The Castles and Keeps of Scotland UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME Castles and Chateaux of Old Touraine ^3.00 By Francis Miltoun Castles and Chateaux of Old Navarre 3.00 By Francis Miltoun L. C, PAGE S- COMPANY New England Building, Boston, Mass. I \ Stirling a:>iie (.Seepage 131) Being a description oj sundry , fori restcs, towtn. peels, and other houses of strength built by the princes and barons of old time in the highlands, islands, inlands, and borders of the ancient and godfearing kingdom of Scotland By FRANK ROY FRAPRIE Jluthor of " Among Baoarian In/u " BOSTON * L. C. PAGE & COMPANY * MDCCCCVIl Copyright, igoj By L. C. Page & Company (incorporated) Entered at Stationers^ Hall, London All rights reserved First impression, November, 1907 COLONIAL PRESS ElectrotyPed and Printed by C. H. Simonds Co Boston, U.S.A. Zo Her, WHO, BY THE LIGHTENING OF MY BURDENS, HAS MADE THIS BOOK POSSIBLE. Preface In these pages I have tried to bring to- gether some of the history and romance which attaches to the more important castles of Scot- land, and to tell enough of their architectural peculiarities to enable the visitor to understand what he is viewing. In none of these respects is it to be hoped, at this late day, that new facts of importance could be brought forth, My task has been rather to furnish a conve- nient collection of facts hitherto to be found only by much reading of books often not easily accessible, adding thereto my own opinions and experiences where they seemed novel or inter- esting. The book, though the outcome of three trips to Scotland, the last of which was undertaken solely to collect material for it, is less a record of travel than a companion and guide for it. It is, as the only handbook on the subject, a necessity for the visitor to the castles who would know the truth about them. The so- vii viii Preface called facts dispensed by local guides are in most instances erroneous, and have not been used in this volume, where historical references are taken from more authoritative sources. I dare not assume, however, that entire accuracy has been attained in the transcription of the thousands of names and dates mentioned, even when a choice had not to be made between con- flicting spellings and figures, elsewhere given. It would be impossible to enumerate the sources of historical information. In many in- stances, they are named in the text, but to men- tion all would be to include most of what has been written on Scotch history. Architectur- ally, I am greatly indebted to the monumental work of MacGibbon and Ross, " Domestic and Castellated Architecture of Scotland." Their theory of native development as opposed to Billings' hypothesis of French origin I have adopted and expounded. In a few instances of minor castles which I have not personally visited, my account is based upon their meas- urements. I have been asked what castles should first be seen by the average visitor to Scotland. Edinburgh and Stirling, I assume, will be in- cluded in every itinerary, but they are citadels and palaces rather than castles. For a single Preface IX castle which will give the most satisfactory idea of Scotch feudal hfe, I would select Doune, which is easily included in the Tros- sachs trip taken by almost every visitor to Scot- land. Others easily reached and well worth see- ing are, for beauty of situation, Bothwell, Kil- churn. Castle Campbell; for historic interest, v Lochleven, Dunnottar, Craigmillar, Hermi- tage, Lochmaben; for romantic story, Tantal- lon and Tillietudlem. These would perhaps be enough to satisfy the average traveller. The specialist could make out a more extensive list after reading the following pages. Brooexine, Mass., October^ 1907. Contents CHAPTER PAGE Development and Styles of the Castles of Scotland 1 II. Castles Near Glasgow 26 III. The Castles of Argyllshire ... 46 IV. The Castles of Northwestern Scotland . 72 V. The Northeastern Highlands ... 96 VI. The Southeastern Highlands . . . 110 VII. The Shires of Stirling and Perth . . 131 VIII. Fife and Vicinity 160 IX. Edinburgh Castle 192 X. Edinburgh Castle {Continued) . . . 222 XL The Castles of Edinburghshire . . . 240 XIL Castles of East Lothian .... 276 XIII. Castles of East Lothian {Continued) . . 309 XIV. Castles of the Border .... 335 XV. Southwestern Scotland .... 361 Index 389 List of Illustrations PAGE Stirling Castle {See page 131) . Frontispiece Glamis Castle facing o o Tantallon Castle facing 1 Q io Dumbarton Castle facing Oft Craignethan (Tillietudlem) Castle facing 32 Bothwell Castle facing OO Plan of Rothesay Castle • 40 Rothesay Castle facing 42 KiLCHURN Castle facing CO Gylen Castle ...... facing Aros Castle facing 68 Plan of Inverlocky Castle . TO Invergarry Castle facing 7o Kirkwall Palace facing 86 Plans of Notland Castle 90 The Broch of Mousa .... facing 94 Cawdor Castle facing 96 Spynie Palace facing 102 Plan of Fyvie Castle .... 105 Fyvie Castle facing 106 Dunnottar Castle facing 110 Plan of Crathes Castle .... 116 Crathes Castle facing 116 Edzell Castle facing 118 Plan of Doune Castle, Ground Floor . 145 DouNE Castle facing 146 Plan of Doune Castle, First Floor 149 ziii xiv List of Illustrations PAGE HUNTINGTOWER OR RUTHVEN Castle facing 156 Elcho Castle facing 158 St. Andrews Castle . facing 164 Newark Castle facing 166 Plan of Castle Campbell 180 Castle Campbell facing 180 Elevation Plan of Castle Campbell 182 Plan of Niddrie Castle . 185 Plan of Linlithgow Palace • 186 Drawing - room,'Liniithgow Palace, whe RE Queen Mary Was Born facing 188 Edinburgh Castle facing 192 Edinburgh Castle facing 222 Holyrood Palace facing 240 Craigmillar Castle . facing 248 Plan of Craigmillar Castle • 250 Dunbar Castle . facing 276 DiRLETON Castle facing 330 Plan of Cessford Castle • 341 Plans of Smailholm Tower 343 Plan of Hermitage Castle 353 Hermitage Castle facing 356 Neidpath Castle facing 358 Caerlaverock Castle • • facing 370 Threave Castle facing 376 The Castles and Keeps of Scotland CHAPTER I DEVELOPMENT AJSTD STYLES OF THE CASTLES OF SCOTLAND Though the fact is not generally recognized, and may easily escape the attention even of one travelling in Scotland, if he keeps to the usual track of tourists, the castles and old mansions of this country are extremely numerous. As soon as one leaves the railroad, however, and makes excursions by road into any of the more settled parts of Scotland, the castles become a most striking and picturesque feature of the landscape. Not only are their magnificent out- lines attractive in themselves and admirably fitted to adorn the rugged hills and gloomy glens which they occupy, but their historical associations lend them the added charm of in- 1 2 Castles and Keeps of Scotland tense human interest. They revivify for us the glorious memories of Bruce and Wallace, striv- ing for the independence of their native land. The ancient names of the daring Douglases and other great clans, the exploits of a long line of kings, the terrible sieges and struggles of the English wars, leap into our thoughts as we scan these scarred and mouldering walls. Above all, most dear to the romantic mind, the tragic memory of the beautiful and unhappy Mary Stuart is constantly present, as we travel from castle to castle, for we find traditions of her attached to nearly every important building in Scotland. Even the most casual visitor to ecclesiastical edifices in any part of Europe soon learns to know and distinguish the various styles of architecture which prevailed at different peri- ods, and can gauge approximately the age of a building by its prominent features. With castles and mansions the case is somewhat dif- ferent. The sequence of styles is not so obvi- ously marked, and the differences are not such as to impress the lay visitor unless he knows what to observe. It may be of value, or at least interest, therefore, to give a short sketch of the evolution of the mediaeval castle and its architectural development in Scotland. The Development of the Castles 3 style of domestic architecture at different epochs is well adapted to throw a flood of light on the manners and customs of those who lived in them. The castles not only show forth the comparative condition of safety, prosperity, and neighbourly intercourse of their owners, but make it easy for us to trace the growth of civilization through the centuries. Scotland possesses no remains of Roman buildings. Rome's occupation of the country was so partial and temporary that neither were buildings of great strength erected, nor were the natives civilized enough to imitate the architecture of the invaders. The usual fortifications of the early inhabitants of northern Europe were formed of ditches and mounds strengthened by wooden palisades, or were artificial islands of piles set in the midst of lakes. Many remains of these exist in northern Scotland. There are also north of the Tweed, but in not a single instance south of it, numerous " brochs," or round towers constructed of uncemented masonry. These consist of a thick wall around a central well or court. The staircase and numerous small rooms and galleries are hollowed out of this wall and lighted by windows overlooking the inner court. Though strong and well adapted 4 Castles and Keeps of Scotland to their purpose, they are all of Celtic origin and great age, and had no effect on the later development of castellated architecture in Scotland. The only exception to this state- ment is that some of the later castles have a series of wall chambers, whose construction may have been suggested by tradition or ob- servation of these strongholds. Development of the Feudal Castle in Gaul In Gaul, the influence of the architecture of the Romans was very lasting. When they retired from that region, during the fourth and fifth centuries, they left the whole country covered with towns, houses, and castles of their building. The native inhabitants had acquired their civilization, and transmitted much of it to the Goths and Franks who gradually spread over the country. The ecclesiastical architec- ture never departed from Roman models. The basilica was and is the universal prototype of the Christian church. The mediaeval monas- tery was a direct derivation from the Roman house. The pillared cloister about an open court, giving access to a series of surrounding apartments, is copied from the peristyle of the Roman city house, the villa urhana of the Development of the Castles 5 country mansion. The villa rustica of the Roman house became the outer court of the monastery, surrounded by its stables and storehouses, and the tablina was turned into the chapter house. The country houses of the Franks retained the Roman construction, — a series of build- ings around a central court. The outer de- fences were ditches, and palisades erected on a mound. In the centre, on another mound, was built the hall of the chieftain, thus doubly defended. These structures were of wood, and were common among both Franks and Nor- mans on the Continent, and in England. The latter, being masons by instinct, were not sat- isfied with defences so easily reduced by fire, and substituted a tower of stone and mortar for the central wooden redoubt. Thus, toward the middle of the eleventh century, originated the massive and gloomy structure known as the " Norman keep." These were built of great strength and concentrated in themselves the defensive strength of the castle, the out- works being usually unimportant. After the Norman Conquest they became common in England and spread to the very borders of Scotland, one standing at Carlisle on the west, and another at Norham on the east. But not 6 Castles and Keeps of Scotland one was ever reared on Scottish soil, which thus is free from any mark of Norman domi- nation. The Norman keep, in its typical form, was a three-story tower, quadrangular in outline, and with walls of great thickness. The ground floor was used for storerooms, and was lighted only by a very few small loopholes. The en- trance was on the first floor, and was reached by a movable ladder, or later was defended by a forework which contained a stair. The gate- way opened directly into the great hall, where chieftain, retainers and domestics lived by day and feasted and slept by night. The chieftain alone, with his family, had a private apart- ment in the room above, reached by a spiral stair in the wall, which was continued to the roof. The defence of the keep was made from the parapet, which ran around the top of the walls and was provided with embrasures through which weapons and missiles could be showered on the enemy below. As the walls of the keep were from twelve to twenty feet thick, and of the most substantial construction, such a fortress, properly provisioned and gar- risoned, was able to withstand any means of assault known at the period. The customary solidity of the work may be judged by the fact Development of the Castles 7 that in the last century it took six weeks to pierce a doorway in the ground floor wall of the Tower of London, though the builders were aided by all the resources of modern science. Though the Norman keep was thus perfectly adapted to the needs of defence so essential to its owners in this turbulent period, it was, according to our ideas, absolutely lack- ing in domestic comfort. Yet for two or three centuries the nobles of England lived in such abodes. The Crusades caused great changes in castle architecture. Military engines were intro- duced and improved, and the soldiers of Eu- rope learned valuable lessons as to the attack and defence of fortresses. Miners, working under " cats," or movable sheds, found the square corners of the keeps especially vulner- able points while unprovided with flanking de- fences. Improved engines easily demolished the parapets by hurling huge stones and ig- nited wooden roofs with balls of Greek fire. To keep these engines at a distance, the walls of the outer keep were now greatly ex- tended and strengthened, becoming the prin- cipal strength of the castle. The keep became merely the place of last resort, and was gar- risoned by the lord himself. The walls were 8 Castles and Keeps of Scotland furnished with towers at the angles and along the flanks, to defend the curtains by cross fires. Each of these was an independent fortress, with its own garrison and supplies, furnished by the vassal whose duty it was to defend it. This style of castle prevailed in both France and England