Loch Fergus
Encyclopedia
Loch Fergus is a freshwater post-glacial 'Kettle Hole' sometimes recorded as Fergus Loch. It is quite visible and is situated in a low lying area close to the B742 road between the farms and dwellings of Trees, Lochfergus and Bowmanston in the Parish of Ayr
, South Ayrshire
, Scotland. The loch lies to the north of Martnaham Loch, 4 miles (6.5 km) east southeast of Ayr. It drains to the southwest into the Snipe Loch
.
, one of the Scottish kings who defeated King Cole
or Coilus, king of the Britons, in the adjoining fields. The story goes that King Cole and his army were encamped in the vicinity of Loch Fergus and King Fergus attacked them at night, taking advantage of their drunk and 'feasted' condition. King Cole
and his defeated army escaped across the Water of Coyle, only to be caught, defeated, and the King himself killed near Failford. Campbell records that King Cole may have had a castle at Martnaham
on the islet within the loch.
Paterson records that in 1628 the two merk land of Lochfergus was leased in feu-ferm to John, Lord Loudoun for 8s Scots. In the late 17th century the lands passed to the Cassillis family. In 1798 Archibald, Earl of Cassillis held the sasine
of the loch lands.
The land around the loch is marshy and Lochfergus Wood has been a feature for many years, mainly located on the north-west side.
A boat house, reached by an artificial inlet, is marked on the first OS maps not far from the road, reached by an access lane branching of the nearby B742. This feature is missing from the maps by the 1890s.
as a Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS) and maps show that it has long been covered in woodland.
. The remains have also been suggested as relating to wildfowling, such as being the ruins of a duck decoy or such-like.
Road near Holmston. This road was still used up until the 1920's at harvest time. Farmers later cleared away tracks like this because they denied arable ground to them and could damage their ploughs.
Highpark or Laighpark is a roughly circular earthwork of unknown date or purpose, situated on the slopes to the north-east of the loch. It measures 45m in diameter and sits within a ditch; a break in the ditch on the east may indicate the original entrance.
Loch Fergus is a site for coarse fishing, particularly roach, pike, and perch. The loch is said to be unusually deep for a typical kettle hole.
A drained site (NX6950) near Kirkcudbright
, Dumfries and Galloway, is known as Loch Fergus and the old island is said to have been the site of the castle of Fergus, a King of Galloway.
Loch Fergus was a barque of 845 tons, built at Glasgow by Henderson in 1875. On her last voyage from Glasgow to Brisbane in 1899, she went ashore during a gale, off Killiney Bay and was lost
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
, South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
, Scotland. The loch lies to the north of Martnaham Loch, 4 miles (6.5 km) east southeast of Ayr. It drains to the southwest into the Snipe Loch
Snipe Loch
Snipe Loch or Loch Snipe is a freshwater loch. It is situated in a low lying area close to the B742 road next to Clocaird Farm in the Parish of Coylton, East Ayrshire, Scotland...
.
History
The ground running towards Mossend Farm is marshy and prone to extensive flooding, indicating the previous extent of the loch. The outflow is a drain and once higher water levels are illustrated by physical indications of the once higher loch margins. In the work titled A Summary of the Character of Scotland dated 1624 it is stated that Loch Fergus, with an isle with many growing trees, where a great quantity of heron resort with the loch seal. There is a decayed monastery in it.King Fergus
Tradition states that the name is derived from King FergusFergus Mór
Fergus Mór mac Eirc was a legendary king of Dál Riata. He was the son of Erc.While his historicity may be debatable, his posthumous importance as the founder of Scotland in the national myth of Medieval and Renaissance Scotland is not in doubt...
