Ardgowan House

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Ardgowan, a mansion in Inverkip parish, Renfrewshire, 3¼ miles N by E of Wemyss Bay. It is the seat of Sir Michael Robert Shaw-Stewart, of Greenock and Blackhall, owner of 24,951 acres in the shire, of £14,501 gross annual value (£573 quarries), seventh Baronet since 1667, and seventeenth in direct male descent from Sir John Stewart, a natural son of Robert III., who received from his father three charters of the lands of Ardgowan, Blackhall, and Auchingoun, in 1390,1396, and 1404. Erected early in this century from designs by Cairncross, and raised on a terrace overhanging the Firth of Clyde, the present mansion is a large and stately building, screened in the rear by noble trees, but in front commanding a wide, unbroken, prospect over the waters and mountain-flanks of the firth. Near it stand the private Episcopal chapel of St Michael and All Angels, and the remains of an ancient square tower, a fragment of that Castle of Inverkip which was held by the English in the days of Robert Bruce. Thither fled Sir Philip de Mowbray, after his rout by the Black Douglas. He came by Kilmarnock and Kilwinning, thence to Ardrossan- ' Syne throu the Largis him alane, Till Innerkyp' which (Barbour adds) was ` stuffyt all with Inglessmen, ' who received him ` in daynté. '

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer

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