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Very little of any castles around the
village of Barr remain.
Sir Symon was among knights led by Sir
James Douglas, who took Bruce’s
heart on Crusade in 1329. Douglas carried
the king’s heart in a casket, of
which Sir Symon carried the key. The
crusade was ended prematurely when
Douglas was killed fighting the Moors in
Spain. To commemorate that adventure, the
family name was changed from Locard to
Lockheart, which afterwards became
Lockhart.
Alan Lockhart of Lee was killed at the
Battle of Pinkie in 1547 fighting against
an English army intent on the young Mary
Queen of Scots marrying into the English
royalty.
Sir James Lockhart of Lee, born in
1596, was appointed a gentleman of the
Privy Chamber by Charles I and knighted.
In 1646, he was appointed to the Supreme
Court Bench, taking the title Lord Lee.
He was captured during the English Civil
War at Alyth in 1651 by the
Parliamentarians and held in the Tower of
London.
His son, Sir William, also fought for
the Royalists. He took part in the Battle
of Worcester 1651(the final battle of the
English Civil War that the
Parliamentarians won). His survival of
that battle forced him to move to the
continent where he achieved prominence
fighting for France. He died in the
Netherlands 1675.
James Lockhart, who inherited the
estates in 1777, also saw service on the
Continent where he rose to be a Count of
the Holy Roman Empire. The title of count
became extinct when James’s only
son, Charles, died without leaving an
heir.
Although Lee Castle had been sold some
years ago, Clan Chief Angus Lockhart of
Lee, designed a Lockhart tartan in 1996
and formed the Clan Lockhart Society.
Angus has continued to manage the
estate.
Lee
Castle was sold in 2004 for around £6
million with the title 35th Baron or
Baroness of Lee going to the new owner,
thought to be an American.
Barr Tower in Galston was sold to the
Campbells of Cessnock in 1670; it now
serves as a Masonic Hall. The tower can
occasionally be viewed in summer
months.
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