during the thirteenth century, and the earliest Scotch castles are also of this type. First Period of Scotch Castle Buildings 1100 — 1300 Until this period, the forts of Scotland con- sisted of the ancient wooden hall on its mound, surrounded by a palisaded mound of earth or a wall of stones and earth. Macbeth was slain in 1057 at the peel of Lumphanan on Deeside, a tower of this construction. During the twelfth century great changes took place in the condition of Scotland, which were reflected in the style of building castles. The Norman Conquest had driven out of England many Saxon nobles. King Malcolm Canmore, hav- ing married the Saxon Princess Margaret, re- ceived them favourably, and established them on estates. They were followed by hosts of Norman adventurers, who were well received Development of the Castles 9 by David I, and also frequently vested with lands. Desirous of firmly establishing them- selves, these newcomers naturally raised tow- ers on the plan then in fashion in the southern lands whence they came. Thus were intro- duced at once building with stone and mortar, and castles consisting mainly of a great wall of enceinte. As the Norman lords were generally given fiefs on the outlying borders of the kingdom, which, during the twelfth and thirteenth cen- turies, was gradually extended northwards and westwards, many castles of this type were erected in these parts of the country. A num- ber of them still survive there, while in the more accessible regions they have been either destroyed or rebuilt. Several of them will be later described, including Urquhart and Inver- lochy on the Caledonian Canal, and Dunstaff- nage, built to dominate the Western Islands. Professor Cosmo Innes, in his book, " Scot- land in the Middle Ages,'' mentions the fol- lowing castles as existing in the thirteenth cen- tury: Duff us and Bocharm, in Moray; Ruth- ven and Lochindorb, in Badenoch; Strathbol- gie, Fyvie, Inverurie, Kildrummie and others in Aberdeenshire; Kincardine, Brechin, Red- castle, Forfar, Glamis, Leuchars, Craill and 10 Castles and Keeps of Scotland St. Andrews in the east; Dumbarton, Both- well, Douglas, Rothesay and Turnberry in the west; Edinburgh, Stirling, Linlithgow, Dun- bar, Yester, Roxburgh, Jedburgh, Lamberton, Morton, Dalswinton, Lochmaben, and Con- gleton in the centre and south, as well as many others. The majority of these have either dis- appeared or have been entirely remodelled, but some have remained to show us that their gen- eral design was similar to, though smaller than, the contemporary castles of England and France. The castles of this period are usually quad- rilateral, with necessary changes of form in some cases to adapt them to their sites. Some show towers at one or more angles, but all were defended by crenelated parapets, behind which a walk went around the walls. Lochin- dorb, Inverlochy and Achencass are square with corner towers. Duart, Skipness, Castle Swin and Castle Roy were simple parallelo- grams, two of them having one or two square towers. Loch Doon Castle, Urquhart, Home and Mingarry are built to conform to the out- line of the rocky sites they occupy. Rothesay is oval and Caerlaverock is triangular, both being defended by moats. These castles usu- ally had curtain walls seven to nine feet thick Development of the Castles 11 and twenty to thirty feet high. Their original towers have now mostly disappeared, as well as parapets and rampart walks. Most of them depended on water as their principal defence, some being on islands, others surrounded by wet ditches. A few only occupy high crags. They were mostly large enough to hold the population and herds of the tributary territory in case of siege, but not of exceptionally fine construction. In the central parts of Scot- land, however, where good freestone abounds, and where the influence of the church building so frequent in Scotland at this period could be felt, some large and finely adorned castles arose. Remarkable among these are Bothwell, Kildrummie, and Dirleton, the latter being as finely finished architecturally as any castle in Scotland. Second Period, 1300 — 1400 During the reigns of Alexander II and Alexander III, Scotland attained to a state of prosperity and influence among the nations of Europe far above what might have been expected of so small a kingdom. Her ambas- sadors and merchants contracted alliances and carried on conmierce with many nations. Her 12 Castles and Keeps of Scotland knights and soldiers were numbered with the crusading hosts. Her architecture developed to a high pitch, and not only buildings of de- fence, but numerous churches and monasteries were erected at this period. In 1286 this state of prosperity came to a sudden and tragic close. King Alexander III was thrown from his horse and killed during a foolhardy night ride. His only descendant, the Maid of Norway, died in Orkney, while coming to claim her throne. The disputes about the succession paralyzed the ordinary activities of the country, and plunged it into lasting war. Ten years later the English invaded and occupied the country, and then for eighteen years the Scotch under Wallace and Bruce struggled to free their country from the invader's yoke. Even after Bannockburn, a constant strife with the Eng- lish had to be maintained until the weak reign of Richard II left the Scots finally free. This hundred years of strife left the country utterly impoverished. It had been devastated over and over again. Its castles were destroyed by the sieges of the English, and were not recon- structed on their former scale. The owners, no matter how high their rank, could not af- ford extensive works, and Bruce forbade the Development of the Castles 13 construction of large castles, which, if taken, afforded secure strongholds to the invaders. Under these circumstances, the nobles fell back on the plan of the Norman keep, aban- doned in both France and England for two hundred years. Owing to the poverty of the country, they were all small; no large castle was built in Scotland during the fourteenth century. They were little more than secure places to protect the owner's family and close retainers from sudden attack. Being entirely of stone, they contained little which could be burned, and after capture by an enemy, if he damaged them to the extent of his power, a little cleaning and a new roof restored them to a habitable condition. The Scottish keep, like the Norman, usually was a three-storied tower. The basement was invariably vaulted and used for stores, or a stable. Very often its only communication with the hall above was through a trap in the vault. The first floor was the hall, and the entrance door opened into this, being reached by a ladder or movable stair. In this hall re- tainers, guests and domestics fed and slept in- discriminately, no privacy for man or woman being possible. This hall was usually fur- nished with a wooden floor midway of its 14 Castles and Keeps of Scotland height, forming a chamber in the vault, as is everywhere evidenced by the rows of support- ing corbels to be seen in the walls. The second floor was the private apartment of the chief- tain and his family, w^ho also had a loft in the roof, as a general thing. The roof was usually formed of stone slabs laid on a pointed arch, to render the whole fireproof, but in the smaller peels was of wood. The defence was undertaken from the parapet at the roof, which ran completely around the tower, ex- panding into rounded angles or bartizans at the corners. The walls were of great thick- ness, usually carrying spiral staircases, small closets for bed places, retiring rooms, etc., in their structure. The accommodation of these towers was so circumscribed that they often were added to by a small square projection at one corner, giving an additional room on each floor. Be- sides this, there is little doubt that practically all these keeps had a courtyard attached, sur- rounded by a high wall. This contained the stables and offices, and was an additional pro- tection against sudden assault. Although the accommodation of these four- teenth century castles was of the most meagre description, there was one room which they Development of the Castles 15 never lacked, the " pit " or prison. This was an adjunct of some importance when every chieftain possessed the power of " pit and gallows " and could confine and hang his vas- sals as seemed to him right. The pit was a small chamber from six to nine feet long, and three or four wide, inside the wall, and reached only by a stone hatch in the floor of the guard- room or hall above. This had no window, but was ventilated by a small diagonal shaft run- ning up to the open air. Prisoners were never executed here, as is often alleged by guides, but were publicly suspended on a large gal- lows-tree near the castle, for the edification of the lord and as an example to the surrounding population. Ornamentation was entirely absent from these castles. The parapets and bartizans sometimes were carried on corbels of the sim- plest kind, and these, with a few plain gar- goyles to drain off the rain from the parapet walks, were the only things which broke the stern severity of the grim towers. As the proprietors of these castles felt the need for more space, various expedients were resorted to. As mentioned before, in some cases a small addition was built on one corner, making the so-called L plan. Sometimes 16 Castles and Keeps of Scotland these had many more low floors than the main keep, access to these pigeon-holes being gained from a circular stair. In other cases numerous small rooms were hollowed out of the walls, occasionally two tiers to a single story. Later keeps also had a fourth story added to the main building. Some forms of decoration were occasionally added both to exterior and interior. During the whole century which succeeded Bannockburn, all the castles erected were of the simple keep pattern. From the smallest proprietor to the king himself, this was the case. At Rothesay, the keep was added to the ancient circular wall of enceinte, and Dundonald, in which Robert II lived and died, is but a plain keep, about forty by eighty feet. This is somewhat larger than the ordinary keeps of the nobles, which vary from twenty by forty feet to as large as forty by sixty, but are seldom larger. Not only were these small buildings sufficient for the nobles of this period, but even down to the seventeenth cen- tury the keep was the ordinary pattern of mansion built and occupied by the smaller proprietors, who would thus seem to have paid little more attention to the amenities of do- Development of the Castles 17 mestic life than their ancestors of the time of Bruce. Some of the more notable castles of this period, many of them now being of great size by reason of later additions, are Lochleven, Drum, Threave, Neidpath, Craigmillar, Crich- ton, Castle Campbell, Aros, etc. Third Period, 1400 — 1542 By the end of the fourteenth century, the coimtry was more settled and beginning to recover from the exhaustion of its wars. The wealthier nobles began to desire better dwell- ings, and turned for models to England and France. Castles began to be erected in the form of structures surrounding a courtyard or quadrangle. At first the buildings were attached here and there to the walls of the outer courtyard as convenience dictated. Many of the older keeps were greatly added to at this period, and others were built on the new plan. Gradually the capricious arrange- ment of rooms gave place to a settled plan, which was developed to its highest point in the royal palaces of Linlithgow and Stirling, as complete in arrangement as the royal build- ings of other countries. The smaller castles 18 Castles and Keeps of Scotland filially came to be built on a well-understood plan. The great hall was in the centre, with the kitchen, pantry and buttery at the en- trance end, and beyond the dais end the lord's solar or private apartment. Above this were bedrooms, and below the wine cellar. In the more magnificent castles built on this plan in other countries, the rooms were more numerous, banqueting halls, halls of justice, reception rooms, etc., being added, until the building finally became a complete quadrangle about a central court. No complete quadrangle in a private castle of this period exists in Scot- land, but at Tantallon, Dirleton and Doune, the courtyard buildings were doubtless much more extensive than at present. At Doune the large windows in the wall of enceinte show that the intention was to completely sur- round the court with buildings. The great royal palaces of Stirling and Linlithgow are the most perfect examples of the courtyard plan of this period. They are not only large enough for commodious private apartments for the Court, but also contain a parliament hall, chapel, drawing rooms, banqueting hall, etc. They thus prove that by the time of James IV and V the prosperity of the coun- try had again reached such a pitch that the Development of the Castles 19 Court lived in dignified state, and was able to suitably receive and entertain distinguished guests. On the whole the castles of this period still show that they were built for defence, in spite of the increasing amelioration of manners and decreasing fear of foreign invasion. Al- though the interiors begin to show ornamenta- tion of a rude character, the exteriors are still as rugged and forbidding as in the preceding period. The use of artillery, though it came into vogue during this period, had not ad- vanced far enough to make it evident that small castles could no longer be defended against a determined siege, and only the larger structures, notably Tantallon, show em- brasures for cannon dating from this century. During this period, as also later, many sim- ple keeps were built. Another common plan is the L type, with a doorway or stair tower in the re-entering angle, where it was easily defensible. The usual means of defence at this period was still from the parapet, which is machico- lated in a great number of instances. The entrance doorways were often on the ground floor, for greater ease of access, and were usually defended by oaken doors secured by 20 Castles and Keeps of Scotland bars, and iron grates or " yetts." At Doune and Tantallon the entrance is by an archway under the hall, easily defended by gates and portcullises, and commanded from guard- rooms at the sides and openings in the floor above. Fourth