Glenlair House, near Corsock in Dumfries & Galloway, is famous as the home of the eminent scientist, Professor James Clerk Maxwell. Born in Edinburgh in 1831, Professor Clerk Maxwell moved with his father John to Glenlair soon afterwards and lived there until his death on November 5, 1879. The house was largely destroyed by fire in 1929, although the oldest part designed by Walter Newall was completely renovated in 1993 by the present owner Captain Duncan Ferguson for use by his mother.
Glenlair is the Home Farm of the original estate of Middlebie and is now a 120 acre (52 ha) farm of which 80 acres is under grassland, the remaining 40 or so acres in amenity and semi-natural woodland, which provides shelter from almost all directions. Two water courses, the larger River Urr and its tributary the Glenlair Burn, occur on the farm forming valuable wildlife corridors. The River Urr in particular is a valuable Trout and Salmon river.