Broadstone lies close to the small village of Gateside in North Ayrshire, Scotland about half a mile east of Beith in the old Barony of Giffen.

Most baronies had a water mill which was under the control of the laird or lord and to which the tenants were thirled or obliged to go to have their grain ground into flour.

Thirlage ended in the late 18th century and resulted in a number of mills being abandoned once market forces took a hold.

He married the daughter of John Montgomery of Hessilhead, and before 1568 he purchased lands from Hugh, third Earl of Eglinton.

Andrew Nevin inherited the Monkredding estate in 1581 and married Janet, daughter of Adam Montgomery, IV laird of Broadstone Castle.

[5] Hugh, first Viscount of the Great-Ardes, granted a mortgage on the lands of Broadstone to his brother-in-law, Sir John Shaw of Greenock in 1650.

These close contacts enabled him to eventually obtain a one third portion of the lands of Con O'Neill, Lord of the Claneboys, in Ulster.

[7] He entertained Con O'Neill at Broadstone and helped him to obtain a pardon for an accusation of 'waging war' against Queen Elizabeth I.

[12] As stated, Hugh Montgomery granted a mortgage on the lands of Broadstone to his brother-in-law, Sir John Shaw in 1650.

[19] Marshalland, Craig and Geilsland houses lie across the nearby Powgree Burn, together with the Spier's Old School Grounds, now a public parkland.

This was a residence of the Montgomerie family and it lay between South Barr, Hayhills and Bogfaulds Farms in what is now DM Beith.

[20] Close to Windyhouse was a deep pool, possibly a collapsed bell pit or limestone quarry, later used to dispose of dead animals, tree stumps, excess soil, etc; it is known as the 'Baney Hole' and is still visible as a wet area in the field.

[16] In Service's semi-fictional novel Jean Deer's husband worked at Broadstone Quarry in the late 19th century and died there following an accident of an unrecorded nature.

She was forced to leave her Broadstone home, with her two young children and her baby, as it was required for another working man and his family.

The winter of 1895 was exceptionally severe and come spring David Muir and Tom Service found her dead with two of her children.