In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Gartness like this:
Gartness, a station and an estate on the W border of Stirlingshire. The station is on the Forth and Clyde J unction section of the North British railway, 1½ mile ENE of Drymen station, and 22 miles WSW of Stirling. The estate lies around the station, along Endrick Water, on the mutual border of Drymen and Killearn parishes; and possesses much interest, both for its scenery and for association with the life and labours of John Napier of Merchiston (1550-1617), the inventor of logarithms. ...
Endrick Water here, over a run of ¼ mile, traverses a natural cleft in the solid rock, and rushes vexedly over a series of mural ledges; in one part, it passes through a caldron-shaped cavity, the Pot of Gartness, and forms there a picturesque cascade. A woollen factory hard by succeeded an ancient mill, the noise of which, along with that of the cataract, disturbed the mathematician amid his studies. Though falsely claimed as a native of Gartness, he at least was the member of a family who held the estate from 1495, and he is known to have resided here at various periods of his life, and here to have prosecuted those studies which have immortalised his name. An old castle, overhanging the Pot of Gartness, was his place of residence, and has left some fragments; a stone taken from its ruins, and bearing the date 1574, is built into the gable of the factory; and some stones, with markings or engravings on them believed to have been made by him, are in possession of the present proprietor of the estate.—Ord. Sur., sh. 30, 1866.
Gartness through time
Gartness is now part of Stirling district. Click here for graphs and data of how Stirling has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Gartness itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Gartness, in Stirling and Stirlingshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/21426
Date accessed: 28th April 2024
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