1 G Report of Meetings for 1 887. By J. Hardy. 



vault renin ins, like one of the frail broken arches of the bridge 

 in the vision of Mirza, but otherwise the interior is a black ruin. 

 It has met the doom allotted to it by a traditional prophecy : — 



•' Buncle, Billy and Blanerne, 

 Tli roo castles strong as aim ; 

 Built when Davy was a bairn : 

 They'll a' gang doon 

 Wi' Scotland's croon. 

 And ilka ane shall be a cairn." 



" Dav} r " is David I.; but none of these peels are so old as people 

 imagine. 



There is a space between the keep and what is called the 

 " Guard House, ' which is newer, and in better preservation. It 

 is fitted up for a dairy. There is a shot hole for a small field 

 piece cut in a white sandstone, and a circular recess for the 

 gunner who attended to it. The most prominent window has 

 been arched originally at the top with red-sandstone slabs on end 

 within which a squarish window faced with white sandstone has 

 been inserted, which lias beneath it a chequered carved stone 

 resembling another of the kind that may be seen at Innerwick 

 Castle. This is figured in Oarr's " History of Coidingham," 

 p. 82. Of this portion of the castle I have been favoured with a 

 pretty pen and ink sketch, which may be of subsequent use to 

 the Club. 



Of date June 15, 1329, Gilbert de Lumsdaine of Lumsdaine 

 received from John Stuart, Earl of Angus, a charter investing 

 him in the lands of Blanerne, within the parish and barony of 

 Bonkill. This was in the reign of Robert Bruce. In the reign 

 of William the Lion part of the lands at least were held by 

 Everard de Pencaithland. In the reign of Robert Bruce Thomas 

 de Pentkat eland was forfeited in Pencaithland for adherence to 

 the English and making war on that Prince, and his lands and 

 those of " Xesbet " were conferred on Robert de Lawedir for his 

 services. He may have lost the lauds of Blanerne for the same 

 reason and at the same time, but this is not on record. The 

 Lumsdaines have maintained themselves at Blanerne ever since 

 and have branched out to several districts in the north of 

 Scotland and Eifeshire. One of the most distinguished, Sir 

 James Lumsdaine, contributed valuable aid to Gustavus Adolphus 

 of Sweden, and was 3d Colonel of the famous Green Brigade, or 

 Hepburn's Scots Brigade, in the " Thirty Years War." 