Period, after 1542 The third period of Scottish castle building closed with the death of James V in 1542. The long minority and troubled reign of Queen Mary were very unfavourable for architectural development, and few existing buildings date from this time. This, with other circumstances, combined to produce a distinct break in the development of domestic architecture. Let us briefly enumerate these factors. The most important was the development of artillery until it became the principal weapon in sieges. The use of great guns was not unknown in the preceding period, and large splayed embrasures had been provided at Tantallon and one or two other castles. Experience soon showed, however, that the or- dinary castles of the nobility were entirely un- able to withstand the attacks of siege artillery. Such fortresses as Dunbar, Dumbarton, Edin- Development of the Castles 21 burgh and Stirling were well equipped for the national defence, but the castles of the nobles as a general rule did not possess artil- lery. These proprietors henceforth contented themselves with equipping their mansions to resist sudden attack and this caused a gradual change of plan and construction. Another event of great importance was the Reformation. This movement led to the secu- larization of all the lands and possessions of the Church. Those who had the power to seize and keep the lands, that is, the nobility and gentry, were suddenly enriched and began to build new houses, or enlarge their old ones. With the Union under James VI English manners and the Renaissance style began to be introduced into Scotland, and had their effect on building. The net result of these causes during this, the final period of castle building, was the gradual evolution from fortified castles to strong mansions, and finally to country houses without defence. During most of this period, the mansions are in no sense castles, but they retain this title by courtesy, and many of them are worthy of our attention. During this period, as well as earlier, many simple keeps were built, especially as Border 22 Castles and Keeps of Scotland peel towers. The L plan is also a favourite, as affording good protection to the entrance. A new and entirely Scotch plan is very com- mon. This has been called the zigzag or Z plan. It consists of a central tower with smaller towers or turrets built out at two op- posite corners. This created a re-entrant angle on each face of the keep, and enabled every part of the wall to be flanked by mus- ketry fire. Numerous varieties of this plan with one or two towers attached in various ways were tried, but the rapidly diminishing necessity for defensive structures caused many of them to disappear, so that only the L plan, the T plan and the courtyard plan have survived to modern times. A great diversity of internal arrangements may be found in these later castles and man- sions. In early castles the wine cellar was in- variably below the hall, and furnished with a private stair, so that its contents were always imder the lord's eye, and could be brought directly into the hall at meal times. The ground floor was also used for storing large quantities of provisions, as it was necessary to be always equipped for a siege. As the se- curity of the country became greater, and settled peace was finally the normal condition, Development of the Castles 23 the ground floor began to be invaded by the kitchen and offices, and finally by the living rooms also, leaving the upper floors entirely free for sleeping and private apartments. The ornamentation of castles assumed great importance during this period. In all previous castle building, corbels to carry floors and par- apet were invariable features of Scotch archi- tecture. In the sixteenth century, while still structural necessities, they were greatly exag- gerated for decorative effect. In the seven- teenth century they were freely employed as decorative features without any structiu'al util- ity. The open bartizans, usually provided at the corners of the parapets in earlier castles, began to be roofed in about the beginning of this period, and peaked turrets soon became a most picturesque feature of Scotch buildings, sometimes being small and used only for deco- ration, and again being large enough for small apartments. The parapets themselves were absorbed in the roof, the eaves being at their top, with dormer windows and crow- stepped gables rising above. As a result of the desire for decoration of all kinds, a Scottish castle of the latest period presented a most fantastic and picturesque appearance. It usually started from the 24 Castles and Keeps of Scotland ground as a plain and simple masonry tower, but by means of jutting corbels and over- hanging stories, often of quite different and much larger plan, it offered ample accommo- dation in the upper parts. It was beset with a multitude of angle turrets and corner towers and its sky line was a mass of crow-steps, peaked and conical roofs and iron finials. The last stage of castellated architecture is a simplification toward the symmetry and plan of the English mansion. Possessing no means of defence it can be called a castle only by courtesy and does not come within the prov- ince of this book. In fact, the author's task has not led him to the inspection of many houses of the later periods. Having in most cases escaped the vicissitudes of war and time, they have been continuously occupied to the present day. They have thus been modernized in many cases and fail to appeal to lovers of the pic- turesque. They also lack the romantic history of the older structures. When to these reasons is added the habitual unwillingness of the Scotch gentry to admit the casual traveller to their grounds, it will be apparent why the photographs and descriptions are confined Development of the Castles 25 mostly to those older structures which are now public property or generously opened to pub- lic inspection by the courtesy of their present owners. CHAPTER II CASTLES NEAB, GLASGOW Dumbarton Castle and Rock To him who enters Scotland by her western gate, the River Clyde, there rises majestic from its low and level northern bank the cleft basaltic pile of Dmnbarton Rock, crowned and walled about with a fortress which, since im- memorial time, has been a stronghold of re- nown. Once its name was Dunbriton, " the Briton's Rock," but even before that ancient tribe gave it a name, it was a fortress; the Venerable Bede tells of the days when it was simply Alcluyd, " the Rock upon the Clyde." In his days it was capital of a kingdom, Strathclyde. Long before this the Roman galleys, patrolling the western waters, creep- ing timidly out to Ultima Thule, made this their station and winter port, named Theo- dosia. Then a Roman fort crowned the sum- mit, and bulwarked the end of Antonine's de- fensive wall. What it was earlier, and what 26 Castles Near Glasgow 27 skin-robed tribe first held its summit, is and shall be unknown, but certain we may be that it has been a refuge and a strength in this low land ever since human eyes first beheld it. The Rock of Dumbarton is a basalt mass, upthrust by primeval fires through the red sandstone. Thus it resembles Ailsa Craig, the Bass Rock, Stirling Castle Rock and Abbey Craig, its neighbour, and other sharp -featured cliffs throughout South Scotland. Five hun- dred and sixty feet in height, a mile about its base, it precipitously overhangs the Clyde and the Leven where they join. A deep and nar- row cleft bifurcates the rock, giving it the shape of a mitre, the western half, called Wallace's Seat, being slightly higher. On it still grows the Scotch thistle, a rare plant in its native country, recalling Ossian's descrip- tion of Balclutha, as he names the rock : " The thistle shakes there its lovely head." The castle of Dumbarton is to-day a forti- fication of little account. Since cannon have been employed in warfare it has been com- mandable by the rocky hill of Dumbuck, a mile away; nevertheless it is still garrisoned and will be while England remains a military power, for it is one of the four fortresses of Scotland appointed, at the Union, to be for- 28 Castles and Keeps of Scotland ever held defensible. The buildings are small, and the ramparts weak ; its frowning guns are ancient smoothbores; but it holds a phantasm of domination over the great commercial river, and offers to the eye a picturesque vision of old-time military strength. Of its history much is lost. After the Roman era it was taken as a fortress by the Britons, and was their chief stronghold in the eighth century. In 756 it is said to have been reduced through famine by Egbert of North- umberland. In spite of this tradition, it has ever been esteemed so strong that it has never passed out of the possession of the Crown, but has been continuously a royal castle. The town of Dumbarton was the chief seat of the Earls of Lennox, but when Alexander II con- firmed Earl Maldwyn in his estates early in the thirteenth century, the castle and some surrounding land were specially reserved, and erected into a free burgh royal, with extensive rights to levy dues on Clydeborne commerce. At the commencement of the competition for the crown of Scotland between Bruce and Baliol, Dumbarton, with the other royal strongholds, was delivered over to Edward I, and in 1292 was given to Baliol as one of the appurtenances of his crown. In 1296 it was Castles Near Glasgow 29 again occupied by the English under the gov- ernorship of Alexander de Ledes. In 1305 Sir William Wallace, loaded with chains, was sent from Dumbarton to London, and for the next four years the castle was governed by Sir John Menteith, his alleged betrayer. In 1309 Robert Bruce gained the castle by stratagem, but how is not recorded. We know only that the capture was planned and exe- cuted by " Oliver, a carpenter," who received for it a grant of lands. Over and over again in the next two hun- dred years, the castle changed hands, some- times peacefully, again by treachery or force. At whiles it was besieged in vain, as in 1481 by an English fleet. It was the naval head- quarters of Scotland on the west coast, and here was fitted out the little squadron which was uselessly dispatched against England shortly before Flodden. After the battle of Pinkie in 1547, the care of little Queen Mary was of the utmost im- portance and she was brought to Dumbarton from the island of Inchmahone in Lake Men- teith in Perthshire. Nearly two years she remained here, and then, when not yet five years old, she was handed over to Monsieur de Breze, sent by Henri II to conduct her to 30 Castles and Keeps of Scotland France. Fifteen years later she revisited the castle on a royal progress, and even after her dethronement Lord Fleming faithfully held the castle for her. It had been her goal when her little army was intercepted and defeated by the Regent Moray at Langside, near Glas- gow. The fortress held out until May, 1571, when it was most gallantly captured by a force sent by the Regent, the Earl of Lennox, as is thus detailed by Tytler: " Captain Crawford of Jordanhill, to whom the attack was intrusted, had been long at- tached to the house of Lennox. He was the same person whose evidence was so important regarding the death of Darnley, and who af- terwards accused Lethington of participation in the murder, since which time he appears to have followed the profession of arms. In the enterprise he was assisted by Cunningham, commonly called the Laird of Drumwhassel, one of the bravest and most skilful officers of his time, and he had been fortunate in secur- ing the assistance of a man named Robertson, who, having once been warden in the castle, knew every step upon the rock familiarly, and for a bribe consented to betray it. With this man, Crawford and his company marched from Glasgow after sunset. He had sent Castles Near Glasgow 31 before him a few light horse, who prevented intelligence by stopping all passengers, and arrived about midnight at Dumbuck, within a mile of the castle, where he was joined by Drumwhassel and Captain Hume, with a hun- dred men. Here he explained to the soldiers the hazardous service on which they were to be employed, provided them with ropes and scaling ladders, and advancing with silence and celerity, reached the rock, the summit of which was fortunately involved in a heavy fog, whilst the bottom was clear. But, on the first attempt, all was likely to be lost. The lad- ders lost their hold while the soldiers were upon them; and had the garrison been on the alert, the noise must inevitably have betrayed them. They listened, however, and all was still. Again their ladders were fixed, and their steel hooks this time catching firmly in the crevices, they gained a small jutting-out ledge, where an ash tree had struck its roots, which assisted them as they fixed the ropes to its branches, and thus speedily towed up both the ladders and the rest of their companions. They were still, however, far from their object. They had reached but the middle of the rock, day was breaking, and when, for the second time, they placed their ladders, an extraordinary 32 Castles and Keeps of Scotland impediment occurred. One of the soldiers in ascending was seized with a fit, in which he convulsively grasped the steps so firmly, that no one could either pass him, or unloose his hold. But Crawford's presence of mind sug- gested a ready expedient; he tied him to the ladder, turned it, and easily ascended with the rest of his men. They were now at the bottom of the wall, where the footing was narrow and precarious; but once more fixing their lad- ders in the copestone, Alexander Ramsay, Crawford's ensign, with two other soldiers, stole up, and though instantly discovered on the summit by the sentinel who gave the alarm, leapt down and slew him, sustaining the at- tack of three of the guard till he was joined by Crawford and his soldiers. Their weight and struggles to surmount it, now brought down the old wall and afforded an open breach, through which they rushed in, shout- ing 'a Darnley, a Darnley!' Crawford's watchword, given evidently from affection to his unfortunate master, the late king. The garrison were panic-struck, and did not at- tempt resistance." Lord Fleming, from long knowledge of the place, was able to make his escape down an almost perpendicular cleft or ravine in the Castles Near Glasgow 33 face of the rock, and reached Argyllshire in a fishing