Colin, Drysdale is from Dryfesdale, the Dryfe is a river in Dumfries-shire. Black's "Surnames of Scotland", mentions that the Drysdale's in west Fife are descended from the Douglas's of Brushwood Haugh who had a run-in with Johnstone of Greenstonehill over a mill. The Douglas's, eight in all, attacked the invading Johnstone's killing fourteen of their twenty along with their "base" leader on Monday 16th May 1503 and as a result had to vamoose, four days later, to a lonely valley on the Devon in the Ochill Hills, as the posse' was in pursuit, where they later purchased a farm called the Haugh of Dollar and changed their name from Douglas to that of their native parish, Dryfesdale (Drysdale). The johnstone's having taken posession of Brushwood Haugh.
A nice wee tale this, it would be in the reign of James IV, who passed by their their sequestered refuge in 1506, en-route from Stirling to Falkland and dined on Haliday's green, a neighbour to the east. The Drysdale's were thankfully not recognised, probably under the bed or you mebbes wouldn't be posting this query.
Best Wishes,
Skoosh.
