1 6 8 9 . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁surv iving ▁child ▁of ▁John ▁Adam ▁( d . ▁c . ▁ 1 7 1 0 ), ▁a ▁m ason , ▁and ▁Helen ▁C ran st oun , ▁daughter ▁of ▁William ▁C ran st oun , ▁ 3 rd ▁Lord ▁C ran st oun . ▁His ▁pat ernal ▁grand father ▁was ▁Arch ib ald ▁Adam , ▁a ▁la ird ▁in ▁Ang us . ▁Adam ▁probably ▁attended ▁the ▁grammar ▁school ▁in ▁Kirk cal dy ▁until ▁ 1 7 0 4 , ▁when ▁he ▁turned ▁ 1 5 , ▁and ▁there after ▁learned ▁the ▁craft ▁of ▁m ason ry , ▁possibly ▁from ▁his ▁father . ▁It ▁is ▁often ▁suggested ▁that ▁Adam ▁was ▁app r entic ed ▁to ▁Sir ▁William ▁Bruce ▁at ▁Kin ross ▁House , ▁although ▁the ▁dates ▁make ▁this ▁unlikely . ▁John ▁F lem ing ▁suggests ▁that ▁if ▁Adam ▁trained ▁under ▁Bruce ▁at ▁all , ▁it ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁at ▁Hop et oun ▁House ▁which ▁Bruce ▁was ▁building ▁from ▁ 1 6 9 9 – 1 7 0 3 . ▁By ▁ 1 7 1 7 ▁Adam ▁was ▁a ▁fully ▁qualified ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Kirk cal dy ▁mas ons ' ▁gu ild , ▁and ▁ ▁before ▁ 1 7 2 0 ▁he ▁travel led ▁to ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries , ▁visit ing ▁country ▁houses ▁and ▁view ing ▁the ▁canal ▁at ▁Ost end . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 1 4 , ▁Adam ▁entered ▁into ▁a ▁partners hip ▁with ▁William ▁Robert son ▁of ▁Glad