Crawfurd described the castle and grounds as they were in 1710, seventy years before the principal structures were razed: "Upon the opposite side of the River Gryffe stands the Castle and Barony of Houstoun, situated upon an eminence which affords a very agreeable prospect of most of this Shire: the fabric is a large court, which has been of late much improved by Sir John Houstoun, now of that ilk; it has a most beautiful avenue fronting the said castle, regularly planted; and has orchards, gardens and parks equal to many in this place of the kingdom, with delectable woods surroundirg almost the house."

Tradition says an underground passage connected the Houston place with the Barochan castle nearby. Likely this story grew out of the long friendshfp between the Houstouns and their nearest neighbors. On at least one occasion when the Barochan castle was under attack, the Houstouns came to the rescue, but seem to have ridden through the woods, rather than traveling underground.

Most of the old castle was torn down by a new owner after the Houstoun line of barons ran out. Residents of the area were outraged to see such a historic landmark laid low by one with no feeling of reverence for the past. The historian Camp.bell laments the passing of the ancient landmark:

"The family whose ancestry laid the foundation of its giant walls has passed away.
"The song of the minstrel has ceased and the merry sound of the dance is no longer heard.
"No longer do steel-clad bands of vassals throng the spacious court to do the bidding of their chief.
"No barbed war-steed prances across the drawbridge to bear its dark-plumed rider to the distant field of fight.
"No joyous cavalcade of beauteous dames and gallant youths issue from its portals to hunt the deer or fly the hawk.
"All its beauty hath turned to ashes and the glory hath departed." 1

The historian was justly sad, but over pessimistic. Truly it was the end of an age . . . but the beginning of a far greater destiny for the Houstons. Before the line of ancestral barons at the original parish in Renfrewshire expired in 1751, they had sired a great stream of vigorous Houstons throughout the Scot.tish Lowlands, hundreds of their offspring had pushed out into







1 Campbell, p. 64.