boat. Lady Fleming was very cour- teously treated and eventually allowed to de- part with all her plate and furniture. Not so fortunate was Archibald Hamilton, Arch- bishop of St. Andrews, who was taken to Stirling and cruelly hanged on a tree. Later the castle was used as a state prison. The most important prisoner was the ex- Regent Morton, sent here in December, 1580, and removed to Edinburgh a few months later, to be tried and condemned for his knowl- edge of the murder of Darnley. During the civil war Dumbarton changed hands three times, and finally was garrisoned by Cromwell in 1652. At present it has a small garrison, and in the armoury are a few relics, among them a two-handed sword which belonged to Sir William Wallace. Craignethan or Tillietudlem Craignethan Castle, one of the stock show places of Scotland, lies about three-quarters of a mile from the town of Crossford, on the craggy banks of the Nethan, a mile above its junction with the Clyde. The banks of the river are bold and picturesque, and the castle, 34 Castles and Keeps of Scotland placed on a high promontory at a bend in the stream, occupies a situation which was both beautiful and defensible. The former quali- fication presumably did not appeal to the builders, though it now is an important factor in the pleasure of the numerous visitors to the spot. The great attractiveness of the castle to vis- itors lies in the charm of romance added by the identification of the ruins with Scott's castle of TiUietudlem, described in " Old Mortality." For this we have Scott's partial authority, as follows : " The Castle of TiUietudlem is imaginary; but the ruins of Craignethan situated on the Nethan about three [actually one] miles from its junction with the Clyde, have something of the character of the description in the text." The Castle of Craignethan is usually visited by a round trip excursion from Glasgow which also takes in the Falls of the Clyde. A short walk from Crossford brings us to the foot of the hill on which the castle stands, which we climb by a zigzag path. At the top we find ourselves before the west front of the castle. This is a battlemented wall with an arched gateway in the centre and square towers at each corner. The front is well provided with Castles Near Glasgow 35 embrasures for cannon, and impresses the average visitor as a most martial fa9ade. Passing through the gateway, we find our- selves in the outer courtyard, one hundred and ninety by one hundred and forty feet in di- mension. This is surrounded by a continuous battlemented wall nearly four feet thick, and well provided with embrasures for guns. The courtyard contains some lean-to buildings of the same date as the wails, and a house erected by Andrew Hay, who bought the castle in 1665. The inner court is reached through a narrow gateway, formerly defended by a port- cullis. This gave on to a drawbridge over the moat, which was thirty feet wide and twelve feet deep, and faced with stone. The west wall of the inner courtyard was sixteen feet thick, probably to furnish an adequate plat- form for heavy artillery. It is now very ruin- ous, but the south wall is fairly well preserved. This was defended by two towers with em- brasures for guns. The keep is the oldest part of the building. It is built on an unusual plan, being divided longitudinally into two compartments by an internal wall. The principal floor is on the ground level, instead of being raised one story, and there is a vaulted underground basement. 36 Castles and Keeps of Scotland The entrance door is an arch, defended by double doors and a bar, but without a portcul- lis. Inside is a lobby with a staircase leading up and down, and beyond is the vaulted hall, forty feet by twenty. On the north side are the private hall and a guard-room, both with newel stairs to the apartments above, which are so ruined as to be inaccessible. In the vaulted basement is a well faced with cut stone. The keep has battlements supported by a double row of corbels, and open bartizans at the angles. The southeast tower, reached by a narrow passage between the wall and the keep, is very large, and contains on the ground floor the kitchen. This has a large fireplace which was provided with machinery on which whole animals could be roasted. Below this is a vaulted basement, and above a gun room, pro- vided with horizontal embrasures. Probably most of the castle was built by Sir James Hamilton of Finnart, Superintend- ent of the Royal Palaces and Castles for J ames V in the first half of the sixteenth cen- tury, but the keep was undoubtedly built much earlier. The estate was originally known as DrafFane, and was acquired by James, Lord Bothwell Casile Castles Near Glasgow 37 Hamilton, in the middle of the fifteenth cen- tury. Bothwell Castle Another castle of Lanarkshire, which by its easy accessibility and the majesty of its ruins and surroundings attracts many visitors, is Bothwell, on the Clyde. This may be visited on Tuesday and Friday from nine till five, except when the family are at home, in which case it can be seen on Tuesdays only. This is the grandest thirteenth century ruin in Scotland. It stands on a high and rocky promontory overlooking the Clyde, and was defended on the landward side by a deep and wide moat. The castle consists of an enormous courtyard, with high walls of enceinte. At one end of this was the great donjon, domi- nating the whole, and surrounded by its own moat. The walls were strengthened by several round and square towers. The total length of the castle is three hundred and twenty-five feet, and it is nearly as wide, thus ranking with the largest castles of Scotland. The keep is sixty-five feet in diameter and ninety feet high, with walls fifteen feet thick. It has several floors, the principal one of which was the hall. The upper floors com- 38 Castles and Keeps of Scotland municate with the parapets of the curtain by narrow passages, thus providing a way of es- cape if the entrance were stormed. The sev- eral towers, as usual in very early castles, were made independently defensible, and one of them has its own drawbridge, of a different pattern from that of the keep. At the eastern end of the courtyard is the hall, built at a later period when the accom- modations of the donjon proved too cramped. This is built over a row of vaulted rooms, and is sixty-five feet by thirty-two. At the same time were built the chapel and private apart- ments along the south wall, only the windows of which now remain. Bothwell Castle has experienced vicissitudes of ownership almost unprecedented in number. In the time of Alexander II, it belonged to Walter Olifard, justiciary of Lothian, who died in 1242. Later it passed by marriage to the family of De Moravia or Moray. It was captured by Edward I, who gave it to Aymer de Valance, Earl of Pembroke. It was cap- tured by the Scotch by storm in 1337, and dis- mantled. Bruce gave it to Andrew Moray, Lord Bothwell, husband of Christian, the king's sister. His granddaughter married Castles Near Glasgow 39 Archibald the Grim, Earl of Douglas, and brought him the castle as a marriage portion. Archibald rebuilt the castle, and it remained in the family of Douglas until its forfeiture in 1455. James II gave most of the lordship of Bothwell to Lord Crichton, son of Chan- cellor Crichton, who forfeited it in 1485, for joining Alexander, Duke of Albany, against James III. The king gave the estate to Lord Monipenny, but afterwards took it back, on the ground that as a minor he had not been capable of alienating it. He then gave it to John Ramsay, who held it till 1488, when it was again bestowed by James IV on Adam Hepburn. Hepburn's descendants held the castle until November, 1567, when James, Earl of Both- well, lost it because of his connection with the murder of Darnley. The next possessor was Francis Stuart, a grandson of James V; when he fell into disfavour, the estate was gifted to the lairds of Buccleugh and Rox- burgh, from whom it was acquired by the Marquis of Hamilton. Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, exchanged Bothwell Castle and a third of the estate with the Earl of Angus for Hermitage Castle and Liddesdale. It re- 40 Castles and Keeps of Scotland mained in the family of Douglas until 1859, when it descended to the Countess of Home. Rothesay Castle Plan of Rothesay Castle Overlooking the sheltered bay and pleasant town of Rothesay in the isle of Bute stands the ancient castle of the same name, one of the most remarkable in Scotland. Its origin goes back to very remote times, so that its Castles Near Glasgow 41 early history is obscure. Originally it was probably one of the fortalices built in 1098 by Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway, for the purpose of securing his conquests among the western islands. The Norsemen did not hold it permanently, and in 1228, during the reign of Alexander III, it was attacked by Olave, King of Man, and Husbac, a Norse chieftain, with eighty ships of Norway. After a siege, the walls were mined and breached, and the tower was taken by assault, at the expense of three hundred and ninety lives. After the battle of Largs in 1263 it was re- taken by the Scotch. During the wars of Bruce and Baliol it was twice taken by the English and twice retaken by Bruce. Rob- ert II and Robert III each spent much time in the castle, and the latter died of grief within its walls on hearing that his younger son, afterwards James I, had been captured by the English. The castle was seized in 1685 by Argyle, who burned it and converted it to an utter ruin. Rothesay Castle furnished the title of the first dukedom which was created in the Scotch peerage, an honour which is still borne by the eldest son of the British sovereign as his prin- cipal Scotch title. The dukedom of Rothesay 42 Castles and Keeps of Scotland was created in council at Scone in 1398, and conferred on David, Earl of Carrick, Prince and Steward of Scotland, eldest son of Robert III. On his death in 1402 it passed to his brother James. In 1409, by act of parliament, it was declared that "the lordship of Bute, with the castle of Rothesay, the lordship of Cowal, with the castle of Dunoon, the earldom of Carrick, the lands of Dundonald, with the castle of the same, the barony of Renfrew, with the lands and tenantries of the same, the lordship of Stewarton, the lordship of Kil- marnock, with the castle of the same, the lord- ship of Dairy, the lands of Nodisdale, Kil- bryde, ISTarristoun and Cairtoun, also the lands of Frarynzan, Drumcall, Trebrauch, with the fortalice of the same, ' principibus primogeni- tis Regum Scotise successorum nostrorum, per- petuis futuris temporibus, uniantur, incorpo- rentur, et annexantur.' " Since then, the eldest born son and heir-apparent of the sov- ereign has borne the titles of Duke of Rothe- say, Prince and Steward of Scotland, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles and Baron Ren- frew. The castle stands on low ground and is sur- rounded by a wide and deep ditch. This has Castles Near Glasgow 43 been cleared out in recent years, and a new bridge of approach built. The castle is an admirable specimen of the simple wall of en- ceinte of the thirteenth century, but is extraor- dinary in that the courtyard is circular instead of four-sided. It is very large, being about one hundred and forty feet in diameter, with walls eight to ten feet thick. The wall is strengthened and guarded by four round tow- ers, projecting sufficiently to make the ground plan almost square. Only one of these still stands, the battering bases of the others being the only parts left. Each has a doorway from the courtyard on the ground level. The entrance to the castle was originally through a square gate -tower on the north side, but later, probably in the fourteenth cen- tury, a quadrilateral keep was built in front of this. The entrance is now by a long pas- sage through the keep. Above is the hall, formerly entered from the guard room on the lower floor, but now by a stair from the court- yard. From the hall, passages in the wall lead to the two nearest towers, which were probably utilized as sleeping apartments. In the courtyard is a well, as well as some walls of the chapel. The foundations of other build- 44 Castles and Keeps of Scotland ings are scattered irregularly about the en- closure. Crookston Castle Three miles south of Paisley, on an ancient mound surrounded by ditches, stand the ruins of Crookston Castle, a venerable keep of un- known date. The barony of Crookston be- longed in the twelfth century to Robert Croc, a Norman gentleman. In the thirteenth cen- tury it passed into the great family of Stu- art, and thus descended to Henry, Lord Darn- ley. Tradition states that it was here, under a stately yew, long known as the " Crookston Tree," that he plighted his troth to Mary, Queen of Scots, and that under its branches she experienced, in the blissful days of young love, the only happy moments which he ever gave her. This tree died in 1782, and its rem- nants were removed in 1817 to preserve them from the devastating hand of the relic col- lector. Another traditional report is that from the towers of Crookston Mar3^ beheld the rout of her army at Langside. Though this is phys- ically impossible, as Langside is four miles away and hidden by intervening hills, Scott Castles Near Glasgow 45 adopted it not only in " The Abbot," but also in his " History of Scotland." An anonymous poet has thus written of Crookston : " Thou proud memorial of a former age, Time - ruined Crookston ; not in all our land Eomantic with a noble heritage Of feudal halls, in ruin sternly grand, More beautiful doth tower or castle stand Than thou 1 as oft the lingering traveller tells. And none more varied sympathies command ; Though where the warrior dwelt, the raven dwells, With tenderness thy tale the rudest bosom swells. Along the soul that pleasing sadness steals Which trembles from a wild harp' s dying fall, When Fancy's recreative eye reveals To him, lone-musing by thy mouldering wall. What warriors thronged, what joy rung through thy hall. When Eoyal Mary — yet unstained by crime, And with love's golden sceptre ruling all — Made thee her bridal home. There seems to shine Still o'er thee splendour shed at that high gorgeous time! " CHAPTER III THE CASTLES OF ARGYLLSHIRE One of the most popular approaches from Glasgow to Oban, the principal town of Ar- gyllshire, is by Loch