, one of the Scottish kings who defeated King Cole
King Cole
King Cole is a figure of British folklore.King Cole may also refer to:*"Old King Cole", nursery rhyme* Old King Cole , a 1933 Disney cartoon about Old King Cole*King Cole , Major League Baseball pitcher...
or Coilus, king of the Britons, in the adjoining fields. The story goes that King Cole and his army were encamped in the vicinity of Loch Fergus and King Fergus attacked them at night, taking advantage of their drunk and 'feasted' condition. King Cole
Old King Cole
"Old King Cole" is an English nursery rhyme. The historical identity of King Cole has been much debated and several candidates have been advanced as possibilities...
and his defeated army escaped across the Water of Coyle, only to be caught, defeated, and the King himself killed near Failford. Campbell records that King Cole may have had a castle at Martnaham
Martnaham Loch
Martnaham Loch is a freshwater loch lying across the border between East and South Ayrshire Council Areas, 2km from Coylton, in the parishes of Coylton and Dalrymple, 3 miles from Ayr. The loch lies along an axis from north-east to south-west. The remains of a castle lie on a possibly artificial...
on the islet within the loch.
Paterson records that in 1628 the two merk land of Lochfergus was leased in feu-ferm to John, Lord Loudoun for 8s Scots. In the late 17th century the lands passed to the Cassillis family. In 1798 Archibald, Earl of Cassillis held the sasine
Sasine
Sasine is the delivery of feudal property, typically land.Feudal property means immovable property, and includes everything that naturally goes with the property. For land, that would include such things as buildings, trees, and underground minerals...
of the loch lands.
The land around the loch is marshy and Lochfergus Wood has been a feature for many years, mainly located on the north-west side.
A boat house, reached by an artificial inlet, is marked on the first OS maps not far from the road, reached by an access lane branching of the nearby B742. This feature is missing from the maps by the 1890s.
The Island
The roughly oval island, circa 190 yards long, 0.814ha (2.1 acres), is said to have been reached by a causeway, no longer extant, that ran from the bank near Lochfergus Farm. Two totally formless low mounds of boulders are located on the island which may be the remains of a building. The 25 inch OS map indicates a small rectangular structure near the centre of the island. An anglers club-house was constructed in 1976 ten metres from the ruins. The island is covered in dense vegetation. The island is designated by the Scottish Wildlife TrustScottish Wildlife Trust
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...
as a Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS) and maps show that it has long been covered in woodland.
The Friary
It is recorded in the 'Chronicles of Scotland' of 1624 that a friary existed on the island and Love refers to local placenames such as Abbothill and Friarland in support of this. Smith comments that the island has a number of stones scattered over it, however he suggests that this fact may have led to the friary or monastery legend and prefers the island's use as being effectively that of a crannogCrannog
A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...
. The remains have also been suggested as relating to wildfowling, such as being the ruins of a duck decoy or such-like.
The Hunting Lodge
Nothing now remains of the Kennedys' hunting lodge, recorded as 'an old ruined castle...which probably was used as a shooting station by the Cassillis family' which is said, in 1837, to have stood near the margin of Loch Fergus near the track running off the B742. The RCAHMS designate it as a Tower House and it is not clear when it was built.Transport
An old trackway known as the 'Foul Calsey' or causeway used to run from Loch Fergus past Trees, Macnairston, and Crofthead to Ayr, joining the CumnockCumnock
Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water...
Road near Holmston. This road was still used up until the 1920's at harvest time. Farmers later cleared away tracks like this because they denied arable ground to them and could damage their ploughs.
Micro-history
The fields around Loch Fergus are a good site for Whooper Swans.Highpark or Laighpark is a roughly circular earthwork of unknown date or purpose, situated on the slopes to the north-east of the loch. It measures 45m in diameter and sits within a ditch; a break in the ditch on the east may indicate the original entrance.
Loch Fergus is a site for coarse fishing, particularly roach, pike, and perch. The loch is said to be unusually deep for a typical kettle hole.
A drained site (NX6950) near Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea...
, Dumfries and Galloway, is known as Loch Fergus and the old island is said to have been the site of the castle of Fergus, a King of Galloway.
Loch Fergus was a barque of 845 tons, built at Glasgow by Henderson in 1875. On her last voyage from Glasgow to Brisbane in 1899, she went ashore during a gale, off Killiney Bay and was lost