64 Field Meetings. 



Sanquhar District. — (Sth August, 1887. 



The Fourth Field Meeting of the Session was held in the 

 neighbourhood of Sanquhar, when a full programme was gone 

 througli. A party numbering fifteen left Dumfries station by 

 the 11.55 a.m. train, and on reacliing Thornhill they were joined 

 by Dr Grierson, president, and other members from that district. 

 On ari-iving at Sanquhar they were met by Mr J. R. Wilson and 

 Dr Davidson, who had kindly consented to conduct the party 

 during the day. Under Mr Wilson's guidance they first inspected 

 his extensive collection of celts, bronzes, arrow-heads, and other 

 arclueological specimens, chiefly found in the neighbourhood. The 

 next item on the programme was Sanquhar old Castle, which is 

 situated on some rising ground on the south side of the burgh. 

 This important stronghold is now a ruin, with only portions of 

 the outer walls standing amid the heaps of debris, the larger and 

 the cut stones having been taken away for building purposes. 

 Mr Wilson gave a brief sketch of its history, and exhibited a copy 

 of the plan of the Castle, drawn by Mr Anderson of Edinburgh, 

 1876, for the Marquis of Bute. He said the Castle was at one 

 time occupied by the family of Edgar, and afterwards it fell into 

 the possession of the Crichtons of Sanquhar. It was subsequently 

 sold to the Douglases, who occupied it before the present Drum- 

 lanrig Castle was built. Mr Wilson further remarked that 

 when Mr Anderson examined the ruin, that gentleman was of 

 opinion it was originally a Scottish " keep," and had been 

 added to at later periods. There was a fish pond near to, and 

 connected with the Castle, but there is doubt as to whether the 

 building was surrounded by a fort or not. 



From the Castle the party walked along a bye-path to the remains 

 of the Old Bridge of Sanquhar, which was one of the finest in its 

 day in the county, but now only some portions of the buttresses 

 remain. It is first mentioned with the Burgh of Sanquhar in a 

 Royal Charter granted by James VI. in 1578, but there is great 

 probability that it existed at an earlier date. The battle of 

 Langside was fought in 1568, and Queen Mary, when fleeing into 

 Galloway, is supposed to have crossed the Nith by this bridge. 

 The bridge is subsequently mentioned in the time of James II., 

 and in the reign of Charles II. tlie Burgh of Sanquhar was 

 granted, by Act of Parliament, the power of restoring it and 



