The spelling 'Towerlands' is used throughout for consistency. Roy's map of 1747 clearly marks the lands of Towerlands, and John Thomson's map of 1832 marks 'Tourlands' next to the Bourtreehill estate. Towerlands can be confused with the Tour estate in
Kilmaurs,
East Ayrshire.
The lairds of Towerlands In 1551 a Jasper Templetoun of Towerlands is recorded. The 20/- land of Auldtoun-Crosbie had been held by William however it was sold to George Shaw for £1320 in part payment for his spoliation at
Cunninghamhead. This included the manor, grain mill, mill lands, waylaid and dams. He had also previously held the 5 Merk lands of Gas and Weltrees in the parish of Auchinleck. James Hay in 1617 was awarded the superiority of the '40 shilling lands' of Towerlands that belonged to Alexander Cuninghame. William's son John then inherited, and the property was passed on to his son William Gemmill in turn, who died unmarried in
Jamaica. William's three sisters inherited and then sold the estate to Charles McDowall of
Fergushill and Crichan. In 1784 Charles McDowall sold the property to an
Irvine shipbuilder, John Webb, whose daughter Margaret inherited and passed Towerlands to her cousin John Webb of
Liverpool.
Towerlands in 2014 The old farm has been converted into the Towerlands Community Centre and associated amenities such as the nurseries pictured below. Towerlands House is in use as rented accommodation (2014). File:Towerlands Tram Road site, Towerlands House, Irvine.JPG|The course of the old Towerlands Tram Road as seen from near
Bourtreehill Image:Dusk Water at Hessilhead Farm Town.JPG|The
Dusk Water running after the junction to the old mill race which took the water to the saw mill File:Towerlands Farm - The Learning Tree and Acorn Nurseries.JPG|The Old Towerlands Farm File:Towerlands Farm community Centre and Cafe.JPG|The Towerlands Community Centre and Cafe at the old farm File:Towerlands celebratory plaque.JPG|Celebratory plaque at the Towerlands Community Centre Bronze sculpture “Ever Bush and Never Tree” by sculptor, Angie Taylor https://www.angietaylor.co.uk
Towerlands Colliery and tram road The Towerlands Tram Road was a 19th-century mineral railway or 'Bogey line' that transported coal, running from the old Towerlands Colliery and associated coal pits near
Bourtreehill to
Irvine in one direction and to
Dreghorn in the other. The branch to Irvine once ran along the side of the road that runs from Dreghorn, past Towerlands and Bourtreehill to Irvine via Mill Road. The tram road was out of use by 1890 following the closure of the colliery. The colliery offices and stores appear on later maps as Towerlands Cottage. ==Micro-history==