But within the house is a room in which events have occurred which defy such prosaic explanation. Objects have been 'seen' in this room, which in fact do not exist, despite their apparent solidity. On one occasion, a little boy saw a most vivid image of a doll's house, and rushed, in the way of all small boys, to tell his mother and nurse, who expressed polite, if disbelieving, astonishment. But the feigned surprise turned to genuine amazement when, two months later, the little boy was given a doll's house for Christmas and, as soon as he saw it, said, 'But that's the doll's house I saw - how did you know what it was like?' In order to prevent people anticipating apparitions and, therefore, convincing themselves that they have seen something strange, the room is never identified to strangers, but still the ghostly objects appear and defy rational explanation.

The most frightening legend which the Lairds hand down is associated not with the present family home, but with the Place of Bonhill, the old family mansion which was pulled down in 1950. It was a mysterious old house, medieval in origin, and, as with many historic houses, there was a secret passage. This dark and gloomy tunnel led down from a hidden entrance behind the drawing-room fireplace, and reputedly connected with an escape route having its exit on the banks of the River Leven. One day in 1785 a piper was sent down this tunnel to frighten away the rats which swarmed in their dozens in the dark recesses of the passageway. The piper vanished without trace and was never seen again-but the rats still scratched and scampered. For many generations later, in the stillness of the night could be heard a faint and musical piping, deep with the walls.