I agree!! I was hoping someone could compensate for my lack of knowledge of the relevant Scots terminology and locations, not to mention my transcription skills! Now I can add Ladymuir to Linthills as a place of interest. This is exciting.
And dowry makes sense too. THANK YOU so much. As for "warper," as soon as I read the proposed transcription and before I read your suggestion, Forfarian, that word popped into my head and I was about to look it up to see if it constituted an occupation. At first, I had wondered if the word was "worker".
There is a lot to unpack even on the image of this single page of the Cairn of Lochwinnoch. Further down, in a passing remark of a scandal (I think) in reference to my ancestor John McLachlan who married Margaret Gemmill, the granddaughter Andro Clerk. Also, Dr. Andro Crawfurd, author of the precious Cairn) wrote that this John " was famous for his manners, odd etc. and he fed his family on potatoes 3 times a day. Potatoes provocative to incontinence - shakes(?can't really make sense out the rest)"... . How I would love to have access to the volumes he wrote!!!! The two or three pages I have been privileged to see contain such fascinating information!
Thanks again Isabel H and Forfarian for your help in revealing some of the secrets within :-)
ard