48 Craigmillar and its Environs. 



Peebles ordains that all able horses in the town shall 

 carry in sklaitts from Stobo to the House of Craig- 

 millar belono^ing to Sir John Gilmour, President of the 

 Session; ilk person contravening under the pain of 

 5 pounds Scots." When it is taken into consideration 

 that in those days there were no roads, and that the 

 " sklaitts" had to be carried on the backs of horses a 

 distance of thirty miles, this civic ordinance must ap- 

 pear a hard one, more especially when it was to serve 

 one with whom the burgh had no concern. After a 

 life of unvaried integrity and great usefulness, Sir 

 John died in 1671, and his portrait is still carefully 

 treasured in The Inch House. He was succeeded by 

 his only surviving son. Sir Alexander Gilmour. Sir 

 Alexander was created a Baronet on ist February 

 1678 ; married the Hon. Grizel Ross, eldest daughter 

 of George, eleventh Lord Ross, — his name is found 

 in the Parliamentar}- records as one of the association 

 to protect King William against the plot for his 

 assassination by the papists, — and was elected M.P- 

 for Mid-Lothian in 1698. Dying in October 1731, 

 two children survived him — viz., Sir Charles Gilmour, 



