Forfeited Finnart: A Legacy of Douglas Decline
The lands of Finnart, once a sweeping estate stretching from Greenock’s West Burn to the shores of Gourock, were among the many properties lost by the
Black Douglas family following their dramatic fall from royal favour in 1455. This forfeiture, part of the wider attainder imposed by James II, marked a turning point in Scottish noble power, as the Crown redistributed Douglas holdings to loyal allies.
Finnart was divided between two such beneficiaries:
- The western portion, centred on Gourock Castle, was granted to the Stewarts of Castlemilk,
forming the barony of Finnart-Stewart.
- The eastern portion, sometimes recorded as Fynnert, was gifted to James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and later passed to his illegitimate son, Sir James Hamilton of Finnart—a royal favourite and Master of Works to
James V.
Hamilton’s rise was matched by his dramatic fall. After years of court intrigue and architectural patronage, he was executed for treason in 1540, and Finnart was forfeited once more. The lands were then granted to Alexander Schaw of Sauchie, whose descendants, including John Shaw Stewart, shaped Greenock’s development into the 18th century.
Though the original estate has long since vanished beneath urban growth, echoes of Finnart remain in street names, churches, and
schools across Greenock’s west end. Gourock Castle, once the seat of Finnart-Stewart, was demolished around 1747, its site now marked only by a modest mound near the burn.
Note:
• Not to be confused with the lands of
Finnard (Finart) in Dumbartonshire.
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