to mix without much control from the farmer and establishing or maintaining a pure breed was therefore practically impossible. Micro history The British army and navy of this time purchased Barbara Gilmour's Dunlop type of cheese as the taste of cheeses made from skimmed milk when compared with unskimmed cheeses was so unsatisfactory that it caused dissent amongst the regular troops and sailors. In the 17th century Dunlop had two fairs a year for the sale of dairy stock, one on the second Friday of May; and the other called Hallowday, on 12 November. An Ayrshire cow was given to Robbie Burns in 1788 by Mr. J. Dunlop of Dunlop. He wrote to say that the gift was the finest quey in Ayrshire. A 'quey' was the Scots for a heifer until she had birthed a calf. In Sir Walter Scott's "Heart Of Midlothian" he has the Duke of Argyll saying "the Dunlop is the very cheese of which I am so fond, and I will take it as the greatest favour you can do me to send one to Caroline Park. But remember, be on honour with it, Jeanie, and make it all yourself, for I am a real good judge." Timothy Pont states of Stewarton and Dunlop in 1604 – 1608 that "the butter of this countrey in effecte ferues a grate pairt of ye Kingdome, one aker of ground heir zeilding more butter then 3 akers of ground in aney adiacent countreys". One place that Dunlop cheese is made today (2008) is at West Clerkland Farm, a short distance from Barbara Gilmour's old home. The Dunlop legacy of Barbara Gilmour See also Dalgarven Mill – The Ayrshire Museum of Country Life & Costume Corsehill – A history of the area Dunlop cheese Lugton References External links A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland A page on Dunlop Cheese Details of cheese making and a photograph of a stone cheese press at 'The Hill' farm in Dunlop A Researcher's Guide to Local History terminology 17th-century births 1732 deaths 17th-century Scottish people 17th-century Scottish women 18th-century Scottish businesspeople 18th-century British businesswomen 18th-century Scottish women People from North Ayrshire Scottish inventors Year of birth unknown Women inventors Covenanters History of Scottish cuisine Scottish women in business