Wallace's Monument, the Wallace Tower, or the Barnweil Monument (NS 240655 629488) is a category-A-listed building dedicated to the memory of William Wallace located on Barnweil Hill (), a prominent location in the parish of Craigie, South Ayrshire, Scotland. History Purpose and origins The Wallace Monument is a picturesque Gothic structure and is in a prominent situation, built to commemorate William Wallace at the time of an upsurge in the Scottish desire for self-determination, predating the 1869 Wallace Monument at Stirling. The story is that the name derives from an occasion when Wallace, standing on this elevated site, remarked that the Barns of Ayr (containing English soldiers) `burn weil' is an invention, the reason for the name actually being that it is situated close to the remains of the medieval parish church of Barnweil, a parish that suppressed in the 17th century. The Ayr Advertiser of 12 October 1854 carried an advertisement calling for designs for the monument to be submitted to W F Love of Beith by 1 January 1855. The Ayr Advertiser of 30 October 1856 stated that the monument was designed by William Dobie of Beith, and was built by Mr Snodgrass. The Dobies were a well-to-do professional family with antiquarian interests. No evidence has been found of any call for public subscription. Robert Snodgrass senior, son of William Snodgrass, mason of Beith, practised as an architect-builder in Beith. The land was donated by Brigadier-General James George Smith-Neil of Barnweil House in 1855. William Patrick of Roughwood and Woodside near Beith is also said to have erected the monument. Dobie states that after repeated attempts to arouse public sympathy in its favour he built the tower at his own expense. Etymology The name, also used as Barnwell, Barnweill and Burnweill, first recorded as Berenbouell circa 1177-1204 and Brenwyfle in 1306, is one of a cluster of names in this area that contains the Cymric place-name element pren-, meaning 'tree'. Architecture Robert Snodgrass senior in 1855–7, built a square plan Gothic tower from polished sandstone ashlar blocks, 3-stage, wide at the base, high, with a pinnacled parapet. Base course; string courses; corbelled, shouldered band course between 2nd and 3rd stages; machicolated, crenellated parapet with thistle-finialled, conical-capped circular angle pinnacles and ball-finialled, ogee-capped square-plan wallhead pinnacles. Diagonally-boarded timber door in Tudor-arched, roll-moulded doorway with hoodmould to the south-east elevation; similar inscription recesses at other elevations. Round-arched recesses at 2nd