Staneykirk

**Staneykirk** (English: **Stoneykirk**) is an aurie an a veelage in the hert o the Rhins o Gallowa in the historical coonty o Wigtounshire in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. It is awmaist 10 mile in lenth an 3.5 mile in breid, boondit on the east bi Luice Bay an on the wast bi the Sheuch (North Chainel), it is 5 mile sooth o Stranrawer.

The aurie is aboot 21,500 acre, o whit 19,000 acre is arable. 375 acre is wuidland an plantations, an the lave (o whit 1,100 acre micht be reclaimt) is muirland.

Staneykirk haes a community cooncil.

Knockinaam Lodge, Port Spittal, Staneykirk, acause it is oot awa, wis the laction for a saicret meetin atween Winston Churchill an Dwight D. Eisenhower durin Warld War II tae discuss the D-Day plans.

The A716 road rins throu pairt o the veelage, and a local coach firm, McCulloch's Coaches, is sted in the veelage.

James King 407 Service provides a bus link north tae Stranrawer an sooth tae Saundheid an Drummore.

Saundheid leuks oot ower Luice Bay that wis uised for laundin lime an coal.

## The Veelage

Stoneykirk veelage, locatit near RAF West Freugh developit aroond the kirk (noo disuised) an wis name't efter the kirk.

The Veelage Haw is the heidquarters o the South Rhins Community Development Trust.

The veelage schuil is situatit abuin the veelage.

Staneykirk haes twa hottles - the 3-stern Torrs Warren Country House Hotel, and the oreeginal manse built in 1790 wi a restaurant an baur.

## Staneykirk kirk

The first kirk, Saunt Steen's Kirk, (o Steeniekirk, Stephenskirk, Toskarton, Achawan, or Clayshant, amang ither variations) wis dedicatit tae Saunt Stephen/Steen in is thocht tae hae been built atween the 12t and 14t centuries, likely unner the patronage o the McCulloch faimily o Ardwell, Toskarton Pairish, o Clan McCulloch.

Toskarton and Clayshant auncient pairishes wis unitit tae Staneykirk in 1618.

In 1827 the auld medieval pairish kirk wis rebiggit.

Staneykirk Free Kirk biggin wis biggit in 1844 an it passt successive til the Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland and the Kirk o Scotland, an it unitit wi Ardwell-Saundheid as Staneykirk in 1974.

## Kirkmadrine kirk

Kirkmadrine wis dedicatit tae St Medran, an early Bishop o Ossory o Ireland. The war three chaipels o ease in the pairish: St Brioch's at Kirkmabreck, St Donan's at Kildonan, an St Lashrean's at Killaser.  The biggin is no langer uised as a kirk.

The Monogram Stanes o Kirkmadrine date fae aboot 450, that makes thaim the earliest inscrieved Christian heid-stanes in Scotland ootby o Whithorn. The auldest is a staunder stane datin fae the 5t century. Aw the stanes wis fund in the immediate aurie, suggestin that it was an early Christian seemetry, like Clachanmore.

## History

A cornerstane o McDowell's Garthland Castle (tour hoose) buir the date 1211, an on anither ane taewart the east, 1274.

In 1295 Sir Dougal MacDougall (McDowell) haed a Chairter fae his third cuisin,Keeng John Balliol, Laird o Gallowa, confirmin the Barony o Garochloyne wi Lougan an Elrig in the Rhins o Gallowa.

Janet McDowell (McDowall), dochter o Uchtred McDowell o Garthland, mairit Ninian Adair, son o William Adair o Dunskey Castle an o Kilhilt that wis kilt at the Battle o Flodden. Utrecht McDowell, that wis kilt at Flodden an aw, appeart tae awn the aurie o Stranrawer, an Ninian an Janet McDowell built the Castle o St John. Stranrawer, likely on her faither's laund. On 27 Februar 1547, in the beuk "*Inquisitiones Speciales*", unnerr "Wigton", Uthredus M'Douell wis heir tae his faither Joannis M'Douell de Garthland that wis kilt at the Battle o Pinkie Cleugh (qui obit apud Pinkiecleuch), o 24 merkland o Garthland, Pairish Staneykirk, an 14 merkland o Lochans (adjynin Garthland) in Pairish o Inche. On Ainslie's 1782 map, William McDowall Esp wis shawn at Garthland Castle. Killhilt, the auncient hame o the Adair faimily, is shawn an aw on the 1782 map juist north o, and adjynin, McDowell's Garthland Castle.

In Wigtounshire, the name McCulloch o Clan McCulloch appears on gey early missives. i.e. The Register o The Great Seal o Scotland, Vol I, appendix II, p.&nbsp;531, nos. 321, 322, Kirkmadrine Tuskercon/Tuskerton/Toskertoun/Toskertoune.

