Totem

I have been driving past this each week for a wee while now and decided this was probably going to be last chance to investigate why a totem pole is sitting at the entrance to Muirkirk village. In fact, at what is described as A70 Heritage lay by !
It seems there are 3 poles around the village and all have carvings representing various aspects of the wildlife and surrounding countryside.
Also in the lay by is a Cairn in memory of Covenanters from the village who had been shot. In short, Covenanters were people in Scotland who signed a covenant opposing the interference if the Stuart Kings in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Stuarts saw themselves as Devine Monarchs (and spiritual heads of the Church.(late 1600s.)
After seeing this I had a wee look at the website for Muirkirk and if you get a moment have a look.
It was the first place in Britain to have gas lights and the last to have its own gas works. One last snippet of info. It here that Tam McAdam pioneered road surfacing ! I'll leave some for to read about yourself!
I, however, won't see the bleakness of it's setting as I drive in, in future.