Fyne. Leaving Green- ock or Gourock by steamer, we pass Dunoon, with its scanty remains of a keep of the time of Bruce — the first castle captured by him when he rose against Baliol. The town is a thriving summer resort, much frequented by the citizens of Glasgow. Not much farther on, the steamer leaves the Clyde to enter the Kyles of Bute. Just within the entrance is Rothe- say Castle, previously described, picturesquely situated in the town of the same name, also a summer resort. On the other side of the strait, on Toward Point, stands Toward Castle. This consists of a fifteenth century keep, about forty by thirty feet, with a large court- yard of later date. The keep was four stories high, two of which were vaulted. The en- trance door is a dozen feet from the ground, on the level of the first floor. The courtyard 46 The Castles of Argyllshire 47 buildings are of considerable extent, indicating a structure of some little importance in its day. The gateway is a beautifully carved arch. Toward belonged to the family of Lamont. It has not been inhabited since 1646, when the Campbells attempted to exterminate the whole clan of the Lamonts. Two hundred of them defended the castle, but were starved into surrendering, when the most horrible cruelties were perpetrated on them, from their leader, Sir James Lamont, down. No less than thirty- six of them were hanged in the charred and bloody ruins of their devastated house, which has never since been occupied. Leaving Rothesay, the steamer traverses the Kyles of Bute, a narrow strait between the island of Bute and the mainland, famed for its beautiful scenery. Skipness Castle As we pass out of the strait to round the point into Loch Fyne, there may be seen on a cape directly ahead of us the gray walls of Skipness Castle, one of the finest and best preserved castles of the first period to be found in Scotland. It consists of an oblong enceinte with walls six feet thick or more, and thirty-five feet high. This is one hundred and 48 Castles and Keeps of Scotland twenty-five feet long and one hundred wide. It was originally provided with two strong towers, to which has been added a keep of later date, still roofed and in good preserva- tion. The gateway was defended by a port- cullis and projecting overhead defences, which have all been removed. The castle was in- tended to be of great strength, and the outer walls have very few and very small openings. This castle, like Dunstaffnage, has a thirteenth century chapel some little distance outside. Skipness originally belonged to the Macdou- galls, but, like most of Argyle, passed into the hands of the Campbells, who possessed it until about the end of the eighteenth century. Tarbert Castle Just within the entrance to Loch Fyne, the steamer stops at the little town of Tarbert, situated on a narrow isthmus which joins the district of Kintyre to the mainland. About sixty feet above the sea, overlooking the town, stands Tarbert Castle, a fortress of very early origin. It was one of the royal fortresses which Edward I caused to be handed over to Baliol. Bruce, in 1325, had the castle repaired and considerably extended, making it one of The Castles of Argyllshire 49 his chief strategic positions for the overawing of the western Highlands, an office which its commanding position enabled it to fulfil most satisfactorily. The original castle was an enceinte nearly one hundred and twenty feet square, consisting of double walls about twenty feet apart. These exist now merely as mounds of grass, with a few fragments of masonry peeping through. To this structure Bruce added an outer court- yard three hundred feet long and two hundred and forty broad, with strong walls defended by circular towers, the whole enclosing a sloping hillside and affording excellent shelter for a numerous peasantry and their flocks and herds. He also built a hall and a dwelling in the orig- inal castle, as appears by exchequer records still existing. The small keep, the only con- spicuous part now existent, was built about the beginning of the sixteenth century, and not by Bruce, as the inhabitants fondly assert. This was presumably erected by James IV in 1494, when he was engaged in suppressing the tur- bulent western clans, as the treasury accounts show that he expended considerable money in the rebuilding of the castle. As we journey on to Inveraray the scenery of Loch Fyne is extremely picturesque, a com- 50 Castles and Keeps of Scotland bination of near and distant mountains most beautiful on a clear day. At Inveraray, the country town of Argyle, we leave the steamer, and after an excellent lunch take coaches for the trip to Dalmally. We pass Inveraray Cas- tle, the seat of the Duke of Argyle, one of the greatest landed proprietors in Scotland. His castle was built in 1745, burned in 1877, and rebuilt on somewhat altered plans. Its lack of beauty was well expressed by the trav- eller who described it as " the ugliest castle in Europe," a description from which I am not inclined to dissent. The coach road climbs up the valley of Glen Aray, through one of the most magnificent forests in the British isles. Century-old beeches throw out their gnarled and moss- grown branches over beautiful beds of bracken. The little stream brawls and leaps down its stony bed. Through the glades of the forest timid deer peep at the coach and flee in terror. The rabbits scamper across the road; the grouse and the pheasant whir away before the approaching horses. Little by little the trees grow smaller and thin out, until finally we leave the forest for the moor, blazing with yellow whins in June or glorious with the purple carpet of the heather in The Castles of Argyllshire 51 August. Then up and up and up we go, over the crest of the moor, until there bursts on our vision the noble spectacle of lovely Loch Awe, dotted with islets and overhung by the mighty mass of Ben Cruachan, a lake view equal to any in Scotland. Kilchurn Castle Backed by the noble height of Ben Cruachan, the castle of Kilchurn, on its island in the midst of Loch Awe, cannot be excelled for picturesqueness of situation. It has long been a favourite with artists and poets, because of its magnificent situation and its picturesque- ness of outline, which, however, is more im- pressive from a distance than on close inspec- tion. From the heights on either side of the loch, its beauty is indeed deserving of the poetic description : " It is paramount, and rules Over the pomp and beauty of a scene Where mountains, torrents, lakes and woods unite To pay it homage." The castle stands on a rocky promontory which is sometimes an island, sometimes con- nected with the mainland by a marshy penin- sula, but was evidently entirely cut off when 52 Castles and Keeps of Scotland the castle was built. The keep is five stories high, and of fair size. It was erected by the wife of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, the Black Knight of Rhodes, founder of the noble family of Breadalbane. Sir Colin was a Knight Templar, and during his seven years of absence on a crusade, the rents of his lands were appropriated to the construction of this fortress. In 1693 the castle was greatly enlarged by the addition of an extensive quadrangle by John, first Earl of Breadalbane. This is de- fended by round towers at each corner, and, while by no means strong enough to stand a siege, would be sufficiently secure against the attacks of Highland raiders. The castle was defended for the king in 1745, and was habitable long after, until a factor, merely to obtain an easy supply of wood, unroofed it. Since then it has rapidly decayed. Ardchonnel Castle Another castle of Loch Awe is Ardchonnel, the original home of the family of Argyle, in the island of Innischonnel, near the east side of the lake. This was originally a simple en- closure of the thirteenth century, with walls The Castles of Argyllshire 53 seven or eight feet thick, but has been ex- tended and rebuilt in later times. It is now an ivy-covered ruin, whose internal arrange- ments are scarcely distinguishable. Here orig- inated the famous slogan of the Campbells, " It's a far cry to Loch Awe! " With it the clan derided their foes, indicating the impossi- bility of reaching their well-defended and dis- tant home. In the fifteenth century this castle was the prison of the infant heir of the Lord of the Isles. The child was named Donald Dubh, and was the son of Angus, who had rebelled against his father John, Lord of the Isles. Father and son fought at " Bloody Bay," and the child was carried off by Athole and con- fined by the Earl of Argyle in Ardchonnel. He did not escape until he had grown to man- hood, when he raised an army and invaded Badenoch in 1503. He was defeated and car- ried off a prisoner to Edinburgh Castle, where he remained for nearly forty years. Escap- ing in 1545, he became Lord of the Isles, con- cluded a treaty with Henry VIII and Len- nox, and supplied the latter with troops. Again misfortune was his lot, and he was forced to flee to Ireland, where he soon died. From Dalmally we take train to Oban, pass- 54 Castles and Keeps of Scotland ing through the dark Pass of Brander, the scene of celebrated conflicts of both Wallace and Bruce, both of the most sanguinary de- scription. The scenery is most majestic; the furious river leaps and roars in its narrow channel under the flanks of the great moun- tain which has striven in vain to hold it back. Oban has been called the Newport of Scot- land, and is thronged with people from all parts of the world in the summer. It pos- sesses a most beautiful situation on the Sound of Kerrera, and is a most attractive place for a stay of some length, being the natural start- ing point for all excursions in the western Highlands. Dunolly Castle Only a mile from Oban, and easily reached by a good carriage road, lies Dunolly Castle, in such a situation as to form one of the town's great scenic attractions. " Nothing can be more wildly beautiful," says Sir Wal- ter Scott, " than the situation of Dunolly. The ruins are situated upon a bold and pre- cipitous promontory, overhanging Loch Etive, and distant about a mile from the village and port of Oban. The principal part which re- mains is the donjon, or keep; but fragments The Castles of Argyllshire 55 of other buildings, overgrown with ivy, attest that it had once been a place of importance, as large apparently as Artornish or Dunstaff- nage. These fragments enclose a courtyard, of which the keep probably formed one side; the entrance being by a steep ascent from the neck of the isthmus, formerly cut across by a moat, and defended doubtless by outworks and a drawbridge. Beneath the castle stands the present mansion of the family, having on the one hand Loch Etive, with its islands and mountains; on the other two romantic emi- nences tufted with copsewood. There are other accompaniments suited to the scene; in particular, a huge upright pillar, or detached fragment of that sort of rock called plum- pudding stone, upon the shore, about a quar- ter of a mile from the castle. It is called Clach-na-cau, or the Dog's Pillar, because Fingal is said to have used it as a stake to which he bound his celebrated dog Bran. Others say, that when the Lord of the Isles came on a visit to the Lord of Lorn, the dogs brought for his sport were kept beside this pillar. Upon the whole, a more delightful and romantic spot can scarce be conceived; and it receives a moral interest from the considera- tions attached to the residence of a family once 56 Castles and Keeps of Scotland powerful enough to confront and defeat Bruce, and now sunk into the shade of private life." As mentioned in the account of Dunstaff- nage, the Macdougalls of that ilk are de- scended from Alexander of Argyle, adversary of the Bruce. " The islands," says Pennant, " remained governed by powerful chieftains, the descendants of Somerled, Thane of Here- gaidel, or Argyle, who, marrying the daugh- ter of Olave, King of Man, left a divided do- minion to his sons Dugal and Reginald. From the first were descended the Macdou- galls of Lorn; from the last the powerful clan of the Macdonalds. The lordship of Argyle, with Mull, and the islands north of it, fell to the share of the first; Islay, Kintyre, and the southern isles, were the portion of the last." Nisbet says: " There was a great and old family of this name in Argyleshire, called M'Oul, M'Dowall, or M'Dugall, Lords of Lorn, whose title and lands went, by an heir- ess, to Stuart, Lord of Lorn, and are now in the family of Argyle; Colin Campbell, the first Earl of Argyle, having married Isabel, heiress of Stuart of Lorn." The name Dunolly comes from Olave, and signifies " the fortified hill of Olave." This The Castles of Argyllshire 57 was a very common Norwegian name, and was borne not only by the King of Man mentioned above, but by at least two Norse kings of Dublin. From which of these it received its name remains open to conjecture, but it was a considerable place as early as the seventh century, and is mentioned several times in the Annals of Ulster. The present castle was erected not earlier than the beginning of the fifteenth century, and consists of a keep with walls of enceinte. The keep is set diagonally on the corner of the north and east walls, the only ones which re- main. The others, abutting on a precipitous rock, were probably weak, serving only as a minor defence. The keep is about forty-five feet high and contained one vaulted story and several with timber floors. The stairs are straight and in the thickness of the walls. In spite of Scott's statement, the castle was never more than half as large as Dunstaffnage in either dimension, and possessed very inade- quate living accommodations. Gylen Castle Facing Oban lies the island of Kerrera, and on its southern end, about four miles from 58 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Oban, stands the little castle of Gylen, an L-keep of the sixteenth century. Though un- roofed it is in a good state of preservation, and is architecturally very interesting. The keep is four stories high, and occupies a narrow- projecting neck of rock, thus having a very defensible situation. The destruction of the castle dates from 1647, when it was besieged by General Leslie. During this siege the " Brooch of Lorn " was stolen, not to be re- stored to its hereditary owners until during the last century. Dunstaffnage Castle As we leave the harbour of Oban on