Editing Beith (section)

== Local landmarks ==
===Kilbirnie Loch===
{{Main|Kilbirnie Loch}}

[[File:Mouth of the Maich Water, Kilbirnie Loch.JPG|left|thumb|200px|The Maich Water at its confluence with Kilbirnie Loch]]
[[Kilbirnie Loch]] (NS 330 543), is in the floodplain of between [[Kilbirnie]], [[Glengarnock]] and Beith, and runs south-west to north-east for almost {{convert|2|km|mi|abbr=on}}, is about {{convert|0.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide for the most part and has an area of roughly {{convert|3|km2|acre}}. The loch is fed mainly by the Maich Water and is drained by the Dubbs Water that runs into [[Castle Semple Loch]]. Early authors often use the term "Garnoth" or "Garnott" and may be referring to a single large loch incorporating [[Kilbirnie Loch]] and Loch Winnoch (Barr and Castle Semple Lochs). Boece in his book of 1527 the ''Historia Gentis Scotorum'' (History of the Scottish People), says that this one entity was "nocht unlike the Loch Doune full of fische".<ref name="D314">Dobie, Page 314</ref>

There is a long history of drainage schemes and farming operations in the [[Lochwinnoch]] area, with co-ordinated attempts dating from about 1691 by [[Lord Sempill]], followed by Colonel McDowal of Castle Sempil in 1774, James Adams of Burnfoot, and by others.<ref name="D315">Dobie, Page 315</ref> Until these drainage works Loch Winnoch and Kilbirnie Loch nearly met and often did during flooding, to the extent that, as stated, early writers such as Boece, Hollings and [[Petruccio Ubaldini]] regarded the lochs as one, using the name "Garnoth" or "Garnott".<ref name="D315"/>
{{clear}}

===Spier's school===
{{Main|Spier's School}}

[[File:Spier's School, Beith, from the front garden.jpg|right|thumb|250px|upright|Spier's School]]
[[Spier's school|Spier's]] (pron. ''Speers'') school stood on the [[Barmill]] Road near the old [[Lands of Marshalland|Marshalland Farm]]. It was built for Mrs Margaret Spier of the Marshalland and Cuff estate in 1887 to commemorate John Spier, her son, who had died at the age of 28, the last of her ten children. It was designed by [[Campbell Douglas]].<ref>Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Campbell Douglas{{page needed|date=July 2014}}</ref> The school started as a fee paying day and boarding school, becoming part of the county education system in 1937. Following the construction of [[Garnock Academy]], [[Spier's school]] closed in 1973 and the buildings were demolished in 1984. Robert Spier and family lived in Beith at number 62 Eglinton Street, formerly Whang Street, and they unusually had their own private chapel in the grounds.<ref>[http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-892-62-eglinton-street-whang-house-including-ru British Listed Buildings.] Retrieved : 2011-01-23</ref>

The {{convert|16|acre|ha|abbr=off|0}} of woodland and gardens remain a popular site for dog walkers, bird watchers, and those out to enjoy the rural surroundings.  There are a number of memorials to the Spier's family in the Auld Kirk grounds and in the local area.<ref name="Spiers_Memorial"/><ref name="Spiers_Auld_Kirk"/><ref name="Spiers_wife"/>
The Spier's family left a trust for providing financial help to those from the Garnock Valley pursuing further education. The Trust is a committee of North Ayrshire council. The trust committee decided in 2007 to investigate ways of making better use of the assets of the trust in particular the former school grounds and the council worked in partnership to set up a Friends of Spiers (FoS) organisation to develop ideas and seek funding. North Ayrshire Council was successful in an application to the Forestry Commission to provide funding for a footpath network around the woodland area.

===Geilsland House===
{{Main|Geilsland House}}

[[File:Geilsland House 1.JPG|right|thumb|180px|Geilsland House]]
William Fulton Love, writer and bank agent in Beith, built [[Geilsland House]] and developed this small estate near [[Gateside (Garnock)|Gateside]] in the 19th century although the deeds go back to the 17th century.<ref name="Dobie">Dobie, James (1876). ''Cuninghame topographised by Timothy Pont.'' Pub. J.Tweed. Edinburgh. P. 214.</ref> [[Speir's school|Geilsland]] was a special school, run by the [[Church of Scotland]] as part of its ''CrossReach''<ref name=CrossReach>{{cite web|url=http://www.crossreach.org.uk/|title=Crossreach - Providing a Caring Future}}</ref> initiative.<ref name="Geilsland">{{cite web|url=http://www.isbi.com/isbi-viewschool/2911-GEILSLAND_SCHOOL.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030709104556/http://www.isbi.com/isbi-viewschool/2911-GEILSLAND_SCHOOL.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 July 2003|title=Geilsland School - Beith - Ayrshire, Scotland - KA15 1HD|first=isbi|last=schools}}</ref>

