Monreith was called "Milltown of Monreith" so named by the watermills driven by the waterpower of Monreith Burn. Kirkmaiden church was one of the oldest churches in Scotland and the resting place of many of the McCulloch and Maxwell family members who had owned the Monreith estate. Legend has it that when this parish was united with Glasserton, the pulpit and bell were removed from Kirkmaiden church and were to be transported by sea across Luce Bay to a church of the same name in
Kirkmaiden Parish in
Rhins,
Wigtownshire. A strange storm blew up and the boat foundered, sinking the pulpit and bell. The story goes that on the approaching death of any descendant of the McCullochs of Myrton, the wraith-bell rang from the depths of Luce Bay. The church is opposite the car park of St. Medans Golf Club. In the 1870s Monreith Estate covered about and was partly in Glasserton and partly in the Mochrum area.
Monreith House, still owned by the Maxwell family, is surrounded by woodlands, and looks towards the White Loch of Myrton in Mochrum area. The original home of the Maxwells was the
tower house known as the "Dowies" behind the Fell of Barhullion, the highest point overlooking Monreith Village. When the Fell was owned by the Maxwell family, a member of the family boasted that he owned a Fell from which five kingdoms could be seen on a clear day, the kingdoms of Scotland, England, Ireland, Mann, and finally, the Kingdom of Heaven. The Dowies, or Old Place of Monreith, now owned by the
Landmark Trust, has been renovated. It may also have been known as Moure Castle or Mowir or Mowr Castle. Monreith has sandy beaches, quite rare on this section of the Galloway coastline, with safe swimming areas, rock pools and some interesting caves, one of which is streaked red and known as the "Butcher's Cave". The remains of a man-made flounder pool can be found at the extreme end of the Black Rocks sands and was built to catch
flounders as the tide receded; at Ben Buoy, which is a sheer rock face, an interesting cave allows a very careful person to cross through the cliff and emerge in a small bay between Knock Farm and Cairndoon farm. On 16 December 1617 Joanni Kennedie junior de
Blairquhan and his wife Marie Stewart had "baroniam de Remistoun" & fortalicio and lands of Lochtoun alias Remistoun. This was also known as Ravenstone, Ravinstone and Remeston. On 26 October 1625 Alexander
Macdouell de Machrimoir (Machermore) was heir of his father Petri Macdouell de Machrimoir, to land in "
parochia de Glassertoun". On 14 July 1662
James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Galloway, had a charter no.278 in the Register of the
Great Seal of Scotland, vol. XI p. 140, for many lands including the 8
merkland of Bordland of Ravinstoun, with the castle, etc., (Baroniam de Remistoun) the 4 merklands of Bowtoun of Ravinstoun, the 4 merk lands of Grenan in the parish of Glassertoun; and the 4 merk lands of Barledyon, 4 merklands of Culkae, 8 merklands of Doweltoun alias Dowellistoun alias Machir-Stewart (of McDowell of Machermore ?), 4 merklands of Culnog, in the parish of Sorbie. Ravenston or Castle Stewart, of W. Stewart Esq., is shown on Ainslie's 1782 map as being in the north-west Glasserton area. Woodfall (Glasserton) house, park and gardens were built on the large estate on the orders of the Honourable Admiral
Keith Stewart, the second surviving son of
Alexander Stewart, 6th Earl of Galloway who was given the "Barony of Glasserton" in 1767. The
Statistical Account gives in 1795 a detailed description of his agricultural improvements, based on continued raising of the traditional black cattle. He died in 1795, and was succeeded by his son, Rt Hon
James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie, but the house was let and the contents were sold. He sold the house and grounds in 1819 to Stair Hathorn-Stewart at the neighbouring Physgill estate. That which is now called "Woodfall Gardens" was a part of the Glasserton and Physgill estate which was sold some thirty years ago and are now on show to the public. On the 1782 map Robert Stewart Esq. was at Physgill near Kidsdale, just south of Adm. Keith Stewart of Glasserton. Just south of Physgill in Whithorn area was Tonorghie of Hugh Stewart Esq. Carleton, Glasserton, of MacCairill is mentioned in "History of the Lands and Their Owners in Galloway" by Peter Handyside M'Kerlie, vol. 1, p. 334 ==Archaeology==