The approach to Blairquhan, on the banks of the river Girvan, is remarkably fine. The house is new, in a highly enriched Gothic style: and the grounds, forming part of the valley of the Girvan, are backed on all sides by rising hills and mountains. On the whole, Blairquhan is by nature a noble place; but there is no proper connection between the pleasure-ground and the house; so that, although nature and architecture have both done much, yet the details are very defective. A great deal of pains seems to have been taken in hoeing and raking some miles of approach road, which would have been much better left in its firm state, and the weeds pulled up by hand. Indeed, on such a road, in constant use, few weeds will be found to grow; and therefore nothing should be done to disturb the firmness of the surface, and infringe on its character of mellowness and age. We are the more particular on this head, because the practice of raking walks, and having them covered with loose gravel, instead of gravel firmly rolled, seems, as already observed, to be a prevailing sin in the gardens in the west of Scotland. The gardener here is quite an original character, well versed in his profession, but very hard worked; the strength allowed him being insufficient to keep what is under his care as it ought to be. The addition of one man to the yearly strength kept would make all the difference between a harassed mind, and a place always on the verge of disorder; and a mind at ease, not so fatigued with the work of the day as to be unable to read at night, and a place in high keeping. But there is evidently, among the Scottish country gentlemen, either a great want of taste, or a great want of means; perhaps both. [Editor's Note: Blairquhan Castle house was built between 1820 and 1824 in a Tudor-Gothic style, by the famous Scottish architect William Burn. It survives (2005) and can be visited].
