The Glenkens in the Olden Times. 143 



near its junction with the Ken. It was an imi)ortant strong-hold 

 in the days of Bruce. Afterwards a branch of the family of 

 Gordons of Lochinvar is said to have possessed it. 



The remains of an old square tower on an island in Lochinvar 

 — the original home of the Gordons when they came from Ber- 

 wickshii'e in 1207 — is still to be seen. On a clear day, when the 

 loch is calm, a causeway may be seen below the water — one liranch 

 leading to the shore on the east, and another leading to the west 

 shore. 



Barscobe Castle, in the parish of Balmaclellau still stands, 

 and is now inhabited by a ploughman's family. It was built in 

 1G48 by a M'Lellan, a relative of the Kirkcudbright M'Lellans 

 who had an estate in Balmaclellau parish. The wife of the builder 

 of the castle was a Gordon of Shirmers. 



The remains of the old tower of Shirmers, also in the parish of 

 Balmaclellan, is close to the present farm steading of Shirmers, 

 and near the shore of Loch Ken. It is much crumbled down and 

 covered with ivy. It belonged to a branch of the Gordons of 

 Kenmure, and is supposed to have been destroyed by orders of 

 the Regent Moray after the battle of Langside because the Gordons 

 refused to submit to him. 



And now we come to the most important castle in the district 

 — the castle of Kenmure. It is said to have been built by Alan, 

 Lord of Galloway, and that Dervorgilla, his daughter, occasionally 

 lived there with her father. Some think that John Baliol, her son, 

 was born there. A castle was originally built on a low mound 

 close by the head of Loch Ken and to the south of the present 

 castle, but about 1300 it was rebuilt on its present romantic and 

 beautiful site. 



The Gordons of Lochinvar came from Berwickshire in 1297, 

 but at that time lived in the castle at Lochinvar. They acquired 

 Kenmure by charter in 1483, and were created Viscounts of Ken- 

 mure and Lords of Lochinvar in 1G30. Another branch of the 

 Berwickshire Gordons acquired lands in the north of Scotland, 

 from which spi'ang the Dukes of Richmond and Gordon. After the 

 battle of Langside the Regent Moray summoned Sir John Gordon 

 to submit to him, and sent a party of soldiers into the Glenkens to 

 compel him to do so. The officer left his troop at St. John's 

 Clauchau until he went to Kenmure to get Sir John's answer ; but 

 he refused to submit — whereupon the soldiers marched to Kenmure 



