Lochinvar
is a loch in the civil parish of Dalry in the
historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries
and Galloway Scotland. The loch formerly had an
island on which stood Lochinvar Castle, seat of
the Gordon family. In the 20th century the loch
was dammed to form a reservoir, raising the
water level and submerging the island with the
ruins of the castle. The ruins of a castle stand
on a now submerged islet within the loch. The
islet was submerged when the loch's level was
raised as part of a project to supply drinking
water in the 1960s.
The
Lochinvar Burn flows south towards the Water of
Ken and on an flooded islet in the loch stand
the ruins of a former stronghold of the Gordons
of Lochinvar, one of whom was featured as 'Young
Lochinvar' in Lady Heron's song in Sir Walter
Scott's 'Marmion'. Lochinvar is corrupted gaelic,
Loch an barr, meaning Loch at the top (hilltop).
It lies 700 feet above sea level. From here it
is an impressive sight looking south down the
valley towards Loch Ken, past the town of New
Galloway and onwards to the Solway Firth.
Sir
John Gordon of Lochinvar (as he was known before
his ennoblement) was the eldest son of Sir
Robert Gordon of Lochinvar (d. November 1628), a
Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber, by his wife
Lady Isabel Ruthven, daughter of the first Earl
of Gowrie.
After completion of his studies he travelled on
the continent, and while there he resided in the
house of the famous John Welsh, who was then
minister at St. Jean d'Angely in France, having
been banished from Scotland.
On
his return home Gordon exerted himself with
success in getting Anworth, the parish in which
the family residence was situated, disjoined
from two other parishes with which it had been
united; and through his influence, Samuel
Rutherford was appointed minister of the new
charge in 1627, which Kenmure later said was
"the most meritorious action of my life".
At
some point Gordon was knighted. A strong
supporter of the Stuart monarchy, on May 8,
1633, as Sir John Gordon, knight, he was created
Viscount of Kenmure and Lord Lochinvar by
Charles I by Letters Patent, at his Scottish
coronation in Edinburgh. The destination was to
heirs male whatsoever bearing the surname and
Arms of Gordon.
He
attended the parliament held at Edinburgh the
following June, but avoided the debate on the
King's measures relative to the church, retiring
instead to Kenmure Castle. He later regretted
that he took no part but expressed his dilemma
at not wishing to upset his monarch.
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