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The River Irvine
IRVINE (The), a river in Ayrshire, forming,
from a short distance beneath its source, to
its entrance into the frith of Clyde, the
boundary-line between the districts of
Cunningham and Kyle. What, in the region
earliest drained, bears the name of the
Irvine, rises in two head-waters, the one in a
moss at Meadow-head, on the eastern boundary
of the parish of Loudon or of Ayrshire, and
the other a mile eastward in the parish of
Avondale in Lanarkshire, near the battle-field
of Drumclog. The rills making a junction a
mile below their respective sources, the
united stream traces the boundary of Ayrshire
a mile southward, and then turns westward,
enters the interior of the county, and thence,
till very near its embouchure, pursues a
course which—with the exception of very
numerous but brief and beautiful
sinuosities—is uniformly due west. About 2¾
miles from the point of its entering the
county, it is joined from the north by Glen
water. This, in strict propriety, is the
parent-stream, on account both of its length
of course and its volume of water; for the
stream of the Glen rises at Crosshill in
Renfrewshire, a mile north of the Ayrshire
frontier, and runs 6 miles southward, drinking
up five rills in its progress, to the point of
confluence with the Irvine. Swollen by this
large tributary, the Irvine immediately passes
the village of Derval on the right, — 1¾ mile
onward, the village of Newmills, — at 2¼ miles
farther on, the village of Galston, on the
left. A mile and a quarter below Galston it
receives from the north Polbaith burn; ¾ of a
mile lower down, it is joined from the south
by Cessnock water; and 3 miles westward in a
straight line—though probably double the
distance along its channel, the course here
being almost emulative of the lesser windings
of the Forth—it passes Kilmarnock and
Riccarton on opposite sides, and receives on
its right bank the tributary of Kilmarnock
water. Nearly 22 miles onward, measured in a
straight line, but 4 miles or upwards along
its bed, it is joined on the same bank by
Carmel water; and 2½ miles farther on, it
receives still on the same bank, the tribute
of the Annack. The river now runs 1½ mile in a
direction west of north, passing through the
town of Irvine at about mid-distance; it then
suddenly bends round in a fine sweep till it
assumes a southerly direction; and opposite
the town of Irvine—at 3 furlongs' distance
from its channel— when running southward,
abruptly expands into a basin ¾ of a mile
broad, which receives Garnock river at its
north-west extremity, and communicates by a
narrow mouth or strait with the frith of
Clyde. The parishes which come down on the
river's south bank are Galston, Riccarton, and
Dundonald; and those which it washes on its
north side are Loudon, Kilmarnock, Kilmaurs,
Dreghorn, and Irvine. If the beauty of the
stream, gliding slowly on its pebbled bed, the
richness and verdure of its haughs, the
openness of its course, the quality of the
adjacent soil, the progress of agriculture
along its banks, the array of noblemen's and
gentlemen's seats looking down upon its
meanderings, the crowded population and the
displays of industry and wealth which salute
it in its progress, are taken into view, the
Irvine will be pronounced, if not one of the
thrillingly attractive rivers of Scotland, at
least one of the most pleasing, and one on
whose scenery combined patriotism and taste
will fix a more satisfied eye than on that of
streams which have drawn music from an hundred
harps, and poesy from clusters of men gifted
with the powers of description and literary
painting. The mansions of note situated near
the river demand notice in crowds, and must be
disposed of in simple enumeration.
Loudon-castle and Cessnock-house, both the
residence of noble owners, Lanfine, Holms,
Kilmarnock-house, Peel-house, Caprington,
Fairly-house, Craig-house, Newfield, Auchens,
Shewalton, some of them the homes of men
distinguished by title or important influence
in their country, —these mansions and others,
besides many handsome villages, overlook the
river. On the banks of its tributaries, too,
are similar adornings, —such as Crawfordland
and Dean-castle on the Kilmarnock, Rowallan,
Kilmaurs, and Busby castles on the Carmel, and
Lainshaw, Annack, Lodge, and Bourtreehill on
the Annack.
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