one of the numerous steamers which ply the beauti- ful waters of Loch Etive, our attention is soon attracted by the picturesque ruins of Dun- staffnage Castle, four miles north of the town. Its site is a rocky peninsula jutting into the sea. The walls of the castle rise sheer from the edge of the crags, their bases some thirty feet above the water, so that there is no possi- bility of an enemy getting a foothold between them and the sea. The ground plan of the castle is an irregu- lar quadrangle, and the structure is an inter- The Castles of Argyllshire 59 esting example of the castles of the first period, built as simple walls of enceinte. In this case the north front is guarded at either end by a round tower. The curtain walls are extremely massive, being on the average ten feet thick and sixty feet high on the outside. The castle is one of the largest of the first period, being nearly one hundred and forty feet long and over one hundred feet wide. The towers at the corners are round; besides these, there is a square tower to guard the en- trance, which is at the southeastern corner. This was formerly reached by a drawbridge and an arched doorway, which in later times has been built up, so that only a narrow pas- sage remains. The original accommodations of this castle were very limited, as the keep, in the northwestern tower, contains only three low stories. The other tower probably contained rooms also, but is so utterly ruinous inside that this cannot now be determined with certainty. Beside the tower accommodations, there were a number of buildings within the courtyard, one of which was a kitchen, while the others served for other domestic uses. There are also small chambers in the south and west walls. The present buildings in the courtyard are of the seventeenth and eighteenth centu- 60 Castles and Keeps of Scotland ries. The battlements have been altered for guns, and lying on them are three beautiful Spanish cannon, relics of the Great Armada. About five hundred feet southwest of the castle stands the chapel, a beautiful Gothic building of Early Pointed style. This may almost cer- tainly be assigned to within a few years of 1250, and as the castle was probably built by the same builders, its date is approximately the same. Both tradition and legend carry the founda- tion of Dunstaffnage back to a much earlier date than that just assigned for its origin, and from the strong nature of the site they are probably correct. But little fortification would be required to render it secure against the early forms of attack. The castle was for several centuries after 300 a. d. the capital of the Pictish princes, and here for centuries was preserved " the stone of power," the palla- dium of Scotland. This is best known as the " stone of Scone," and is now preserved in the coronation chair at Westminster Abbey. It is one of the most famous pieces of mineral mat- ter in the world, and the legend asserts that this is the identical rock on which Jacob pillowed his head at Bethel. From the Holy Land it was transported to Spain, and thence made The Castles of Argyllshire 61 its way into Ireland. Fergus, the son of Ere, brought it with him to Icolmkill, better known to us as lona, where it pillowed the head of the dying St. Columba. Thence its holiness caused it to be carried to Dunstaffnage and used as a seat for the Scottish princes to be crowned upon. Long it rested in Dunstaff- nage, until Kenneth Macalpine took it to Scone. Edward I seized it here, and carried it off to London, and there it is likely to rest for many centuries longer. The stone gave rise to the following prov- erb: — " Ni fallat fatum, Scoti quocunque locatum Invenient lapidein, regnare tenentur ibidem." This has been translated by Scott: — " Unless the fates be faithless grown, And prophet's voice be vain, Where'er is found this sacred stone, The Scottish race shall reign." This prophecy was easily declared verified when James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne as James 1. Dunstaffnage Castle was also for centuries the safe place where were kept the ancient 62 Castles and Keeps of Scotland regalia of Scotland, and some of them were here as late as the eighteenth centm-y, when they were purloined by servants. When Kenneth JNIacalpine removed the seat of government from Dunstaffnage to Perth- shire, in 843, the castle dropped out of histor- ical importance. The Norwegians had begun to make inroads into this region, and it became one of their strongholds. Xot until the time of Robert Bruce is it again mentioned in Scot- tish history. It w^as then possessed by Alexan- der of Argyle, father of John ]Macdougall, Lord of Lorn, nephew of the Red Com}Ti. The Macdougalls were adherents of Baliol, and made themselves especially obnoxious to Bruce by being factors in his defeat at the battle of Dairy, near Tyndrum, when the famous " Brooch of Lorn " was wTenched from his person. In 1308 Bruce obtained his re- venge by defeating the army of John of Lorn, and besieging his father in Dunstaffnage Cas- tle. Unable to hold out, he surrendered the castle to the king; but, his pride refusing to allow him to do homage for it, he took safe- conduct from the monarch for himself and his followers, and retired to England, where he died. The son continued his rebellion, and a large part of the family lands was alienated. The Castles of Argyllshire 63 The family still owns the lands of Dunolly, and their descent from this Alexander seems indisputable. Dunstaffnage passed from the Macdougalls to the Argyles, who claimed it as their share of the spoil. Scott says: "When the wars between the Bruce and Baliol factions again broke out in the reign of David II, the Lords of Lorn were again found on the losing side, owing to their hereditary enmity to the house of Bruce. Accordingly, upon the issue of that contest, they were deprived by David II and his successor of by far the greater part of their extensive territories, which were con- ferred upon Stuart, called the Knight of Lorn. The house of Macdougall continued to survive the loss of power, and affords a very rare, if not an unique, instance of a family of such unlimited power, and so distinguished during the Middle Ages, surviving the decay of their grandeur, and flourishing in a private station." A charter of Robert I is still in ex- istence, which grants to Arthur Campbell, fourth son of the Sir Colin Campbell of Lochow, " the constabulary of Dunstaffnage, and the maines thereof, whilk Alexander Argyle had in his hands." The fortress is 64 Castles and Keeps of Scotland still in the hands of this family, which seems to dispose of Pennant's assertion that in 1455 it was a residence of the Lords of the Isles. The other historians agree that James, Earl of Douglas, after his defeats in Angus, here met Donald, Earl of Ross, and Lord of the Isles, and induced him to make war on James 11. In 1490 James IV twice visited Dun- staffnage in order to win to his allegiance the wild western chiefs, and after this the castle seems to have been held in the interest of the reigning monarchs. Much of it was destroyed by fire in 1695, but it was restored sufficiently to be garrisoned both in 1715 and 1745. In 1746 it formed for a while a place of refuge for Flora Macdonald. It was partly occupied until 1810, but now serves only as a refuge for a few fishermen. Duart Castle As we enter the Sound of Mull, we see on our right the massive ruin of Duart Castle, one of the most imposing and powerful cas- tellated structures in the western islands. It stands on a high rock, and presents a most martial appearance, due principally to the The Castles of Argyllshire 65 great keep, with walls fifteen feet thick and sixty in height. The oldest part of the build- ing is the great wall of enceinte enclosing a large courtyard. This is about thirty feet high, and from six to ten feet thick. The keep is of the second period. The architectural features are similar to other more accessible castles. The castle was probably built by Lauclan McLean, called Lubanach, who married, in 1366, Margaret, daughter of the first Lord of the Isles, and founded the House of Duart. He rapidly gained power, and became owner of a number of other castles. When the Highlanders were forced to resign themselves to peace by the naval forces of James VI, Hector McLean submitted and was allowed to keep his castle. He was a person of great importance, as evidenced by the fact that he was allowed by the Privy Council to entertain in his house eight gentlemen retainers, and to consume four tuns of wine in a year, both being the largest number permitted to any chieftain. He was also allowed to maintain a galley of eighteen oars, and required to pre- sent himself annually to the Privy Council with four kinsmen, as security for his good 66 Castles and Keeps of Scotland behaviour. His son was created a Nova Scotia baronet in 1631. Ardt Ornish Castle Opposite Duart, on the Morven side of the Sound of Mull, stand the ruins of Ardtornish Castle. This was the stronghold of the first Lord of the Isles, who died there in 1380, and was interred with elaborate rites at lona. Although Scott depicts it as a castle of great extent, there are no indications at present to show that it was ever more than a simple keep. The walls are about ten feet thick, and are now about fifteen feet high. No signs of any coiu-tyard can be found. This seems a very unsatisfactory place to hold any such festivi- ties as Scott describes, when — " the noble and the bold Of Island chivalry/' " met from mainland and from isle, Ross, Arran, Islay and Argyle," to celebrate the nuptials of the hapless Maid of Lorn. Still, it was at this castle that John de Yle, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, in 1461 called a council of his chiefs, and, like an independent sovereign, appointed two of The Castles of Argyllshire 67 his kinsmen ambassadors to sign with Ed- ward IV a treaty of offensive alliance against Scotland. Kinlochaline Castle Just beyond Ardtornish Castle, there opens into the sound of Mull the beautiful bay known as Loch Aline. It is about two and a half miles long, and at its head, in surroundings of the utmost beauty, stands the Castle of Kinlochaline. It occupies the high summit of a pointed rock, and adds greatly to the beauty of the wild and rugged mountain scenery. The castle is a simple keep of great strength, built probably in the fifteenth century, and somewhat altered in the next. The walls are about ten feet thick, and carry at the top a beautiful corbel course to support the para- pets. All that tradition or history have to say of the fortalice is that it was built by a Maclnnes, and that Colkitto captured it in the seventeenth century. Aros Castle Aros Castle, the fragmentary ruin of a once powerful stronghold of the Lords of the Isles, stands on a high basaltic promontory on 68 Castles and Keeps of Scotland the south shore of the Sound of Mull. Placed at a bend of the channel, its position would enable its sentries to observe the approach of an enemy from either direction. The walls at present standing are but portions of a keep, but the place was anciently of considerable importance. Its chief historic interest lies in the fact that it was here that, in 1608, Lord Ochiltree called together the chieftains of the isles. When they arrived, he entertained them at dinner on his vessel, and after the feast informed them that they were prisoners by order of the King, James VI. The un- fortunate gentlemen were then carried off as prisoners to the various royal castles in the Lowlands, thus ensuring a term of peace to the west of Scotland. Mingarry Castle At the extreme western end of the Sound of Mull, near to the stormy point of Ardna- murchan, the division between the Norderies and the Suderies, stands Mingarry Castle, commanding this end of the sound as com- pletely as Duart does the other. Like Duart, it is a castle of enceinte of the earliest period, dating back certainly to the thirteenth century. The Castles of Argyllshire 69 It occupies a lofty and isolated rock which commands the entrances of the Sound of Mull and Loch Sunart, and enjoys a view of almost the entire length of the sound. The castle is an irregular hexagon, about two hundred feet in circumference, and its walls, in spite of their great age, are tolerably entire, showing some of the original crenellations. Like all the early castles, it is almost without external openings, being furnished only with a few narrow pointed loopholes. The gateway is on the south, accessible to ships, the principal means of communication in this region. It is defended by an iron gate, still in place. The present buildings which stand within the en- closure are of no great antiquity. The castle was anciently the seat of the Maclans, a Macdonald clan, descended from Ian or John, a grandson of Angus Og, Lord of the Isles. In 1493 and 1495 it was occu- pied by James IV when he was engaged in asserting his authority in the west. In 1644 it was besieged and taken by Allaster Mac- donald of Colkitto, the famous partisan of the Marquis of Montrose. Colkitto used it as a prison for his captured Covenanters. John of Moidart, captain of Clanranald, was sent by the Marquis of Argyle to recapture it ; but 70 Castles and Keeps of Scotland he sent it relief instead, and wasted Argyle's district of Stuart. If, when leaving Oban, instead of turning into the Sound of Mull, we keep on to the northward, we find both islands and mainland beset with castles and towers. The little island of Lismore contains three, Auchindown, Tirafour and Rachel. Opposite them is Bar- caldine on the mainland, and Stalker and Shuna, each on its own island. Most of them are simple keeps of early date, similar to a thousand others strewn over these isles and capes. Barcaldine is a little more pretentious, having been built at the end of the sixteenth century by Sir Duncan Campbell of Glen- orchy. Achanduin or Auchindown is a thir- teenth century enceinte, about seventy feet square, situated on a steep conical hill. This castle was the residence of the Bishop of Argyle, whose see was transferred to this island in 1236, soon after which the castle was probably erected. Castle Stalcaire or Stalker is a well-pre- served keep, built by Duncan Stuart of Appin in the reign of James IV, who is said to have used the castle as a hunting lodge. It stands on a small island in full sight of The Castles of Argyllshire 