as the burial-place of the Earls of Cassilis and other gentlemen, who contributed to the putting a roof upon it when it was decayed. On the north side of which kirk is the burial-place of the Lord of Colaine; within are enclosures of new square stone, lately built. The college consisted of a rector and three prebends, whose stalls