Caaf Water facts for kids
The Caaf Water is a river in western Scotland. It starts from springs below Green Hill and flows from the Caaf Reservoir, which gets its water from Knockendon Reservoir. As it flows, other smaller burns (streams) like the Bught Burn, Reeves Burn, Bradshaw Burn, and Stock Burn join it. The Caaf Water passes old farms and the site of the Bradshaw shooting lodge.
Near Giffordland Bridge, it goes past the old Giffordlandmill. Then, the Caddell Burn and Tower Burn join the Caaf Water near Drumastle. After this, it enters the beautiful Lynn Glen, known for its waterfalls. Finally, the Caaf Water flows into the River Garnock south of Dalry.
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The Tower Burn joining the Caaf Water near Drumastle mill.
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Peden's waterfall and a rock-cut basin near Drumastle Mill.
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Peden's Pulpit at Pinnoch Point on the Caaf Water.
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Another possible Peden's pulpit in the Lynn Glen.
Contents
Drumastle Mill: A Look Back
Drumastle Mill was an active mill in the late 1800s. It used water from two dams, one on the Caaf Water and another on the Caddell Burn. An old map from 1840-1888 shows a channel, called a lade, that connected these two water sources to the mill.
Near the mill, there was a ford (a shallow place to cross water) and a wooden footbridge. A house called Muirfoot was on the other side of the Caaf Water. A small lane connected the mill to Muirfoot and Linncraigs (which is now gone) and then went up to Linn House. An old map from 1747 called Drumastle 'Drumaskus.' There was also an old tower above the mill, near Tower Farm. Some maps mistakenly call it 'Drumcastle.'
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The Caaf Water flowing past the old grain stores.
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The large grindstones used at Drumastle Mill.
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The grain stores, the miller's house, and the grindstones.
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The ruins of the old mill building.
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The wheelpit and the lade (water channel) that powered the mill.
Exploring Lynn Glen
Lynn Glen is part of an old area called the Barony of Lynn. This land was first given around 1204. A family named Lynne held this land for nearly 500 years, from about 1204 until the mid-1600s.
One important person from this family was Walter de Lynne. He signed an important document called the Ragman Roll in 1296. He was also part of a jury, showing he was an important person in the community.
Over time, the Lynne family sold parts of their land. By the 1800s, the old manor house of the Lynns was just ruins. The last Lynn of that family died in 1670.
In 1632, Thomas Boyd of Pitcon also owned land in Lin, as his father had bought part of the old barony. Later, in 1874, the land belonged to John Crichton. The old mansion of Linn no longer exists, but you can still see some of the old woodland and an ornate gatepost.
A woman named Bessie Dunlop, who lived in Lynn, was known as the Dalry "witch" in 1576. She was married to Andrew Jack, also known as "Jack o’ Linn."
During the "persecution times" of King Charles II, a preacher named Alexander Peden spoke to people from a natural rock formation called Pinnoch Point, which is now often called Peden’s Point. This was a time when people who disagreed with the church's rules were often hunted down.
Bourtreehill House Connection
The land where Bourtreehill House stands was once owned by the Linn family.
Legends of Lynn Glen
The Wraith of Lord Lyne
There's an old story about Lady Lyne, the mother of a young Lord Lyne. Many years ago, she saw a ghostly vision, called a wraith, of her son. This vision was a warning that he would soon die. The Lyne family had a tradition of seeing such warnings.
One day, Lady Lyne was in the glen when she suddenly saw a group of hunters on horseback. Her son was leading them, with dogs barking loudly as they chased a stag. As she watched, the vivid scene vanished like a dream. She rushed home to warn her son.
Lord Lyne listened and accepted his fate. The next day, he went out early but never returned. His worried mother sent servants to search the glen. They eventually found him in a pool at the bottom of Lynn Spout, seemingly having fallen and drowned. It's said that Lady Lyne believed until her dying day that her son had met death itself that morning in Lynn Glen, and that her vision was of him chasing a ghostly stag with the wild dogs of hell.
Views of the Lynn Spout and Glen
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A small waterfall on the Caaf Water above the Lynn Spout.
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A close-up view of Lynn Spout on the Caaf Water.
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Lynn Spout on the Caaf Water, showing the thick limestone deposits.
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The Caaf Water flowing over limestone, a good spot for rock-cut basins.
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Rock-cut basins with pebbles that help carve them, seen during very low water levels.
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The remains of an old footbridge near the entrance to the old lade.
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One of the old gateposts on the lane that led from Drumastle Mill to the old Lynn House.
Nature in Lynn Glen
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The Liverwort Conocephalum conicum growing on a rock in the Caaf Water.
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Hard Fern (Blechnum spicant) in the Linn Glen. Notice the upright fertile fronds.
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Beautiful primroses blooming in the Glen.
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Ivy plants covered with a thick layer of ice.
Images for kids
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Remains of the mill lade, Craig Mill splash wall and a later roofed water pump installation.
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Detail of an opening in the gable end of the old mill.
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The old mill's gable end facing Linn Spout.
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The Laigh Craig Mill ruins from below Lynn Spout. This mill was connected to Kilwinning Abbey.
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Remains of the mill lade and what was a later roofed water pump house at the site of the Craig Mill (Upper).
