Lugar Water
Encyclopedia
The Lugar Water, or River Lugar, is created by the confluence of Bello Water and Guelt Water, both of which flow from the hills of the Southern Uplands
in East Ayrshire
, Scotland
.
The river flows through the small mining village of Lugar
, where at Bello Mill
, William Murdoch
, the inventor of gas lighting
was born in 1784. A cave where he carried out a lot of his experiments can still be seen on the riverbank. The river flows on through the town of Cumnock
, where its water was used in earlier times to power grain mills.
It continues its journey through the estate of the Marquess of Bute
, where it flows beneath the beautiful ornamental bridge of Lochnorris, designed by Adams
who also designed and built Dumfries House
, the residence of the present marquis
. It now reaches the lovely village of Ochiltree
, where its waters are again harnessed by a weir
which drove the local grain mills in days past. Here the mighty Atlantic Salmon
can be seen jumping the fish ladder
, which allows them to reach their spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the river. The river also holds a good stock of the native brown trout
, and these are fished for by anglers of all ages.
Kingfisher
s and dipper
s are two of the avian species to be found on its riverbanks, along with yellow and pied wagtails, chaffinch
, goldfinch
and the tiny wren
.
The river now enters a gorge of red sandstone
with high cliffs on either side. High on one of these cliffs stand the ruins of Auchinleck Castle and beneath this can be found Wallace's Cave
, where William Wallace
hid from his pursuers.
The river now reaches the end of its journey of some twenty miles and here joins the larger River Ayr
which carries its waters to the sea.
Southern Uplands
The Southern Uplands are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas . The term is used both to describe the geographical region and to collectively denote the various ranges of hills within this region...
in East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders on to North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The river flows through the small mining village of Lugar
Lugar, East Ayrshire
Lugar is a small village in East Ayrshire, southwest Scotland. Lugar is in Auchinleck Parish, Kyle District, Ayrshire. It is ENE of Cumnock, and about from Cronberry and from Gasswater. Lugar is a station on the Mauchline and Muirkirk branch of the Glasgow and South Western Railway...
, where at Bello Mill
Bello Mill
Bello Mill was a mill dating from the 18th century on the river called the Lugar Water, on the estate of James Boswell in Ayrshire, in Scotland. Before being rebuilt in the 1940s, it had three different sets of mill stones...
, William Murdoch
William Murdoch
William Murdoch was a Scottish engineer and long-term inventor.Murdoch was employed by the firm of Boulton and Watt and worked for them in Cornwall, as a steam engine erector for ten years, spending most of the rest of his life in Birmingham, England.He was the inventor of the oscillating steam...
, the inventor of gas lighting
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
was born in 1784. A cave where he carried out a lot of his experiments can still be seen on the riverbank. The river flows on through the town of Cumnock
Cumnock
Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water...
, where its water was used in earlier times to power grain mills.
It continues its journey through the estate of the Marquess of Bute
Marquess of Bute
Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute.-Family history:...
, where it flows beneath the beautiful ornamental bridge of Lochnorris, designed by Adams
Adams
-Places:The Moon*Adams New Zealand*Adams River, New ZealandPhilippines*Adams, Ilocos NorteUnited States*Adams, California*Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California*Adams, Decatur County, Indiana*Adams, Morgan County, Indiana...
who also designed and built Dumfries House
Dumfries House
Dumfries House is a Palladian country house in Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located within a large estate, around 3 km west of Cumnock. It was built in the 1750s by John Adam and Robert Adam for William Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries, and inherited in due course by the Marquesses of Bute, in...
, the residence of the present marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
. It now reaches the lovely village of Ochiltree
Ochiltree
Ochiltree, spelt Uchletree in the Middle Ages, is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland near Auchinleck and Cumnock. It is one of the oldest villages in East Ayrshire with archaeological remains indicating Stone Age and Bronze Age settlers....
, where its waters are again harnessed by a weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
which drove the local grain mills in days past. Here the mighty Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
can be seen jumping the fish ladder
Fish ladder
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial barriers to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps into the waters on...
, which allows them to reach their spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the river. The river also holds a good stock of the native brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, and these are fished for by anglers of all ages.
Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
s and dipper
Dipper
Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the bird family Cinclidae, named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.-Description:...
s are two of the avian species to be found on its riverbanks, along with yellow and pied wagtails, chaffinch
Chaffinch
The Chaffinch , also called by a wide variety of other names, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Description :...
, goldfinch
Goldfinch
Goldfinch may refer to any of the following species of bird from the genus Carduelis:* American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis* European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis* Lawrence's Goldfinch, Carduelis lawrencei...
and the tiny wren
Wren
The wrens are passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. There are approximately 80 species of true wrens in approximately 20 genera....
.
The river now enters a gorge of red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
with high cliffs on either side. High on one of these cliffs stand the ruins of Auchinleck Castle and beneath this can be found Wallace's Cave
Wallace's Cave
Wallace's Cave is situated in Roslin Glen, in Midlothian, Scotland. It is also known as Hawthornden Castle Cave, after Hawthornden Castle which is nearby. It takes its name from William Wallace, the Scottish national hero, who participated in the Battle of Rosslyn, which took place close to the...
, where William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
hid from his pursuers.
The river now reaches the end of its journey of some twenty miles and here joins the larger River Ayr
River Ayr
The River Ayr , longest river in what was the old county of Ayrshire of Scotland, is approximately 65 kilometres in length. It originates at Glenbuck Loch in East Ayrshire on the border of Lanarkshire and winds its way through East and South Ayrshire to the town of Ayr, where it empties into the...
which carries its waters to the sea.