FIELD MEETINGS, 1887. 



Rue Tower, Dunscore Old Churchyard, Isle, 

 AND Friars' Carse. — Ith May, 1887. 



The first Field Meeting of the session was held on the above 

 date, when a party numbering thirty assembled at the Fountain 

 at noon, and ]5roceeded thence in waggonettes to Rue or Four- 

 merkland Tower, passing on their way tlie Holywood Druidical 

 Circle. Arriving at the tower, they were disappointed in not 

 obtaining admission, as the tenant, forgetting the arrangements, 

 had gone from home and taken the key with him. The tower, 

 which is yet used as a dwelling-house, is not very large, and is a 

 square structure, with small turrets on the front and rear. It 

 was erected by the Maxwell family in the close of the sixteenth 

 century, and over the principal doorway is the family crest, with 

 the initials R. M. and I. G. at each side, and the date 1590 

 underneath. Some time was occupied by the members in 

 sketching the building or botanising in the adjoining fields and 

 wood, permission having been granted by the proprietoi", Mr 

 Maxwell of the Grove. 



The next item on the programme was Dunscore Old Church- 

 yard, and on arriving there the party were joined by the 

 President (Dr Grierson), Mr Fergusson of Isle, and Mr Well- 

 wood Maxwell of Kirkennan. The chief object of interest here 

 was the tomb of Grierson of Lag, but, as what was once a 

 monument in stone to his memory had suffered from the weather, 

 and from the hands of those who held this notorious opponent 

 of the Covenanters in little esteem, the tombstone was not easily 

 discovered. At last Dr Giierson pointed out a large slab, half- 

 covered with moss and debris, lying under a sycamore tree, with 

 the traces of an inscription thereon, but now utterly illegible. 

 Near this is the grave of his son, James Grierson, a flat stone, on 

 which his name is engraved, marking the spot. A short time 

 was spent in deciphering inscriptions on other stones. One of the 

 oldest and in good preservation was in the vault of the Isle 

 family. With a little trouble the inscription " Here lys intombit 

 ain honest and uirtus man, Alexander Fergusson of lyl, 1608," 

 and in the centre of the stone a lion rampant, could be distinctly 

 traced. 



