Westhaugh Farm was prominent in the carse of Cornton from the early 18th Century until its demise in the late 1950s. At one time it would have been the only farm on the Cornton Road between Bridgehaugh and Cornton Vale & Wester Cornton Farms. This O.S. map of 1860 shows how relatively isolated it was.
The following information has been taken selectively from “Logie: A parish History Vol. II”
In 1727 when Jean Watson married George Henderson, writer in Edinburgh (her Tocher (dowry) was 8,000 Merks Scots!) there were a number of complicated land transactions in the area. Westhaugh is mentioned often in terms such as “…that part of the Mill Lands of Corntown joined to and and made a part of Westhaugh, and a proportional part of the Mill of Cornton now demolished…”
“The lands of Westhaugh, extending to 81 acres, and valued at £62/9/8d Scots in the roll of the valued rent heritors, lie in the south-west of Cornton, having the river Forth as their west and south boundary.These lands were included in the part of Cornton belonging to Andrew and John Dickson before 1625 and, from the Dicksons, passed into the possession of the Watsons and then the Robertsons. James Robertson in Old Byres of Keir purchased Westhaugh sometime before 1763.
William Robertson died on the 4th November 1778 and in 1779 Mr McKillop is entered in the inheritors’ book as proprietor of Westhaugh. William McKillop died before 1785 when John McKillop is entered as proprietor.
The McKillops retained ownership of Westhaugh until around 1805 when Frances McKillop married Lieutenant-Colonel John Flyn who purchased Westhaugh at that time. The transaction seems to have been a family arrangement but the Flyns’ name continues to appear until in 1872/3 “Flynn’s Trustees” are entered as proprietors. In 1876 the lands of Westhaugh are disponed to the Free Church of Scotland to be held by their trustees “…for behoof of the supplementary Sustentation Fund of the Free Church…”
In 1888 in the locality of the Stipend of the Parish of Logie The General Trustees of the Free Church of Scotland, formerly Miss Flyn’s Trustees, for lands of Westhaugh, for part of Cornton are listed as proprietors.
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It is difficult to glean much from the valuation rolls of the nineteenth Century because the properties being farmed are all entitled in the same way – “Lands and Farm, Cornton”. It is consequently impossible to tell which is which. Although in the 1940 Valuation Roll, the farm itself is listed as being owned by James McLaren, Farmer and occupied by James and Andrea McLaren, Farmers.
This 1960 O.S. Map shows the farm as “Ruins”
The remains of the track out to the farm and the farm itself are still accessible from the playground at Fisherman’s Walk.
This is all that remains of Westhaugh Farmstead now!
Cornton - Our Story 