===Crummock House===
This mansion house and estate stood on the outskirts of Beith in an area now cut through by the main [[Dalry, North Ayrshire|Dalry]] to [[Glasgow]] road. Built for the Kerr family in the 18th century, Crummock was sold in 1815 to William Wilson, who added to the house and improved the grounds. [[James Dobie]], the historian and author,<ref>Dobie, James D. (ed Dobie, J.S.) (1876). ''Cunninghame, Topographized by Timothy Pont'' 1604–1608,  with continuations and illustrative notices. Glasgow: John Tweed.</ref> and his family lived here from 1836.  Now demolished and a housing estate built on the site, some boundary walls and a cottage remain. Historic stones which had been built into the kitchen garden were donated to the North Ayrshire Heritage Centre,<ref name="North Ayrshire Heritage Centre">{{cite web|url=http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/CommunityLifeAndLeisure/MuseumsAndGalleries/Museums-GeneralInformation.aspx|title=North Ayrshire Council|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920082425/http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/CommunityLifeAndLeisure/MuseumsAndGalleries/Museums-GeneralInformation.aspx|archive-date=2011-09-20}}</ref> including the arched stone known as the ''shrine''.<ref>Davis, Michael C. (1991) ''The Castles & Mansions of Ayrshire.'' Ardrishaig : spendrift Press. Page 225</ref> Images of these [[shrine]] stones can be viewed in ''The Gallery'' section below. A plaque remembering James Dobie resides in Beith Auld Kirk.<ref>[[:File:James Dobie of Crummock memorial.JPG|Dobie Memorial Plaque]]</ref>

===The Court Hill===
The ''Court Hill'' is near Hill of Beith, below the site of [[Hill of Beith Castle]], [[Gateside, North Ayrshire|Gateside]], in the old Barony of Beith. Dobie states that this is the [[moot hill]] on which the [[Abbot of Kilwinning]] used to administer justice to his vassals & tenants. It is a sub-oval, flat-topped mound, situated at the foot of a small [[valley]].<ref name=Court_Hill>[[:File:Beith Court Hill view.JPG|Beith Court Hill]]</ref> A number of large stones are visible in the sides of the mound. It is turf-covered, probably situated on a low outcrop, and is mostly an artificial work.<ref name=Court_Hill_1>[[:File:Beith Court Hill 1.JPG|Beith Court Hill mound]]</ref> Pre-dating the channelling of the burn which detours around it, the mound was probably isolated in this once marshy outflow of the former Boghall Loch (see NS35SE 14).<ref name="RCAHMS">{{cite web|url=http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/|title=Historic Environment Scotland|access-date=26 January 2008|archive-date=4 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204122032/http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/highlightacp3.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the 12th century the Barony of Beith was given to the [[Tironensian]] monks of [[Kilwinning Abbey]] by the wife of [[Richard de Morville|Sir Richard de Morville]]. The farm or Grange of the monks is indicated by the name Grange Hill and a castellated tower indicated as once existing in the area may have been the local dwelling of the [[Abbot of Kilwinning]] when he was visiting the barony to deliver justice at the ''Court Hill'' or attend to other business and later the local laird. No clearly undisputed remains have been found of the tower or grange buildings,<ref>Hall, Page 135</ref> however the New Statistical Account of 1845 written by the local minister, George Colville, states that the castle stood close to the Court Hill.<ref>The New Statistical Account of Scotland. 1845. Vol. 5. Ayr - Bute. Edinburgh : Blackwood & Sons, Page 580</ref>

===Boghall Loch===
[[File:The site of the old Boghall Loch.JPG|thumb|180px|The site of Loch Brand]]
[[Loch Brand]] or Bran was the name by which Boghall Loch was formerly known. The loch, now almost completely drained, is the main source of the Powgree Burn and partly lay on the lands of Boghall. On or around the margin of the loch piles or stakes of oak or elm have been discovered and it is thought that these may be the remains of [[crannog]]s.<ref>Arch & Hist Collections of relating to the counties of Ayr & Wigton. V. II. 1880. p. 28</ref>

===Beith Rocking Stone===
The Beith [[Rocking stone|Rocking Stone]], sits on top of Cuff Hill. According to local folklore, [[Saint Inan]] frequented the stone. Legend states that the stone rocked from side to side on an unseen fulcrum, however this is no longer the case and the stone is now fully set into the ground. An article was published in Cumnock Chronicle in 1907 on the reason for the stone being dislodged. Signed by a Messer's Robert Boyle & Robert Currie.

===Willowyards (Angel's Share fungus)===
[[File:Baudoinia compniacensis on Sycamore and fungus free bark.JPG|left|thumb|200px|The Angels' Share fungus on Sycamore from Mains with a normal branch from [[Spier's School|Spier's]]]]

The area surrounding [[Kilbirnie Loch#The Willowyard estate|Willowyards]] and its whisky bond are characterised by a black staining that covers all living and non-living surfaces to varying degrees. The research that first led to the scientific identification of the organism causing this black and velvety encrustation was partly carried out using samples from Willowyard. The organism causing what is commonly known as 'Warehouse Staining', is a black fungus, ''Baudoinia compniacensis'' which is harmless and feeds upon the 'Angels's Share' of alcohol evaporating from the whisky barrels.<ref>[http://www.mycologia.org/cgi/content/full/99/4/592 B. compniacensis] Retrieved : 2011-04-14</ref>
{{clear}}