John Guthrie

'Early in the present century, it [the Carbeth, later Carbeth Guthrie, estate] was bought from James Macindoe by John Guthrie, West India merchant in Glasgow....John Guthrie had spent the early part of his life in the West Indies, and when he came home and settled in Glasgow, he joined the firm of Leitch & Smith. He subsequently was a Magistrate and Dean of Guild in 1814. Mr. Guthrie at once began to improve his new acquisition, and to form the garden ornamental water and pleasure grounds which now add so much to the beauty of the place. Mr. Macindoe, with a view to building ultimately, had previously planted very judiciously, and formed great part of the fine woods till recently on the property. On the site of the present house there formerly stood old farm buildings, and there in 1810 Mr. Guthrie built what now forms a great part of the present house. He died unmarried at Edgecumbe Cottage, Devonshire, in 1834, and was succeeded by his cousin William Smith.'

Old country houses of the old country gentry, XVIII Carbeth Guthrie