On the entrance front of this fine house, Donald Campbell set up the carved arms of Campbell of Ardnamurchan and Airds, framed within the pediment over the projecting central panel of the facade. These and three stone urns poised above the pediment are the only ornaments on the outside of the building. From the small oblong entrance hall, an oak balustrade staircase ascends in a solid , dignified curve the floors above. The sole decoration in the hall is a little plaster work plaque of a bearded satyr-cum-coutrier. Upstairs in the drawing room where the west wall is very slightly rounded, a friez of oak leaves and acorns runs around the room. The Adam fireplace was bought from Smeaton House, east Lothian. The rectangular, rather low ceiling dining room on the ground floor, has a glass paneled door, and built in china cupboard.

The ground floor windows are of 18th century astragals, the fore runner of plate glass.

Robert Macfie of Greenock, (1812-1899), bought Airds in 1851 from Donald A Campbell . Robert is the nephew of Alexander Macfie of Clarenceville, and the cousin of Robert Macfie his son. Robert first visited Airds on the 6th of September 1851, fell in love with the place and bought it out right a month later ( Oct. 4 1851). Robert brought a young family to Airds and  his wife Agnes (Fairrie) bore two more sons after he had bought the estate.  In 1861 he bought land in Oban and Glenshellach from Campbell of Sonachan. In 1864, Robert Macfie matriculated Arms, in which he was described as Robert Macfie, of Langhouse, county of Renfrewshire and of Airds, Oban and Glenshellach of the county of Argyllshire.

In 1881 Robert and Agnes celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and again in 1891 they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary at Airds.

During his live time at Airds, Robert made changes and improvements : he built Dalnashean Villa for his wife's unmarried sister and Barriemore for his daughter Margaret ( Mrs. Duncan Alexander Campbell ).  A younger daughter  Mary Andrew and her husband Dr William Lage Laurie lived at Druimneil until their death.

By the turn of the century Robert and Agnes had died at Airds, Mary, his sister and her husband Dr Laurie had died at Druimneil, Mary Fairrie had died at Dalnashean. Robert's grandson was dead, his granddaughter Jane Crawford Allan also, thus leaving only a widower R M Reid.

William Macfie had inherited the Airds Estates but he was not a young man and had already been living near Manchester for a long time, he had no interest in the estate so  i n 1908 the Estate of Airds was put up for sale by the Macfie family .

The real estate office listed the Particulars as follows : -

Early attempt to sell the Estate had failed and an auction was held in order to obtain the desired effects , however the final offer made was for  £ 26,000  which was much lower  than had been  asked.

In the late 1900's the estate was owned by one Mr. Ralph Dundas . It was up for sale in early 1980's .

As defined by the Quebec gouvernment's topographic department, is a " Lieu-dit" (a place called) in the county of Missisquoi   (lat 45 02, long 73 12) otherwise known as the Seigneurie de Foucault . We have however located one map which clearly indicates AIRD as being located at the conjunction of Macfie Road, Middle Road and South Beech Road.

The  photo of the the dwelling is that of the second building, as the first burnt to the ground. There was a painting of Robert's grandfather that he had been given on  one of his trips to Scotland, that hung in  prominence in the house, it was rescued during the fire and is now in the possession of Dr Robert A. Macfie  of St. Lambert Quebec, the painting itself still shows the marks of the disaster. Not only had Robert in his possession this original painting of  his grandfather, but there were many objects including furniture and a piano that had come from Langhouse , given to the Canadian family as keepsakes by thier ancestors in Scotland. None of these other objects, nor the many family papers and pictures of the time made it into the new century which of course is  a great loss.

There was even a post office there from 1868 to 1912 and a general store
                                        " Townsend & Macfie ".

This location was so named by Robert Macfie , Alexander's son , who had had the occasion to visit the original Airds in Scotland. As the general area of the Missisquoi Bay at this spot was at that time still virgin country side we must assume that it resembled or gave Robert at least the impression of similarity of what he had seen in Scotland so that he chose to name this location Aird. Today if one stands in the conjunction of the roads and looks towards the bay, he still can see the mountains in far off  Vermont. There is still a bit of similarity to the general landscape of Scotland in and around the Airds Estate .

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Tuesday, 13-Apr-2021 19:39:00 MDT