64 Field Meetings. 
SanquHar District.—6th August, 1887. 
The Fourth Field Meeting of the Session was held in the 
neighbourhood of Sanquhar, when a full programme was gone 
through. A party numbering fifteen left Dumfries station by 
the 11.55 a.m. train, and on reaching Thornhill they were joined 
by Dr Grierson, president, and other members from that district. 
On arriving 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 
archeological 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 IL, 
and in the reign of Charles II. the Burgh of Sanquhar was 
granted, by Act of Parliament, the power of restoring it and 