71 the steamers which ply north from Oban, and is a well-known scenic object. The keep is not peculiar in its architecture in any degree, and would poorly repay the trouble of a visit. CHAPTER IV THE CASTLES OF NORTHWESTERN SCOTLAND Stretching northeast from Oban in almost a straight line, the great depression now known as the Caledonian Canal cuts Scotland into two islands. While the scenery on both sides is wild and mountainous, the western region is much less accessible and settled. Towns of any size are few, agriculture is little practised, and most of the great region is given over to sheep pastures and deer forests. Conse- quently, castles are not numerous in this re- gion. The Caledonian Canal is guarded by two or three, and a few more may be found on the coasts of Sutherland and Caithness, and in the outlying isles. Most of these latter are relics of Norwegian domination in the islands. The mainland of Caithness and the islands of the Shetland and Orkney groups are noted for the rude erections discussed in the first chapter under the name of brochs, rude circu- lar towers built by the Celts and serving the same purposes as the later castles of other 72 4 Northwestern Scotland 73 parts of Scotland. The best known and best preserved of these is Mousa, on the island of Mainland in Shetland, which will be described in its proper place. Inverlochy Castle Plan of Inverlochy Castle Setting out from Oban as the usual method of entering the Caledonian Canal, we reach at 74 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Fort William, on the southern edge of the great county of Inverness, the first of the well- known castles which lend so much to the pic- turesqueness of the scenery of the Canal. The origin of Inverlochy Castle is shrouded in mystery, tradition ascribing it to the Comyns. Some authorities have given the fifteenth cen- tury as the date of its erection, but MacGib- bon and Ross place it among the structures of the thirteenth century on purely architectural grounds. The main reason for this attribution is the fact that the walls of enceinte stand alone, with no trace of courtyard buildings, or windows and shot-holes to indicate that any ever existed. The courtyard is about a hundred feet square. Its walls are nine feet thick and about twenty-five in height. It stands on level ground, and about thirty feet from the wall was a moat forty feet wide. This was for- merly filled by the river Lochy, which has long pursued another course. The entrance was through two gateways, one on the north and one on the south side, each protected by a portcullis. Each corner is provided with a round tower, mounted by a winding stair in the thickness of the wall. Three of these are about fourteen feet in internal diameter, while Northwestern Scotland 75 the fourth, Comyn's Tower, at the northwest corner, was used as a keep, and is about twenty feet in diameter inside. According to a fabulous tradition, here was the site of an ancient Pictish city, one of whose rulers. King Achaius, in 790, signed a treaty with Charlemagne, and which was a great place of resort for French and Spanish merchants and mercenaries. This town, being destroyed by the Danes, was never rebuilt. The castle was probably built in the thirteenth century, as stated, and occupied by the thanes of Lochaber, including Banquo, the founder of the royal family of Stuart. In the time of Edward I, the castle belonged to the Comyns, then at the height of their power. Because of its retired situation in the heart of the Highlands, the castle never was re- quired to resist a foreign invader, and served simply as a stronghold in the interminable tribal disputes which were the chronic state of the Highland clans. In 1645, the castle saw a bloody battle between a Jacobite army under the Marquis of Montrose, and Argyle's troops, partly Highlanders and partly Low- landers. Montrose, after devastating Argyll- shire, had started through the Great Glen to capture Inverness, when his scouts brought 76 Castles and Keeps of Scotland him intelligeDce that the Marquis of Argyle, with an army twice as large as his, was close on his heels. Montrose doubled on his tracks, and made a forced march over the mountains and through the glens to surprise his enemy. Argyle turned over the command of his troops to his cousin, Campbell of Auchinbreck, and retired to a boat in the loch. Montrose at- tacked at dawn on the 2d of February. Al- though Argyle had a favourable position, flanked by the castle, in which he had posted a body of his troops, his right wing crumpled at the first charge. Disheartened, his whole army took to precipitate flight, save about two hundred men, who held the castle. Montrose's troops pursued the fleeing Campbells for eight miles, slaughtering without mercy, in spite of the efforts of Montrose to stop the carnage. About fifteen hundred of Argyle's men fell, while Montrose had only three privates killed. The castle surrendered, and its Lowland of- ficers were paroled. Montrose sent an exult- ing letter to Charles, in which he said, " Give me leave, after I have reduced this country, and conquered from Dan to Beersheba, to say to your Majesty, as David's general to his master. Come thou thyself, lest this country be called by my name." The King received this Northwestern Scotland 77 letter while the royal and parliamentary com- missioners were negotiating peace at Ux- bridge, and immediately broke off the nego- tiations, a circumstance which led to his ruin. Invergarry Castle Near the centre of the Caledonian Canal, on a thickly wooded and precipitous bank, and forming one of the most picturesque objects on the route, stands the majestic but ruinous Castle of Invergarry. This was the strong- hold of the Macdonalds of Glengarry, and owes its present dilapidated condition to the fact that it was sacked and burned in 1746 by the Duke of Cumberland, because of the atti- tude of its proprietors in the rebellion of the previous year. It is said that Prince Charlie was twice sheltered within its walls. The castle was an L-shaped structure of the seventeenth century, with an oblong staircase tower in the re-entering angle, and a round tower at the northeast corner. The building was five stories high, and had a noble hall forty-five by twenty-two feet. It was very commodious, but not adapted for serious de- fence. 78 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Urquhart Castle The ancient and extensive fortification known as Urquhart Castle stands on the southern side of Urquhart Bay, overlooking Loch Ness from the west. It occupies two hills of sandstone and encloses an area of about five hundred by one hundred and fifty feet. The southern court is much larger and higher than the northern one, and the two combined form an irregular figure eight. The castle was defended on the east by the loch, and on the west by a ditch sixteen feet wide and twenty- five feet deep. This was crossed by a draw- bridge at the lowest point between the two hills. This naturally weak spot was defended by a gatehouse consisting of two towers with rounding fronts, between which was the en- trance. The bridge did not lead directly to the gateway, which was defended by a port- cuUis, but abutted on the base of the northern tower. Opposite this gateway was another on the water side, giving access to a sloping beach where boats might land. The most imposing part of the remaining structures is the keep at the extreme northern end of the site. This is an oblong tower forty- one by thirty-six feet, and four stories high. Northwestern Scotland 79 The entrance was on the first floor, and was reached by a drawbridge from a pier in the courtyard. The castle was originally an en- ceinte of the earliest period, and the western walls date from its first construction. The keep, at least in its upper portions, was built by Grant of Freuchie in the first years of the sixteenth century. Urquhart Castle was built as early as the twelfth century, for the purpose of repressing the Highland tribes, and extending the royal domains into the uncivilized northwest. It was a royal castle of William the Lion, and after- wards was held by the Durwards and the Comyns. In 1297 it was besieged and taken by Edward I. Six years later he again laid siege to it, but the works which he had con- structed while previously in possession enabled the garrison to make a most determined and protracted resistance. As a result, when it was finally taken by storm, the garrison, from the governor, Alexander Bois, down, was put to the sword. Bruce again made Urquhart a royal castle. In 1359 it was given to William, Earl of Sutherland, and in 1371 Robert II granted the castle and barony of Urquhart to his son, David Senechalus, Earl of Strathearn, failing whom, to Alexander Senechalus. In 80 Castles and Keeps of Scotland 1450 it was given to the Earl of Ross, but reverted to the Crown when his estates were forfeited. The last change of possession took place in 1509, when the estate was acquired by the Grants in reward for eminent services against the Lords of the Isles. James IV in this year granted a charter to John Grant of Freuchie, requiring him to repair, build up and construct in the capital messuage of Urquhart a tower, with a counterscarp or rampart of stone and lime, and also within the castle a hall, chamber and kitchen and all other needful houses and offices. Having fulfilled these conditions, the Grants have maintained possession to the present day, al- though the castle has been abandoned for two centuries. Inverness Castle The last of the great castles of the Cale- donian Canal stood at Inverness, and had a most stirring history. No traces of it now re- main, as it has been replaced by a jail and other county buildings. This castle was the home of Macbeth, but not the scene of the murder of Duncan. Malcolm Canmore razed Macbeth's castle after avenging the murder of his father, and built another on the summit of Northwestern Scotland 81 the Castlehill, which for centuries was the most important royal stronghold in the north of Scotland. The Comyns of Badenoch wrested it from the Crown in the thirteenth century and held it for fifty years. From them it passed to Edward I, and then to the Bruce. James I held a parliament in the castle in 1427, and imprisoned Alexander, Lord of the Isles, for a year. When released, he speedily came back with an army and burned the town, though unable to take the castle. John, his successor, in 1455, was more successful, and took the castle by surprise. James III, James IV, and the Regent Mary of Guise, all occupied the castle at various times. In 1562, Queen Mary entered the town with the Earl of Moray, and was refused admittance to the castle by the governor, a subordinate of the Earl of Huntly. She took up her resi- dence in a private house, but was speedily joined by so many of the Mackintoshes, Era- sers and Monroes, that she was able to reduce the castle and put the governor to death. In 1645 the parliamentary forces successfully withstood a regular siege, but four years later the fortress was taken and half destroyed by the royalists. It was finally blown up and 82 Castles and Keeps of Scotland entirely ruined by Prince Charles Edward in 1746. Muckrach Castle Muckrach Castle stands about four miles southwest of Grantown. It was built in 1598 by the second son of John Grant of Freuchie, and was the original home of the well-known family of Grant of Rothiemurchus. It is a square keep with a round turret at the north- west corner, and was formerly connected with an extensive courtyard, a corner tower of which alone stands. The keep offers rather scanty accommodation, being only about twenty feet square inside, but more room is given on the upper floors by corbelling out the staircase turret to form a square room. Buihven Castle Ruthven Castle has a very imposing effect from a distance, but on close examination presents nothing of interest. The present structure is the ruinous remnant of an eight- eenth century barrack. The castle stands on a mound about a mile from Kingussie, which has been fortified for ages. Here stood a fortress of the Comyns, and this was the chief Northwestern Scotland 83 stronghold of the Wolf of Badenoch in the fourteenth century. Another castle was built on the site in the sixteenth century, but de- molished by Claverhouse in 1689. Again re- built, it played a part in the Rebellion of 1715. This castle was built in 1718, and was burned after CuUoden in 1746. Castle Roy Castle Roy or Redcastle, in the Abernethy district of Inverness-shire, stands about a mile northeast of Broomhill on the Highland Rail- way. The enclosing wall crowns a rocky hillock, ten or fifteen feet higher than the sur- rounding fields, on a position considerably higher than the valley of the Spey. The castle is a simple quadrangular enceinte of the thirteenth century, about eighty feet long, and two-thirds as wide. The walls are seven feet thick, and still remain standing to a height of twenty-five feet. At one corner is a square tower and another corner seems to have been pulled down to add a tower, which was never erected. The only means of defence seems to have been from the parapet, as there is no trace of a ditch. The castle seems to have been originally built on the simplest possible 84 Castles and Keeps of Scotland plan, a square wall to enclose the neighbour- ing population and their property. The only buildings were wooden sheds resting against the curtain, of which naturally no trace now remains. Nothing is known of the history of the tower, except that it is said to have been a stronghold of the Comyns. Loch-an-Eilan Castle The Castle of Loch-an-Eilan covers an island in a loch, surrounded by lofty moun- tains, three miles from Aviemore Station. Like Lochindorb Castle, which it much resem- bles in situation, it is a thirteenth century erec- tion, and was a stronghold of the Wolf of Badenoch. As the castle is occupied by os- preys, no boat is allowed on the loch, and no description of the character of the castle ex- ists. It forms a most picturesque feature in the landscape. Castles of the Far North In the divisions of Ross and Cromarty cas- tles are widely separated. The only one of great antiquity seems to be EUendonan, which occupies a strong position at the junction of Northwestern Scotland 85 three lochs, Alsh, Duich and Long. The scanty ruins are very picturesquely situated. This site was originally