Loch Shield
lake in East Ayrshire, Scotland, UK, drained in the 18th-century
Loch Shield (NS 45521 19444), originally Loch of Scheel was a freshwater loch in the East Ayrshire Council Area, now drained, near Drongan, lying in a glacial Kettle Hole, Parish of Ochiltree, Scotland.
The loch
Loch Shield was one of several small lochs within the Parish of Ochiltree. The name Scheel relates to the nearby placename. Many of the Scots gentry once had their summer retreats, pleasantly informal places, referred to as their “shiels”, often within a mile or so of their principal residence, in this case Sundrum Castle. The name otherwise refers to a small shed or bothy, often used by fishermen.
Cartographic evidence
Robert Gordon's map of circa 1636-52 does not record the loch. Blaeu's map of circa 1654 taken from Timothy Pont's map of circa 1600 shows the Loch of Scheel with dwellings such as Trinmaks, Wereglin, and Glengabyr nearby. The dwelling named Scheel is marked near a wooded enclosure which may have been a part of the policies of the Sundrum estate at the time.
Roy's map of 1747 does not record the loch, however a Loch Mark is marked. Armstrong's map of 1775 records a placename 'Shield', but no loch or mill.
“Loch Shield” enters the record as lake in East Ayrshire, Scotland, UK, drained in the 18th-century. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Loch, Shield and lake can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Loch Shield” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Loch, Shield and lake provides the most credible route into that argument.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6665010. Authority coordinates are 55.443, -4.445. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1636, 1654, 1600 and 1747.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Loch Shield”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Loch Shield primary sources, Loch Shield archive and Loch research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Loch Shield”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Loch Shield” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.