Sunday 18 December 2016

The legend of the Giant, Bertram De Shotts and William Muirhead of Lauchope

In previous blog posts I've written about the history, ecology and  landscape of the site at Lauchope, near Chapelhall and the Muirhead family, one of the most ancient families in the shire and at one point, the most important family in Glasgow.

This blog post looks at how the lands of Lauchope came to being established.


Lauchope Parkland


Around the 15th Century,  local folklore tells the story of Bertram de Shotts.  A legendary giant that terrorised the area around the Village of Shotts.  Some versions of the tale place it in the time of Robert the Bruce, others King James.  


King James IV, King of Scotland (1473-1513)

Shotts was then, (as it is now)  bleak, cold moorland and was situated on the Main travelling route through the Shire.  Bertram de Shotts was, if legend is to be believed, a Highwayman, a robber, a scoundrel, and a Giant.  He would lie in wait for Tradesmen and travellers, ambush them and steal their wares and livestock.

It was considered such a big problem that King James IV issued a bounty on the head of Bertram de Shotts, offering a "hawks flight" of land to the plucky Scot, brave enough to take on the legendary Giant.

Willielmo de Muirhede (William Muirhead) put a cunning plan into place.  He knew the areas that Bertram de Shotts frequented, He knew that the giant would come to St Kate's Well for water so he placed a large cart full of heather beside the well, hid himself under the heather and waited.


St Kate's Well - Image Tour Scotland


Sure enough eventually the giant Bertram de Shotts came past and peered curiously at the cart of heather.  After a while he went to the well to sup.  Muirhead leapt out of the cart and mounted his attack.


St Kate's Well, Kirk O' Shotts - ImageTour Scotland


First he cut the giant's hamstrings, to debilitate him, before cutting off the giants laughing head and carrying it to King James IV to receive his prize which was the "hawks flight" of land at Lauchope.

"Hawk's Flight" of Land at Lauchope, shown inside
boundary on Bleau's Atlas 1654


This Scots poem by Robert Dangster 1922, recounts the tale which is also mentioned in The Laird of Muirhead from Walter Scott's Minstrelry of the Scottish Borders. (see previous blog post)


Now her is a tale o’ the bold Bartram Shotts
Wha robbit the Lairds o’ their sheep and their stotts
Wha rived frae the rich a’ the gear they could spare
To feed, claithe and gledden, the needy and puir
He first saw the light in the year thirteen ten
Awa mang the hills in a wild lanrick glen
Wi’ natures’ ain music the soun in his ears
To lull him to sleep in his tenderest years
Bread weel tae the chase we the arrow and spear
Nane bolder when huntin the wild boar and deer
He kent every haunt whaur they drank frae the rills
That cannily wimpled amang the Shotts hills
Although ca’d a robber he lookit weel faurt
As shy as a lassock but no easy scaurt
He stood in his shoon mair six feet and ten
And great was the pith o’ this wall o’ big men
The lassies a’ looed him when inbye at hame
And hearts dunted sair when they spake o’ his fame
But oot on the mainland or spielen a hill
The creatures were frichted he’d dae them some ill
Had they but a kent. a’ their fash was in vain
For deil hae’t a value was Bartram he tae’n
At maist, he’d hae stou’n frae their mou’s a bit kiss
A thing he thocht muck o’ an’ they ne’er could miss
Then Robbie the King pit a price on his head
Tae be played tae wha’d bring him in leevin or deid
The price was a hawksflight o’guid lanrick land
Tae be gifted tae them frae King Robbie’s hand
Ae day to the east o’ the bonny lade knowe
The bridle path there, was the scene o’ a row
For Bartram met in wi’ the Laird o’ Muirheid
Took frae him his siller and left him for deid
But Muirhead was made o’ that gude solid stuff
The mair ye lay on tilt, the mair it grows tough
So shakin his neive at Bartram the foe
He swore by St. Katie he’d yet lay him low
The laird he was canny and laid his plans weel
For Bartram he kent was a desperate deil
So kennin that Bartram came o’er by the hirst
Tae drink at the burnie, and slochen his thirst
The laird coupit heather, whaur heather ne’er grew
At a part o’ the glen whaur the burnie ran thro’
Neist day there cam Bartram as aye was his wont
Tae tak his cool draught at the clear rinnin font
He saw the strange birn, but thocht withoot fear
T’was some huntin chiels thicket, tae hide frae the deer
He stood for a moment, sae prood o’ his strength
Then stoopit fu’ laigh, till he steekit his length
He took his cool draught frae the burn rinnin clear
And thocht na o’ danger was near
For oot frae the heather whar he hid lain low
Sprang Muirheid the crafty and dealt him a blow
Fu’ thrice wi his braidsword, he struck micht and main
Till baith Bertrams legs were maist severed in twain
Ae deep throated groan Bertram gaed in despair
For weel kent the lad, that he ne’er could walk mair
Then throwin his body, till hauf turned roon
He lookit we scorn at his foe up and doon
“Man Muirhead” quo he “yer braidsword is keen”
Tis sharper than mine, tho a doot no sae clean
For never was mine we sic treachery drawn
It has aye faced a foe wi a blade in his haun
I look for no mercy for nane can I trace
Then saying this Bertram lauched up in his face
This arrogant speech played the deil we the laird
He swore by St. Katie and pu’d at his beard
“Lauch up in the face o’ a Muirheid” quo he
Tis the last look and lauch up ye ever will gie
Then roon swung his braidsword, wi lichtnin like speed
Clean thro Bertram’s neck bane, and aff rowed his heid
Twas thus that a hawksflicht o’ guid lanrick lan
Came gifted tae Muirheid frae King Robbie’s haun
The laird ca’d it laudhope, a sign o’ his grace
For brave was the loon, that lauched up in his face
And Bertram De Shotts has for lang been the name
O’ the place in braid lanrick that gaed him sic fame
Robert Dangster (1922)

Most traditional versions of the Tale paint Bertram de Shotts as an all round bad egg, a savage, a ne'er do well, however I enjoy Dangster's poem as it frames him as a bit of a Robin Hood character, robbing from the rich to pay the poor, a gentle giant, a friend and protector of the ordinary people.  Perhaps it was just the landed gentry he was troubling.....

The ancient St Kate's or St Katherine's well is located on the site of a Natural Spring near Kirk O' Shotts, which is a James Gillespie Graham Kirk, a familiar sight for anyone who regularly travels on the M8 Motorway from Glasgow to Edinburgh.  The water in the well is said to be exceptionally pure and is known locally as "Giant's Water."


Kirk O' Shotts - Image Jack Byers


Interestingly enough, fishkeepers all over Scotland travel to Kirk O' Shotts to collect "Giant's Water" for their fish and anecdotal evidence shows that species of fish that do not breed successfully in captivity can be encouraged to breed in "Giant's Water".


St Kate's Well, recent image


While we cannot know if the Legend of the Giant is true, in the late 20th century, the tallest man in Scotland,  a real gentle giant, could be found living only a few miles from Shotts, so just maybe, as with a lot of folklore, there's more than a grain of truth to this tale.

If you are interested in helping to save the site at Lauchope from Development, which is sadly imminent, or just want to learn more about it, please contact the author, or Lost Houses of The Clyde Valley, on Facebook.


Lauchope, Chapelhall




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