page_title: Lowes Loch (Ayrshire)
section_title: Lochs site
hierarchical_section_title: Lowes Loch (Ayrshire) / Lochs site
caption_attribution_description: English: The Cadgerford Burn, outflow of The Lochs Loch, Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland
context_page_description: Lowes Loch, The Lochs or Loch of Hill is now a small natural freshwater loch in the North Ayrshire Council Areas, lying in a glacial kettle hole, once of greater extent, lying below Brownmuir and Lochland Hills on the Threepwood Road, near Beith, in the Parish of Beith. The loch may once have had a small island within it.
context_section_description: Marked on Ordnance Survey maps as 'The Lochs', it was locally known as the Lowes Loch and lies on the old 'Lowes Lands'. Four lochs may have once been present, a small one in front of Lows Cottage, a second along to the west of the surviving loch, and a smaller fourth one, now partly drained by a deep ditch, sitting next to the older of the two Lochlands Farms ruins.
  The name 'Lowe' is said to have derived been from the Celtic for 'Hill' and Lochlands Hill was once known as Lowes Hill. Before the Cadgerford Burn was deepened the lochs level would have been higher and may have once drained to the west and east.
  Lows Cottage
  This building was originally a retting or rhetting cottage, later becoming a small farm with a byre attached.
  Cartographic evidence
  Blaeu's map of 1684, pbased on Timothy Pont's map of circa 1604, names a 'Loch of Hill' and Roy's map of circa 1747 shows two small lochs, with the outflow of the western loch running down to the Muir Burn and then into the Roebank Burn. Thomson's map of 1832 shows a single loch lying below Lows Farm and draining east into the Dusk water. OS maps of the 1850s do not indicate open water and a discreet clump of trees suggests a small island.
  The abandoned Rakerfield Farm lies above the site on the lower slopes of Brownmuir or Brimmer Hill. This farm was occupied by the elderly couple, Mrs & Mrs Blair, at the time of the construction of Kirklee Green reservoir and was purchased upon their death by Ayrshire County Council and the roof removed.
  Cadgerford Burn
  The name of the inflow and outflow burn indicates, as stated, a ford on this old road once used by cadgers or carriers on horseback of goods, including items such as Dunlop cheeses. The burn is the existing inflow and outflow from Lowes Loch to the Dusk Water; it has been canalised and greatly deepened to lower the level of Lowes Loch. The burn now flows into the Kirkleegreen Reservoir, built after 1858 and by 1891. The waters of this old reservoir, now an angling loch, run into Cuffhill Reservoir and then into the Dusk Water via Threepwood Spout. The ford may have been where a culvert now carries the outflow of the small loch in front of Lows Cottage down towards Lowes Loch.
  Beith's annual fair, called Tennant's or Saint Tinnan's Day, was previously held on the Cuff Hill. It was famous for its show, and its Cadger's parade and sale of horses.
caption: The Cadgerford Burn
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