Notes on the Parish of Kirkgunzeon. 179 



down in the parish tliat Mary Queen of Scots slept at Corra 

 during her flight from Langside. In the earlier part of the last 

 century the old house was used as a dwelling-house by the 

 tenant of the farm, and there was then in the building an old 

 carved oak bedstead, now removed to Terregles. One of the 

 adjuncts of the mansion was a large pigeon-house, which was 

 remo\ed from Corra and re-erected near the Glebe by the Rev. 

 Mr Heron. An old Scottish statute of 1617 enacted that no 

 person should build a dovecot or pigeon-house unless he was 

 possessed of lands of the yearly value of ten chalders or victual 

 lying at least within two miles. On the top of the pigeon - 

 house is the remains of a stone sun-dial, and on a slab above the 

 door are the initials of William, Lord Herries, and Katherine 

 Kerr, his wife. The tower at Drumcoltran is smaller and much 

 plainer in style than that at Hills, in Lochrutton. Both towers 

 belonged to the same branch of the Clan Maxwell. There is 

 nothing noteworthy about the building, except the inscription 

 al)Ove the doorway: " Secla : Secreta : Loquere Pauca. Verax 

 Esto A Vino Cave. Memeto (for Memento) Mori. Misericors 

 Esto." 



The ancient church, which was erected by the monks of 

 Holm Cultram before 1207, was used as the Parish Church till 

 the close of the eighteenth century, when, having become very 

 ruinous, the present church was built, in 1796. Dr Pocock, a 

 dignitary of the Irish Episcopal Church, who made a tour through 

 parts of Scotland in 1747, 1750, and 1760, refers to the old 

 building as follows: — " We passed the Our on a bridge, and came 

 in two miles to Cairgunian. I observed the little Church was 

 old, with a round window in the East end, and a Cross in relief 

 over the door." The length of the " Kirk " was 44 feet, and the 

 " Queere " 20 feet, giving a total length of 64 feet. The width 

 of both kirk and queere was 17 feet, with an arch between. The 

 roof was of oak, and was said to have been brought from Holm 

 Cultram. The old oak beams of the roof were used as joists, 

 to which the seating of the present church is nailed, and are still 

 beneath the fioor. The only other part of the old church still 

 existing is the oak pulpit. It appears from the Presbytery 

 records that well into the eighteenth century the area of the 

 church had never been allocated, and at the heritors' request 

 the Presbytery did so. The queere was set apart for the com- 