About 1317 King Robert I o Scotland knichtit Caiptan Cullo og Neil (O'Neil) an chose him tae be his staundart-beirer an Secretar o State. King Robert grantit an aw tae Sir Cullo og Neil launds an Achawan or Auchwane in Wigtounshire (kent an an aw as Kirkmaderen, ref. RMS vol VIII, p.&nbsp;87, #255, Toskartoun/Toscartoun/Staneykirk/Stoneykirk) that encompasst the estates an castles o Ardwell an Killasser near Clachanmore (Law Ardwell). The 42 merkland o Toskerton haed been forfeitit bi Sir John le Mareschal de Toskerton tae King Robert I. In 1331 Sir Cullo og Neil dee'd an left his estate tae his auldest son Sir Godfrey that assume't th tha faimily name McCullog (McCullough/McCullo'c).

On 7 Julie 1618 William McCulloch o Mertoun (Myretoun McCulloch Torhous in Mochrum pairish, wi the consent o his auldest son Alexander, ratifee'd a chairter o Killasser in the Barony o Achowane tae William Houston an his guidwife Katherine Vaus. The subscript mentiont a new deed-o-baronia Killasser an the castle. Anither deed o 29 Juin 1621 wis fae William Houston tae William Adair, whaurby James Glover, Notary Public, recordit deleevery o "seizin" (sasine) o 4 merk o laund in Carnewell (Cairnweil), neist a Kirkmadrin Kirk, in the Pairish o Toscartoun.

Killasser Castle is shawn on Ainslie's 1782 map as in ruins. It wis the auncient seat of the Macculloch o Ardwell.

The Pairish Leet o Wigtounshire 1684, pp-57-61, leets the places in Staneykirk Ceevil Pairish.

Adjynin Killasser Castle wis William Maxwell o Ardwell at Ardwell Hoose, Staneykirk Pairish, Wigtounshire.

The war a Laird Maxwell that wis impreesont bi Keeng James VI an released as lang as he quit Scotland. In 1588 Laird Maxell wis in Spaingie what the Armada wis bein redd, an he advised Keeng Philip II o Spaingie that the Gallowa ports shoud be uised. The First-Cless man-o-war "Philip & Mary" saundit itsel on shingl no far fae Port William, Pairish o Mochrum, near Sir Willam Maxwell's Myretoun Castle on the Menreith Estate.

## Archaeology

In *Archaelogical and Historical Collections Relating to Ayrshire and Galloway* vol V, p 63, Rev. George Wilson leets forts in Staneykirk:
* ane north o Drumbreddan Bay, no on the OS map;
* Doon Castle at Ardwell Pynt;
* Kirlauchine, 5 mile north o Ardwell Pynt
* Kildonan, a double fort
* Knockdoon - the name shaws a fort northo Awhirk

The're cairns an aw at Doon Hill o Kildrochet

* Doon Castle, near High Ardwell is the remeens o the best exemple o an Airn Age broch in Dumfries an Gallowa.
* Kirlauchine Promontory For is at Camp Bay sooth
* East Galdenoch fort (a schedule't auncient moniment) atween East Galdenoch an Freugh Airfield. It's a circular fort with a diameter o about 361&nbsp;ft o a later prehistoric date
* East Galdenoch sattlement (a schedule't auncient moniment), about 120 yaird sootheast o East Galdenoch. It's a prehistoric peel sattlement that is about 394 fit lang bi 197 fit.
* Anither East Galdenoch sattlement (a schedule't auncient moniment), about 492 yaird nor'east o East Galdenoch. It's 853 fit bi 820 fit.
* The're Promontory Forts on baith sides o Float Bay.
* Dunaldboys Mote, sooth Knockinaam, is an Airn Age promontory on the heid o sea clifts. The're a staundin stane an aw by the side o the Portpaitrick-Cairngarroch road.
* Balgreggan Motte, Saundheid, staunds abuin the A716. The motte wis the first in a line o early castles alang the eastren shores o the Rhins. A 1782 map shaws Balgreggan Hoose o Hon. Sir Frederick Maitland
* Ferm o Port Spittal, 2 mile sooth o Portpaitrick. It wis the "buirial grund o fower keengs". A Bronze Age cist an urn wis fund in a graff kivert wi a whinstane leck. The banes can be seen in the Stranrawer Museum.

