Seeking Highland Mary, Failford

The small Village of Failford between Tarbolton and Mauchline is home to the monument

dedicated to Highland Mary's fated encounter with Robert Burns on the banks of the river Ayr.

In the English dictionary ford is a crossing point, while Fail has a number meanings that include, an unsuccessful person, or to prove deficient under trail, a different perspective comes to mind of the name Fail when we look at the Irish Gaelic, their meaning of Fail is related to Destiny, while in Scots Gaelic, Fail is allied to a Mark or Ring.

The village of Failford lies in the boundary of the 55.5 degree line of latitude.   

Today the center of Failford village is home to the Failford Inn, a small car park lies on the opposite side of the road to the Ale & Eatery house. 

Mary and Robert's stone Love column takes on a reflective dilemma of our failings.

"If this is not the Language of remorse what is it?"

Near This Spot at Failford, lovers Robert Burns and Highland Mary took their last Farewell
14 May 1786

That sacred hour can I forget
Can I forget the hallow'd Grove
Where by the winding Ayr we met
To Live one day of parting Love
Eternity will not efface
Those records dear of transport past
That image at our Last embrace
Ah! little thought 't was our Last!

The Mary and Robert memorial was erected in May 1921 by the Burns federation,
with funds provided by Belfast based Messrs Harland and Wolff, shipbuilders  whom had  a satellite yard located
at Greenock, the final resting place of Sweet Mary, consideration may be worthy of notice that Greenock was also the location of  the Cutty Sark' ship to make her sea worthly, before entering service,  named after the witch Nannie Dee whom's night dress was a little to short, for Tam o' Shanter,  his own eyes experienced a encounter that lifted the wind mast sails.

Cutty Sark's Figure head of evocative Nannie Dee. Picture wikipedia.


In the aftermath of the Titanic's tragic loss, 15/4/1912 More Controversy, with undertones of business interest guilt was attached to the monies for the sculpture, Wolff and Harland gained Planning Permission to extended their shipbuilding yard on the grounds of what was known as Greenock's West Kirk, in 1920 the old graves was cleared with mind and moral considerations,  aware of growing conscience a assemblage of people with different interests viewed over the grave of Mary, as expected a number of adult coffins where unearthed, alongside a guarded secret of a coffin that belonged to a baby, knowledge kept back from others fueled speculative views, knowing Burns's distinguished night time repetition was a factor that many neutrals seen as mounting evidence, to the theory what if Mary had not
died of fever when nursing her sick brother, but died of child birth?

A inquest was held behind the hood of the brothers,  as a result, it was decided that under the Paraphernalia of the Scottish rites, a full formal honour was appointed to the erection of the Failford monument, a pipe band leading the March followed by the compass and square banner, and a legion of solemn masonic men wearing dashing coloured sashes and bowler hats, as the top tier of men gathered to help lay the foundation stone, a bottle, itself a message with in a message was placed with in the hollow beneath the equivocal  Failford holy of holies, cement the binding agent was applied, before the crane lowered the stone onto the seal..........

In the nature of man as a whole, where there is no winners or losers,  a moment, of Flash-back Contemplation for memories in the Shadows of the wicked Trench & not so Great World War One,  the bereavement
of relative, friends and adversary inhabited the thoughts of the Black suited watchmen, Brothers...........
in contrast with the fervent hearts of
Failford's favoured Son and Daughter, here lies a cherished spot of  Earth and Heaven meeting,  on the cave/lodge door, light was blessed........... albeit a fleeting moment  ........ Appeal and Thanks to God, the Almighty, and fellow journey people............

After finding each other's companion at the side of Ayr river, Burns and Campbell exchanged their personnel  Bibles,  when eyes met eyes, a energy and promise to each other was made above the running waters/eau. Burns informs us in his writings that a New Life in Jamaica as a Clerk on the plantations lay ahead of him, Mary's family had links to the Duke of Argyll (Clan Campbell) the Duke in turn had substantial business interests in Jamaica trades,
a dubious legacy of yesterday, that appears in today's Jamaica phone-book, the Campbell surname is the fourth most common name.

 The Ship sailing from Greenock was due to sail in the back end of 1786, ordinance arrangements to rendezvous with Mary where agreed, Love was in the air, a reason for living in combined in harmony & happiness to the End of their days was the Dream...........

the year before the Gospels exchange in 1786 while out ploughing farmer Burns  wrote the  1785 poem "Tae a Moose"

With in the Bible Judges 14:18 the plough is seen as a likeness to intercourse, the number seven along with the plough constellation Ursa Major has many connotations thru the ages, that bind our adult reproduction union with........"the riddle to our Sons of her people"


"Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle."



"The Best Laid schemes o' mice an' men Often go awry"


As it turns out Mary was ahead of the game, albeit