144 The Glenkens in the Olden Times. 



Castle, and burued and destroyed as much as they could of the 

 castle. They also destroyed the tower of Shinners, which was 

 the house of one of his friends. The castle still stands, and is 

 inhabited. The portion which was burned and partially thrown 

 down is now repaired. It is beautifully situated on its high and 

 romantic mound, and is approached by a very fine avenue of grand 

 old limes. 



At one time there seemed to have been a church on the farm 

 of Bogue in Dairy parish, but there is no mention of it in history. 

 The site of the church or chapel can still be seen — also the founda- 

 tion of the fence around the churchyard, which enclosed half an 

 acre, as well as the foundation of the walls of the priest's house. 

 A stone was found in the dyke beside the place with " Pope G." 

 rudely carved on it. The field is still named " chapel leys," and 

 the place where the priest's house stood is named the " priests' 

 knowe." The site is marked on the Ordnance Survey maps. 



There are three very old bridges still standing and in use in 

 the Glenkens. One is the " Old Bridge of Ken," as it is called, 

 built over the Ken on the line of road between Dairy and Cars- 

 phairn on the east side of the Ken. It is six miles from Dairy and 

 four from Carsphairn. It is -s'ery narrow, barely allowing one 

 vehicle to pass along at a time. There is also a narrow old bridge 

 over the Garpol Burn at the head of Holme Glen, on the line of 

 what was at one time the high road to Edinburgh. A third old 

 bridge is over Polharrow burn, on the line of the old semi-Roman 

 road from Ajr to Kirkcudbright. It is now widened, and the 

 modern I'oad from Dairy to Carsphairn on the west side of the 

 Ken passes over it. It is said to have been originally built by 

 Quentin M'Lurg, a tailor, whose earnings never exceeded 4d per 

 day. In 1695 a bridge was built over the river Dee near Clatter- 

 ingshaws, in the parish of Kells, on the old line of road then in 

 use. The place can yet be distinguished a few hundred yards 

 farther up the stream than the present bridge. Before that time 

 the river was often unfordable in winter, and the inhabitants of 

 the country had applied to the Earl of Galloway, Viscount Ken- 

 mure, and other influential gentlemen to use their endeavours with 

 the Privy Council of Scotland to have money raised to build a 

 bridge, but they failed to obtain an Act. The Synod of Galloway 

 then took the matter up, and ordered a house-to-house collection 

 to be made in every parish within their jurisdiction. As soon as a 



