James Ramsey landscape garden designer

611. No artist of note had hitherto arisen in Scotland in this department of gardening, if we except James Ramsay. This person was employed by Robertson, in Ayrshire, as a mason, and soon displayed a taste for disposing of verdant scenery, and afterwards became a landscape-gardener of considerable repute. He gave ground-plans and drawings in perspective, both of the buildings and verdant scenery. Leith Head, a small place near Edinburgh, is entirely his creation. His style was that of Brown, in his waters and new plantations near the house; but he was less attached to the belt, his clumps were not always regular, and he endeavoured to introduce a portion of third distance into all his views. Ramsay died at Edinburgh in 1794, and this record of his taste is due to his memory.