Shaw Monument

The Shaw Monument, sometimes known as 'Shaw Tower', located on rising ground (NS 36778 26122) near the Prestwick Airport Control Tower, was built at some point prior to 1775 by the then laird of Shaw, a keen falconer, in order that he could follow the sport from its top in his old age when he was no longer able to join on horseback. A faint portrait or simulacrum of a man in profile holding a falcon on a panel at the base of the tower may support this theory or may have given rise to it. The tower is a category B listed building. The low lying 'Lands of Shaw' were clearly visible from the tower given its elevated and prominent location, in addition the 1811 map by Aiton (illustrated in the…

The tower is round, around 50 ft or 20m high, and is built of well mortared rubble masonry, typical of 18th century follies. The internal spiral staircase is in poor condition. The tower is capped by a 'crown-like' top and originally had a viewing platform. No door is now present, however the monument is doubly enclosed within railings and a fence. The tower has a coped cylindrical base, with a doorway to the East, flanked by a barred window opening and an infilled opening; the shaft of the tower is stepped in from the base and three vertically aligned windows sit above the doorway; a coped cornice lies over a well machicolated eaves course. The monument is shown on OS maps as standing on…

Near Portlethen in Aberdeenshire stands the 1860 memorial to John Irvine-Boswell, the Laird of Kincausie, that bears a strong resemblance to the Shaw Monument, including a crown at the top. This memorial to him was built by Margaret, his widow and on the side is a granite plaque that reads "He lived to transform the natural barrenness of the estate into luxuriant fertility."