There are two poems written about the Galston / Sorn Road. Sweet Bogha' and The Clay Mine. (pronounced locally as CLI, rhymes with the first syllable of pint)

Bogha' was on the bends on the Sorn / Galston road where the layby is on the Galston side of Middleyard / Meikleyard.

Langside Farm sits at the top of the Killochead Road, also on the Sorn / Galston Road, on the Sorn side of Meikleyard. Driving up the road, you pass Killochead, Wynds, Alwyn and March House before you come to Langside. The track to the left at Alwyn took you down to the old "Cli" mine. (Clay mine). The source of the poem has long since been forgotton, and sadly in all the family photos from the Baird's, Taylor's and Forbes' that lived at Wynds, Langside and Alwyn, there is not a single photograph with the Clay Mine in the background. A serious oversight I feel.

In the writers time, it is recalled that "Granny Baird" used to tell us as boys that there were two giants living there. Obviously to discourage us from snooping about the place.

`SWEET BOGHA'

O stop your horse at Sweet Bogha'
Fareweel tae Jean that's far awa'
Nae matter whether it rains or snaws
A dearly lo'e Sweet Bogha'

Wi' your tooral-addie and your tooral braw
It's nice tae cuddle at Sweet Bogha'.

O there are twa dochters nice and braw
But I lo'e the auldest best of a'
I’ll hae mind o' them when I'm faur awa
For weel I lo'e Sweet Bogha'.

O McKelvie sings o' his dear Nan
Aboot his larry and whit he can scran
But the public they can be guiled awa'
It's no tae compare wi' Sweet Bogha'

I like the widow's haun tae squeeze
I like her roasted scone and cheese
An' I like the way she fries her ham
Wi' twa juck eggs for Uncle Sam.

O' the widow's nice the widows braw
An' I like her potted hough an'a'
But wi' me she'll no hug at a'
But I've got plenty at Sweet Bogha'.

O Bella's very nice tae me
I get a dram forbye ma tea
But the whisky the nicht I canna see
An' the Clarkie he's a' pechin.

I've been tae mony a country farm
I've had a squeeze but did nae harm
But noo they're mairit an' awa'
An' I'll get the rest at Sweet Bogha'

O it is nae use withoot a wife
Tae mak' your bed and food sae nice
I think I'll get Bella an' gan' awa'
An' hae a waddin' at Sweet Bogha'.

S Farrell Galston

THE CLAY MINE

You have heard about this Clay mine
That lies up by Galston way
When I started on this contract
They knocked four bob off my pay

We leave the yard at 7 am
Us three - Jock Tam and Willie
At 7 20 if all goes well
We're passing through Old Killie

Through Crookedholm then Hurlford town
The road in front straight lies
We draw up at the Creamery
And lift the Galston Boys

So on we go through Cessnock Woods
I give a wave to Kate
And if the "Chev" still carries on
We arrive at ten to eight

The clay is howked at Langside Mine
By James Allan and Jock McInnes
And hauled from there to Garrochburn
By your humble Willie Finniss

As I am passing Crosshands school
Joiner Candlish gives a shout
I hold my breath and look outside
My God the half-shaft's out

I jack it up and work away
You're nearly off your rocker
You got the nut back on again
To find the tongue is off the locker

I land down at the Garrochburn
Full of sorrow and dismay
Then get into the lorry
And start shovelling out the clay

I got back up to Langside Mine
To the Boss I tell my plight
The explanation that I give
The lorry's far too light