Dalswinton House, home of Patrick Miller, 19th century.

Dalswinton House was owned by Patrick Miller (1731-1815), inventor of a double-hulled pleasure boat which had its trial voyage on Dalswinton Loch, near Dumfries, in Scotland. The pasengers included Miller and the poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) who was a tenant of Miller's. Miller commisioned the mining engineer William Symington (1763-1831) to build a steam engine to power this experimental craft. The engine had two single-action cylinders which drove two paddle shafts.