Circa 15th
Parts of Colling Mill built - worked by water wheel
1519
The £10 lands of Ardstinchar included the 'mains commonly called Drumnarde' (the plateau north of the castle), 'the Orchert with mill' (probably Balnowlart, which translates as apple-yard farm), Bennane, Adrynanstoun and Kirkconwell
1541
Ballantrae (spelled Ballintray, Ballentray and Ballintra within the same document) was created a Free Burgh of Barony by King James V, incorporated into the Barony of Bargany. This allowed the village a weekly market and an annual fair on the Feast of St Ninian.
1552
Transaction by the Kennedys of Bennane signed 'At Ballintraye, at the roik thereof'. This was the Black Rock of Ardstinchar, the local witness stone, usually a standing stone used as a market cross.
1562
A legal document referred twice to 'Thomas Kennedy of Bargany callit Thom the Penny'. This was the great-nephew of Ardstinchar's builder Hugh Kennedy, Archdeacon of St Andrews, the 'Friar Hew' who was mistakenly given the nickname 'Com with the penny' for centuries afterwards due to a scribe's error. It was actually this Thomas, the 3rd Laird of Bargany, who did much to build up the Ardstinchar estate.
1563
Mary, Queen of Scots stayed at Ardstinchar Castle as guest of Thomas Kennedy
1570
Thomas Kennedy, Laird of Bargany, sent men to rescue his brother-in-law, the Commendator of Crossraguel Abbey, from Dunure Castle where the Commendator was being tortured in the Black Vault to sign abbey lands over to the Kennedy Earl of Cassillis. Bargany held Dunure Castle for some months afterwards.
1571
First minister of Ballantrae to be mentioned in church records
1572
Garfar belonged to Thomas Davidson of Grenan
1575
'The blak roik of Ardstinchear' was mentioned twice in the Bailie Court Book of Carrick as the location for a proclamation aimed at the 'masters of boats and fishing between the Water of Doon Mouth and the Isle of Whithorn'. This proclamation had to reach around a coastline of 100 miles, of which Ardstinchar was the central point.
late 1500s
Earl of Cassillis plotted to blow up Ardstinchar Castle using powder he'd brought home from Italy. A further plot to kidnap the Laird of Bargany's two sons was also abandoned when Bargany heard about it.
Laird of Bargany's son Gilbert forced by King James VI to marry one of the queen's ladies, Janet Stewart, sister of Lord Ochiltree
Thomas Kennedy, the old Laird of Bargany & Ardstinchar, died in the late 1500s and was remembered as noblest man that ever was in Carrick in his time. 'He was wise and courteous, and therewith stout and passing kind, and sic ane noble spender in outings with the best-halden house at hame that ever was in the land. ...He had ever in his household twenty-four gallant gentlemen, double-horsit, and gallantly clad'. This Thomas also had his nose broken by a golf-ball whacked recklessly by the Laird of Culzean on the hills of Ayr, and incident which led to a cantankerous exchange of threatening letters.
