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Loch Doon
DOON (Loch), a lake in Ayrshire, about 22
miles from the
town of Ayr, and 4 miles from the village of
Dalmellington. It discharges its waters by that romantic
stream, the water of Doon, whose 'banks and braes' have
been rendered classic by the poetic pen of our Scottish
bard; and near the margin of which his countrymen have
reared a monument to his memory worthy of one of
Scotland's greatest sons. Loch Doon is about 8 miles in
length, and from half-a-mile to three quarters in breadth.
Its form is nearly that of the letter L; the head of the
lake corresponding with the top of the letter, and its
lower extremity—where it discharges its waters —with the
end of the horizontal line at the bottom. The shores of
this lake are wild and solitary, and almost entirely
devoted to sheep-pasture. The mountains which enclose it
are in many places of considerable height, especially at
the top of the lake where they may be said to be lofty,
and where their outline is varied and beautiful. These are
the Star mountains, on the borders of the stewartry of
Kirkcudbright, and from the base of which on this side,
the Doon may be said to take its rise; while the Dee,
which flows into the Solway frith, takes its rise on the
opposite side.(1) The level of the waters of this lake has
been considerably lowered from what it formerly was by the
operations of the proprietors, and a portion of its bed
laid dry. This — as in the case of Loch Leven in
Kinross-shire — has lessened unquestionably the beauty of
the scenery, by the exposure of tracts of barren sand and
gravel, formerly covered with water; and — like the
operations in Kinross-shire — has afforded no very useful
result, so far as the ground on the shores of the lake is
concerned. But, unlike those of Loch Leven, the operations
on Loch Doon were not for the purpose of receiving ground;
they had a more useful object in view, and have been
attended with more beneficial results. Along the banks of
the river Doon there are some very extensive tracts of
meadow-ground, which were, after heavy rains, liable to be
overflowed by the accumulated waters from the lake. By
perforating a bed of rock over which the lake used to
discharge itself, and forming tunnels, the usual level of
its waters has been lowered; and, by erecting sluices, the
proprietors are enabled to regulate the quantity of water
which flows into the river, and thus to prevent the damage
to the grounds upon its banks which used formerly to
occur. These operations were executed by the Earl of
Cassillis, and the late Mr.McAdam of Craigengillan, the
proprietors
of the lands on either side of the lake. - On a small
island at the head of Loch Doon are the ruins of an
ancient castle: it is constructed of large square stones,
and appears to have been a lofty tower of an octangular
form. Of the history of this structure, or its origin,
we have not been able to obtain any satisfactory account.
The island, however, which is nearest to the Carrick
side of the lake, now belongs to the Earl of Cassilis.
In the early part of the 13th century, the lands of
Straiton — which are bounded by a part of the lake — were held
by John de Carrick, a son of Duncan, Earl of Carrick.
This baron was engaged, in 1233, in a rebellion of the
Galloway-men, and committed injuries on several churches
within the diocese of Glasgow, which subsequently cost him
a grant of part of his lands, and the patronage of the
church of Straiton; but whether he or his successors had
any connection with the castle on the island, we have been
unable to ascertain. In 1823, several boats or canoes of
great antiquity were found sunk in the lake near this
island. They were all formed entirely from a single
oak-tree hollowed out; and were shaped somewhat like a
fishing-cobble. Three of them were raised, and two of
them are still preserved here; and for that purpose have
been sunk in a pool of water, a short way from the margin
of the lake. One of these measured 20 feet in length,
by 3 feet 3 inches broad; the second, 16½ feet, by 2 feet
16 inches; the third, 22 feet, by 3 feet 10 inches.
They are supposed to have lain in the water between 800
and 900 years. These having been found near the castle,
would lead us to suppose that they had been in some way
connected with it; but their construction is certainly to
be attributed to an earlier people than those by whom the
castle was built. After leaving the lake, the water of
Doon flows for about a mile through a narrow gulley or
ravine, the scenery of which is very remarkable. A
lofty ridge of hills seems here to have been rent asunder
to afford an exit to the waters of the lake; and the rocky
walls, which enclose this singular hollow, yet exhibit
marks on either side of their former proximity. A walk
has been constructed along the edge of the river,
throughout the whole length of this ravine, by which an
easy opportunity is given to strangers of viewing its
romantic and picturesque scenery. On either hand,
the rocks rise to a great height, almost perpendicular,
but rugged and broken, and having their sides and their
summits magnificently festooned and ornamented with a
great variety of copse and trees. The scenery is all of
a close character, but varied and interesting, changing
with every turn of the walk; now presenting a rude vista
of rock and wood, and again a mural precipice which seems
to bar farther progress; while the effect of the whole is
heightened by the music of the river rushing along its
broken channel,
and the winds among the branches of the trees, which, "in
the leafy month of June," almost exclude a sight of the sky.
{1 There is a singular coincidence between the names of
these two rivers, the Doon and the Dee, which thus have
their origin so near, and those of the Don and the Dee,
neighbour streams in Aberdeenshire.}
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