368 Report, of Meetings for 1886. By J. Hardy. 



edifice), lias a striking and picturesque appearance from the 

 outside, and admittance is gained by a curious old porch, later 

 however, than the building to which it is attached. To the 

 archway is fastened a complete set of the 'jougs,' with chain, 

 collar, and padlock ; and the hewn stone at the sides is deeply 

 furrowed from some cause or other. Some thought that the 

 marks were caused by women sharpening the ends of their 

 spindles as they sat in the church porch ; while others supposed 

 that they were made by the men sharpening their arrows as they 

 entered and left the church." The church has been considerably 

 altered and improved in the interior. During the repairs a 

 monumental tomb with a shield at the top, was found in the 

 church, which unfortunately the masons attempted to beautify. 

 The tomb contained a skeleton with its hands crossed over the 

 breast. There was a Scotch coin, supposed to be about the date 

 of 1537, and four Nuremberg counters present in the tomb. 

 There are the remains of a holy water drain situated near the 

 altar ; also a piscina ; and what I did not see, a wafer box. 

 1 ' Against the north wall of the nave are the remains of what 

 may have been a crypt. The ground surrounding the church is 

 well-kept, and the adjoining manse (the occupant of which, the 

 Rev. Mr Booth, kindly acted as guide through and about the 

 church) is a neat and comfortable building." Before leaving, 

 it may be worthy of mention that when the church was un- 

 roofed, the number of Bats that issued out was something 

 wonderful. It was noted when we visited it that the Martin was 

 nesting in the church porch. Some time previously I had 

 noticed a pair of Grey Flycatchers leading out their young on 

 the hedges near Stobo. 



A short drive then brought the party to the extensive gardens 

 of Stobo Castle. Permission to view these having been kindly 

 granted by the proprietor, Sir G. Graham Montgomery, Bart., 

 a hurried walk was taken along some of the paths, and through 

 a green house, against the wall of which, some 12 feet high, 

 were trained geraniums, fuchsias, and heliotropes, reaching to 

 the top, and blooming profusely. The herbaceous border was 

 richly filled with a great variety of plants, some of them so 

 luxuriant as to look like shrubs. Several flowers are grown 

 here with which some of our enthusiastic cultivators present 

 were unacquainted. There is a stately ornamental iron gate in 

 the garden, of which one of the ladies of the castle drew the design. 



