188 FieL_p MEETINGS. 
which was in the hands of their society to do, and might be 
carried out in a more useful and scientific and elaborate degree 
than he had been able to do. He understood the party were 
now going from the new Orchardton to the old one. That 
carried the history of the name back a good many centuries, 
away back early in the fifteenth century. The previous name of 
the place was Irisbuttle, and it was not clear when the name 
Orchardton first appeared. At anyrate it had been the name 
now since early in the fifteenth century. They would see the 
site of the old house which was inhabited up till about 1760, or 
something like that. Round the tower there a considerable 
amount of controversy had been raised, and about which a good 
many theories had been started. He thought it was now almost 
certainly decided that it was similar, although of an unusual 
shape, to the ordinary keep or peel tower that belonged to the 
large mass of the houses in the country at that time. Its chief 
interest was that it was round instead of square. It was of con- 
siderable antiquity, even for towers of that kind. Although not 
much remained now, there,was just enough to see where the 
rooms had been, and what they were used for in times of 
emergency. He hoped it would be of interest to them, passing 
from the present to the past. (Applause.) 
The company then entered the brakes, and were driven to 
the Round Tower. Perhaps the best account of the tower is that 
given in “A History of the Family of Cairnes or Cairns and its 
Connections,’’ by H. C. Lawlor. The author traces the history 
of this family in its various branches. Alexander Carnys, the 
Provost of Lincluden, who died in 1422, during the term of his 
office, had accumulated considerable property in the Stewartry, 
Orchardton being one of the possessions of the family. Here 
John Cairns erected a residence. Mr Lawlor says:—“ That he 
was a man of strong original ideas and strong individuality of 
taste there can be little doubt. The castle which he built was 
unique in Galloway, and almost so in all Britain. It consisted 
of a rectangular block measuring about 80 feet by 60 feet. The 
height cannot be estimated, as of this portion of the castle only a 
fragment of the strong arched basement remains. But, from the 
depth of fallen masonry within the four walls, it could be esti- 
mated that the building was of considerable height. However, a 
remarkable feature of the castle was a massive circular peill at 