In 1588 some boats belangin til the Great Spaingie Armada wis wrackit aff the westren coast, no faur fae a bay that wis named in commemoration o that circumstance Float Bay. At Money Pynt (Money Heid) a considerable nummer o Spaingie dubloons wis subsequent diskivert. Project Adair at 

Houiver, in the beuk "*The Scotch Irish*" bi Charles A Hanna, p.&nbsp;233, it states that at the pairish at Staneykir is the ferms an bay o Float, local statit tae hae been cried sic fae the wrack o ane o the ships o the Spaingie Armada: and the heidland close to, corruptit fae the Gaelic wird "monadh", the hill-heid, tae "Moneyheid", fae the money supposed tae hae been lost fae the wrack. The name Float is fae the Auld Norse *flott* that means a plain.

## Leetit biggins in Staneykirk

* Kildrochet House Including Gates And Gatepiers
* Windmill Plantation, Old Windmill
* Clachanmore Gallery, Former School And Schoolhouse, Including Boundary Walls, Gatepiers, Gates And Ancillary Structures
* Ardwell, Ardwell House, Walled Garden Including Gardener's Cottage And Owl Statue
* Ardwell, Bowling Hall, Ivy And Shore Cottages Including Boundary Walls And Gates
* Stoneykirk Parish Church Graveyard Including Boundary Walls, Gatepiers And Gates
* Kirkmabreck Farmhouse Including Farmhouse, Cottage, Steading, Boundary Walls And Gate
* Drumbreddan Including Walled Garden, Steading, Farm Cottage, Boundary Walls And Gatepiers
* Balgreggan, Walled Garden To Former Balgreggan House
* Balgreggan, Kennels And Barn To Former Balgreggan House, Including Boundary Walls And Gatepiers
* Ringuinea Moss
* Garthland Mains Including Farmhouse, Steading, Farm Cottage, Bridge, Tower, Boundary Walls And Gatepiers
* Mains Of Caldons Farmhouse
* Ardwell, Ardwell Mains
* Ardwell, Ardwell House, East Lodge Including Boundary Walls, Gatepiers And Gate
* Ardwell, Ardwell House Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Gate, Sundial And Owl Statue
* Ardwell, Ardwell Church (Church Of Scotland) Including Boundary Walls, Gatepiers And Gates
* Cairnhandy Farmhouse, Steading And Cottage, Including Boundary Walls
* Ardwell, Ardwell House, Boundary Walls, Gates And Gatepiers
* Lake Cottage Including Boundary Walls, Gatepiers And Outhouse
* Gruesey, Former United Free Manse, Including Boundary Walls And Gatepiers
* Ardwell, Ardwell Mill
* East Cairnwell Including Farmhouse, Steading, Boundary Walls, Gates And Gatepiers
* Stoneykirk Parish Church (Church Of Scotland) And Railings
* Kirkmadrine Church Including Graveyard, Mctaggart Memorial, Boundary Walls, Gatepiers And Gates
* Sanheid Primary Scuil

## Gailerie

### Westren shore o the Rhins and the Mid-Rhins


File:Kirkmadrine Church - geograph.org.uk - 263127.jpg|Kirkmadrine Kirk.
File:Port of Spittal and Knockinaam Lodge - geograph.org.uk - 596722.jpg|Knockinaam Lodge, Port O Spittal (N.W. Staneykirk Pairish). Meetin place of General Eisenhower & Winston Churchill.
File:Float Bay near Stoneykirk, Stranraer, Wigtownshire - geograph.org.uk - 137739.jpg|Float Bay wi auncient forts on baith sides.
File:Drumbreddan Bay - geograph.org.uk - 647514.jpg|view fae hill fort, Drumbreddan Bay.
File:Ardwell Bay (or High Ardwell Bay as the locals call it). - geograph.org.uk - 75859.jpg|Ardwell Bay.
File:Doon Castle Broch, High Ardwell Bay - geograph.org.uk - 137736.jpg|Doon Castle Broch, High Ardwell Bay.
File:Portayew bay - geograph.org.uk - 406905.jpg|Portayew bay, Kirklauchline Promontory fort til the left at Camp Bay Soouth.


### Eastren shore o the Rhins


File:Stoneykirkchurch.jpg|Staneykirk Kirk and kirkyaird (N.E.Staneykirk Pairish).
File:Motte Stranraer.jpg|Motte and Bailey castle, Ardwell, by Isles f Killaser, north Chapel Rosan Bay.
File:Chapel Rossan Bay looking across to Ardwell village and caravan site. - geograph.org.uk - 64382.jpg|Chapel Rossan Bay leukin oot ower tae Ardwell veelage.
File:Sandhead Village, about 8 miles South of Stranraer - geograph.org.uk - 82688.jpg|Sanheid Veelage, Balgreggan Mote Slap on right.
File:Stoneykirk Motte Slap & War Memorial.jpg|Balgreggan, Saundheid, Staneykirk, Motte Slap & War Memorial.


## References