Heatterhill; Bannock; and Monkridding House. Under the ownership of the Grant family the farms were progressively sold off until only the core of the estate remained. An old lane, probably built by the monks for their tenants, ran from the monk's mill at Craigmill in Lynn Glen via Craighead and then down to Monkcastle via High Monkcastle, joining the road to Kilwinning Abbey itself. In 1691 the Hearth Tax Rolls record the following people and hearths on the estate: Montcastell housse 6; Martha Docheon 1;James Miller, Bryheid 1; Robert Miller, Cragmylne (In margin "no payet") 1; Robert Boyll 1; Robert Gaven 1; George Logane 1; William Miller 1; John Wilsonne 1; John Stewart 2. The "Black Man"'s path ran from Old Monkcastle to Monkcastle House, named after a servant of the Grant's of Monkcastle House, Antonio Escazio, who walked this route regularly. It is not known which country this individual came from, however San Antonio de Escazu is a town in Costa Rica; he is buried in Kilwinning Cemetery. An old cholera pit is located in the grounds of nearby Monkcastle House, dating from the 1830s. Alexander-William Miller was an enthusiastic agricultural reformer and actively controlled the farming of most of the Monkcastle estate. He encouraged 'spade husbandry' and regularly achieved a crop of sixty to seventy bushels per acre, whilst with the plough only thirty was generally produced. The Monkcastle lairds The Hamiltons Lord Claud Hamilton, third son of Alexander, was created Lord Paisley on 20 July 1552. He was a great adherent to the cause of Queen Mary and after the Battle of Langside his lands were confiscated and passed to Lord Semple who exercised all around a severe military discipline, displaying every violence and oppression on that power can do, to maintain a precarious position. By 1573 the lands had been returned to Lord Claud Hamilton. Claud's son, James, was created Earl of Abercorn, Baron of Paisley, Hamilton, Mountcastle (sic), and Kilpatrick in 1604 or 1606; in the same year he was appointed as one of the commissioners to treat of an union with England. In 1621, James, second earl, inherited the 8 merk lands of old extent of Monkcastle. In 1648, the lands of Upper and Lower Monkcastle and others passed to James, Duke of Hamilton. At this time (1661) Hugh, Earl of Eglinton, still claimed the lands as a right of superiority in his role