Crosslee Cottage, near Johnstone, though of less extent than any of the villas we have mentioned, being, in fact, more a cottage than a villa, is a gem as unique in its way as Castle Dykes or St. Peter's. The cottage is placed on the top of a bank upwards of 200 ft. above the river Gryffe, just at a bend in the stream, and the ground slopes steeply down from the house to a narrow holm, which skirts the margin of the water. On the opposite side the bank is still higher and steeper, and it is covered with old wood from the water's edge. The sky outline of these trees, owing to the bend of the river, seems here to rise into a hill, declining both up and down the stream; and conspiring, as it were, with the bend of the river, to mark out the situation for the cottage. The portion of lawn in front of the dwelling is very small, but it contains a selection of beauties and rarities such as we have not elsewhere seen in Scotland. At the end of the house, the lawn joins a terrace, from which steps descend to another, both supported by masonry; and below is a hanging fruit-garden. There are two other gardens; but we have no time to enter into details. On the whole, Crosslee Cottage is a fine example of the multum in parvo in ornamental gardening; and, of all the places which we saw in Scotland, it has left the strongest impression on our mind: the next strongest was produced by Auchincruive.
