Craigallian Loch

Located next to West Highland Way

Some mishap has befallen the house at Arlehaven, its previous, idyllic state shown in NS5380 : Arlehaven. The pile of stones to the right, just below halfway, seems to be all that remains, plus some abandoned electrical appliances.

The path of the West Highland Way has clearly seen many visitors in recent days, so its line is quite clear at the bottom of the picture, even if its surface currently resembles a ski piste. The distinctively shaped hill Dumgoyne lies in the distance. At top right you can still see the telephone line that served the now destroyed house at Arlehaven ( NS5380 : Remains of Arlehaven ).

Other contributors' earlier pictures show the mostly-intact building as well as its ruin: NS5380 : Arlehaven / NS5380 : Arlehaven on the West Highland Way / NS5380 : Remains of Arlehaven. On the first-edition OS map (surveyed in 1860), the building was labelled West Arlehaven (in contrast with East Arlehaven at NS54028023); the "West" was later dropped. The second-edition map (revised c.1896) used the names "Harlhame" (for West Arlehaven) and "Arlehaven" (for East Arlehaven). The forms "Harlhame" and "Arlehaven" each preserve some elements of the older spellings of this place-name; much of what follows is from the book "The Parish of Strathblane" (1886) by John Guthrie Smith. The area is referred to as Harlhewan in a deed of 1545, which grants certain lands, forfeited by the Earl of Lennox, to the Earl of Montrose (p15). In 1815, part of the lands of Arlehaven were bought by John Guthrie from James Norval/Narwall. Mr Guthrie made various improvements to this and the other lands making up his estate, and he built march dykes around them (pp42-43). Other names for this particular area: "John Craig of Laggan was grandfather of Archibald Craig, who was tennant of Laggan in 1743, and who removed from Laggan to Meadowhead or Wester Arlehaven in 1775" (p67). [The Grassom map (1817) of Stirlingshire shows a "Meadowhead", but on the other side (NE) of the Blane Water. In a similar way, the Grassom map and Roy's Military Survey (1740s-50s) both include a "Townhead", but on opposite sides of the river.] Pages 74-75 give a detailed account of the manner in which various parts of the Arlehaven lands changed hands from the fifteenth century down to Smith's own day. He notes that "when King James I granted certain lands, as already shown, to his brother-in-law, William Edmonstone, prior to 1434, 'Erleleven' was among them; and when King James II, in 1452, erected the same into the Barony of Duntreath, 'Arleywin' was included, and down to the present time this part of Arlehaven, a fifty shilling land, has continued to belong to the Edmonstones, with the exception of (1) 11 acres 1 rood and 10 falls which lay into Carbeth, and were in 1817 exchanged with John Guthrie for part of Carbeth, and (2) of 'the poffle called Dallinschachan and Boglands thereof, part of the fifty shilling lands of Arlevin', which were sold by William Edmonstone of Duntreath in 1614, to John and Manasseh Lyle, and bought back again by his descendant, Archibald Edmonstone, the laird in 1717". The heading for that section of the book gives the following variations of the name: Arlehaven, Arleywin, Arlevin, Erleleven, Harlhewing, Harlehame, Harlehaven, Harleheavin. The sixth of these is close to the form that appears on the second-edition OS map (see above). In the present view, the wooded hill on the right is Dumgoyach. The knoll on the left with a lone tree is shown from a distance in NS5380 : Field gate. Between knoll and hill, Ben Lomond can be seen near the centre of the skyline.

This part of the route is also on the John Muir Way. Arlehaven, now destroyed, was located among the trees on the left: see NS5380 : The ruins of Arlehaven, and other pictures linked from there. The wooded hill Dumgoyach is behind the ruins, and the rocky peak of Dumgoyne is also prominent, right of centre. On the skyline, an unnamed hill at NS51628097 is at the extreme left; the similar hill just to its right is NS5181 : Quinlochmore.

Arlehaven, now destroyed, was formerly among the trees behind the gorse to the left of the path: NS5380 : The ruins of Arlehaven. Further away, the steep wooded hill Dumgoyach is prominent on the left (compare NS5380 : Duntreath Standing Stones). Distant Ben Lomond is on the skyline at the far left. The much closer conspicuous rocky hill of Dumgoyne can be seen right of centre.

For context, and for a description of background details, see NS5380 : West Highland Way near Arlehaven, which shows the adjacent path.

Dropping into the south end of the Loch Lomond catchment area. Dumgoyne is prominent on the horizon.

... Or Harlhame on some maps. There was once a plantation on the right, now you can see Dumgoyne.

View of rough grazing from the West Highland Way.

The ruin shown here NS5380 : Arlehaven] has been demolished. Spot the tent.

Looking west northwest. The wooded hill in the distance is Dumgoyach.

East Arlehaven is beside the trees to the left.

Origins of this Graham Castle date back to late 14th century

On the left of the photo can be seen part of the West Highland Way long distance footpath. The separate hill in the background is Dumgoyne

The post on the left of the picture has the stylised thistle which is the way-marker for this long-distance footpath.

A popular stopping point on the A809 road

Late autumn afternoon light in deiduous woodland near Milngavie.