THE ARDROSSAN HERD. 331 



Castle of Eglinton, some six miles distant, but, having 

 been destroyed in the time of Cromwell, has never since 

 been inhabited ; it is close to two bays of the sea at the 

 base of the promontory which forms the town. Con- 

 tiguous to the castle, but away from the town, were the 

 five parks enclosed by Alexander, tenth Earl of Eglin- 

 ton, in 1748 or 1750. They were enclosed by high and 

 strong stone walls, built with lime, and altogether 

 nearly four miles in extent. Of these, three parks, 

 having communication with each other, were grazed by 

 the wild cattle and other animals, and contained about 

 120 acres. The other two parks, divided from these and 

 from the castle by the road from Largs to Stevenston, 

 were devoted principally to horses. The Stanley Burn 

 supplied abundant water. There were no trees in any 

 of these parks, except a few near this burn. 



Into the three parks, as before-mentioned, Lord 

 Eglinton introduced the Scottish wild cattle from 1748 

 to 1750. Where he obtained them it seems impossible 

 now to ascertain, but they were undoubtedly of the true 

 and genuine breed. It is said that he meant to try 

 experiments in crossing ; he, however, lost his life by 

 violence in the year 1769. After his death the wild 

 cattle were retained, but less cared for ; and on the death, 

 in December, 1819, of Hugh, twelfth earl, being much 

 diminished in numbers, the few still remaining were 

 sent away. Whether the tenth earl did or did not use 

 a cross cannot now be discovered ; but there are curious 

 circumstances connected with the Ardrossan cattle. 

 They are traditionally believed to have been horned 

 when introduced to Ardrossan in the middle of the last 

 century ; they were certainly all, or very nearly all, 

 polled within the memory of man. It would seem to 



