The terrace garden, between the house and the river, is the only part of design connected with Garscube House that appeared to us open to objections. The space is too small, and what makes it appear ridiculous is, that a broad gravel walk carried from the steps of the upper terrace terminates abruptly at the river in a triangular point; that is to say, the walk is some feet longer on one of its sides than on the other. It has no artificial termination, and a stranger is puzzled to know what it can possibly mean. The truth is, that when a house is set down on the margin of a river, it ought either to be placed close to it, as Culzean Castle is placed close to the sea, or placed at such a distance from it as to afford room for a system of terraces which shall not give an idea of incompleteness; technically speaking, the main walk here is imperfectly developed. In the case of Garscube, the outer wall of a terrace might have been founded on the rock which forms the bed of the river, and this would have given a degree of grandeur, originality, and dignity to the situation of the house, which would have corresponded admirably with the house itself from its architecture, and the romantic character of the sloping declivities which form the boundaries of the park. From the house we proceeded to the farm-yard and the kitchen-garden. The former exhibits a very ample and complete arrangement, Sir Archibald being a great agriculturist, and having, by the frequent-drain system and subsoil-ploughing, greatly increased the value of lands not before worth more than a shilling or two per acre. The substantial manner in which the stable and farm-offices are built, and the order and regularity which appeared to reign through them, gave us the highest satisfaction.