occupied by a vitrified fort, which was replaced in the thirteenth cen- tury by a castle of enceinte. It was conferred on Colin Fitzgerald, son of the Earl of Des- mond, by Alexander III, in 1266, after the battle of Largs. In 1331, Randolph, Earl of Moray, Warden of Scotland, as a warning to the turbulent inhabitants of the district, exe- cuted fifty delinquents, and adorned the walls with their heads. In the fifteenth and six- teenth centuries it was the manor house of the Mackenzies of Kintail. It was destroyed in 1719 by three English men-of-war because of the attitude of its owners in the Rebellion of 1715. Among the other castles of Ross, all simple structures of the fourth period, may be men- tioned Ballone Castle, Castle Craig and Kil- coy Castle, on the seacoast, and Fairburn Tower, all ruined, and Castle Leod, Kinkell Castle and Redcastle, which are still inhab- ited. The county of Sutherland is even poorer in castles than its southern neighbour. Dun- robin, now the palatial seat of the Duke of Sutherland, overlooking the German Ocean, 86 Castles and Keeps of Scotland contains fragments of an early keep, later extended to form a courtyard castle, but these are so surrounded by structures of the last century as almost to lose their individuality. The castles of Ardvreck, Balnakiel and Edder- chalder are structures of late origin, and Helmsdale Castle is the fragmentary ruin of a simple keep. In Caithness we are able to enumerate Braal Castle and the Old Man of Wick, keeps of the second period, Ackergill, Bucholie and Dirlot, ruins of the third period, and a number of structures of later date. The most important of these is Girnigoe, a tremendous courtyard castle situated on a narrow promontory reach- ing out into the German Ocean. This equals in extent many of the more southern castles, but by reason of its inaccessible situation and lack of historic interest, is little visited. The other castles of the fourth period which may be enumerated are Berriedale, Brins, Downreay, Dunibeath, Forse, Keiss and Knockinnan. Kirkwall Palace Crossing the stormy Pentland Firth to the Orkney Islands, and from there to the bleak Shetlands, we shall find in both groups castel- Northwestern Scotland 87 lated structures which are well worthy of our attention. One of the most important build- ings in Kirkwall is the Palace of Earl Pat- rick, one of the finest specimens of Scotch domestic architecture. This was built in 1607 by Earl Patrick Stuart, who was ruler of Orkney and Shetland from 1600 to 1614. In order to build the palace, he taxed the inhab- itants most unmercifully, and otherwise ruled in such a cruel and despotic manner that he came to death on the scaffold. The last in- habitant of the place was Bishop McKenzie, who died in 1688. A few years ago, a plan was broached for restoring these buildings for use as a Sheriff's Court, but was abandoned. As the structures are practically complete ex- cept the roof, and of great architectural inter- est, it would be eminently desirable if they could be thus preserved. The palace fronts toward the west and forms three sides of a square. The principal doorway in the court- yard is a remarkable rendering of the Doric order, unique in Scotland at such an early date. The exterior of the palace is adorned with a number of oriel windows, the archi- tectural details of which are well designed and carried out. Our illustration will give an ex- cellent idea of these. 88 Castles and Keeps of Scotland The ground floor of the palace is vaulted, but the other stories had timber floors which have disappeared. The first floor is reached by a wide and handsome stair. The principal apartment is the great hall, a noble room fifty-four feet long and twenty wide. It is lighted by several oriels and other windows, and contains two fireplaces, one of which is finely carved. There are several private apart- ments, and one called the chapel. On the ground floor is a kitchen with a fireplace almost as large as the room. Near the Earl's Palace and attached to the cathedral is another palace of somewhat sim- ilar architecture, built about sixty years ear- lier, and long used as an episcopal residence. A portion is still used as a domicile, but the greater part stands roofless and floorless. At one end is a large round tower, with several square rooms within. The upper story of this is raised on the original parapets. Birsay Palace Twenty miles from Kirkwall, at the north- west corner of the island of Mainland, quite isolated from towns or habitations, the travel- ler will find the imposing ruins of the ancient Northwestern Scotland 89 palace of the Earls of Orkney. This was con- siderably enlarged by Robert Stuart, natural brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and his son Patrick, builder of the palace at Kirkwall. Earl Robert established in Orkney a kind of independent regality, hardly amenable to the rule of the monarch, and Patrick kept up this policy until it brought him to the block for treason. Among the principal counts in the indictment against him was the maintenance of the famous inscription which was placed on Birsay Palace: " Dominus Robertus Stuartus, filius Jacobi quinti Reoj Scotorum, hoc opus in- struxit." While he perhaps only intended to state that his father, James V, was King of Scots, his use of the nominative instead of the genitive case caused him to appear as assum- ing the title for himself. The bad Latin in this case cost his son his life. Birsay Palace is a two story building con- structed about a courtyard. It is one hundred and seventy feet long and one hundred and seventeen wide, with towers at three cor- ners. Except the kitchen and the hall above it at the north end, the apartments are so dilapidated as to make their uses obscure. The palace, however, had large accommodations, and it is certainly remarkable to find such an 90 Castles and Keeps of Scotland extensive structure in so remote a corner of Scotland. Notland Castle Plans of Notland Castle Notland Castle, on the island of Westray, in the Shetland group, is a remarkable castle of the fourth period, built on the Z-plan, to which has been added a large courtyard of later date. Externally the castle is remark- able by the extraordinary number of large shot-holes which are spotted all over it. At least sixty may be counted at present, and numerous others formerly existed, so that, if all were used, the castle must have bristled with guns. Internally the most surprising feature in Northwestern Scotland 91 this out-of-the-world castle is the great stair- case in the southwestern tower. This is one of the finest in all of Scotland, and is excelled only by those at Fyvie and Glamis. The steps are made of single slabs of red sandstone seven feet long. The newel is over three feet in diameter, and is capped with an elaborately carved ball-shaped head. The castle probably dates from the sixteenth century and the architect was undoubtedly familiar with Fyvie, which it closely resembles in style. In 1560 Gilbert Balfour of Westray obtained possession of the castle from Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney, and it is said that he prepared it for the reception of Queen Mary and Bothwell, who made plans to flee hither. After the defeat of Montrose, his officers fled here, and the castle was conse- quently captured and destroyed by the forces of Cromwell. Scalloway Castle Shetland possesses the ruins of two castles of some importance. One of these is Scallo- way, on the Mainland, situated in the centre of a landlocked harbour on a bold peninsula. It consists of an oblong building about sixty feet long and thirty feet wide, to one corner 92 Castles and Keeps of Scotland of which is joined a square tower. All the corners are furnished with round turrets, which must have given it a most picturesque appearance when the roof was in place. The general style of the architecture is the same as that of the palace at Kirkwall, and Muness, and it is of the same date, and probably de- signed by the same builder. Scalloway was erected in 1600 for Earl Patrick, and was occasionally used for holding the law-courts. It was built by forced labour, the despotic earl compelling the inhabitants of the island to furnish men for its building and provisions for its victualling. He personally, at the head of an ample force of solders, superintended the carrying out of his orders. It was last occupied by the forces of Cromwell, who, in accordance with their usual custom, burned it on departing. Muness Castle The most northern castle in Scotland is Muness, on the island of Unst, the northern- most of the Shetland group. The inscription over the doorway places its origin, as follows: " List ye to know this building quha began? Laurance the Bruce, he was that worthy man, Northwestern Scotland 93 Quha earnestlie his airis and alfspring prayis, To help and not to hurt this wark alwayis. The zeir of God 1598/' In spite of the wish, not only the castle walls, but the very stone on which this inscription is written, threatened to fall. Laurance Bruce was the son of a laird of Perthshire. His mother was mother of Robert Stuart, Abbot of Holyrood and Earl of Orkney, natural son of James V. He took up residence in this remote spot because of a murder he committed in Perthshire, from punishment for which his brother's power in this quarter was able to save him. Muness Castle is a long oblong structure, with round towers at diagonally opposite cor- ners. It is of architecture similar to the Earl's Palace at Kirkwall and Scalloway Cas- tle, and probably was planned by the same architect. The Broch of Mousa A constant feature of the landscape in Unst, as in many of the other northern islands, is the presence of brochs. Most of these are in a ruinous state, which is not to be wondered 94 Castles and Keeps of Scotland at, considering their great age, and simple mode of construction. The best example of these towers stands on Mousa, the southeast- erly island of the Shetland group. It occu- pies a small rocky promontory facing the mainland, about twenty feet above high water mark and the same distance from the edge of the plateau. It is built of slate rocks, laid flat without Ume. The tower is fifty feet in ex- ternal diameter at the base and thirty-eight feet at the top, and is forty-five feet high inside. The walls are more than fifteen feet thick at the bottom. They are full of galleries and small rooms, extending entirely around the building on six different levels, and reached by a continuous staircase from bottom to top within the wall. The only external opening is the entrance door, about five feet by three. Inside there are numerous windows opening on the comi:. Probably the court was surrounded by wooden sheds, as a set-off course about eight feet from the groimd seems to have been intended as a support for the rafters. Mousa is first referred to in E gill's Saga, which states that about a. d. 900 Bjorn Bry- nulfson fled from Norway to Shetland with Thora Ronaldsdatter because her father would Northwestern Scotland 95 not consent to their marriage. He was ship- wrecked on the rocky coast, and found in the empty broch a refuge for the winter and a storehouse for his cargo while the ship was being repaired. Again, about 1156, as told in the Orkneyinga Saga, the Jarl Erlend Yunga became enamoured of the mother of Jarl Harold and carried her off from Orkney to Shetland. They took possession of Mosey- arborg, and Jarl Harold, arriving in pursuit, was obliged to sit down for a blockade, as the place could not be captured except by starv- ing out the occupants. This process took so long, however, that the two earls finally made peace, and the siege was abandoned. CHAPTER V THE NORTHEASTERN HIGHLANDS Cawdor Castle As in the northwestern Highlands, so in the northern parts of the great territory east of the Caledonian Canal, castles of historical interest are few and far between. Far removed from the southern and debatable parts of the king- dom, and protected by mountain and flood, the waves of foreign invasion rarely reached the northern castles, and their chief sieges were those of tribal battle. Consequently, the man- sions in general are hardly worthy of mention on grounds of historic interest, and a great number of them show no noteworthy architec- tural beauties or peculiarities. We shall, how- ever, find a certain number worthy of mention and illustration, and preeminent among these is Cawdor Castle. This imposing structure stands on the edge of the shire of Nairn, in the town of Cawdor, and on the banks of the burn of the same 96 Cawdor Castle The Northeastern Highlands 97 name. The appearance of the castle is that of a magnificent ancient fortalice, battle- mented, turreted and gabled in a most pictur- esque manner ; most of the buildings, however, are of comparatively recent date, though built in harmony with the older keep, which occu- pies the centre, and towers above all the sur- rounding buildings. The Calders of Calder are said to have de- scended from a brother of Macbeth, to whom he resigned his thanedom of Calder when he ascended the throne. Their original castle was at Nairn, and they received a license to build the tower of Calder in 1393, and another in 1454. It was at this latter date, in all proba- bility, that the present keep was built. The last of the line was Muriella Calder, born about the beginning of the sixteenth century. As heiress to the estates she was a personage of some consequence, and John of Lorn, head of Clan Campbell, decided that her person was a valuable possession. So, one day in the year 1510, while the child was walking with her nurse in the grounds of Calder Castle, a band of Campbells swooped down and abducted her. The nurse fled shrieking and warned the girl's uncles, who gathered their forces hastily and set out in pursuit. They soon came up with 98 Castles and Keeps of Scotland the group which had the child in charge, and would have rescued her but for a stratagem of Campbell of Inverliver. This resourceful soldier inverted a large camp-kettle as if to conceal the heiress, and charged his seven sons to defend it to the death, while he rode on with the prize. The seven young men made a most heroic defence of the kettle, and all of them were killed before the uncles could overturn it — to find no Muriella. Meanwhile the rest of the band had made good their escape. The nurse, before her charge had been taken from her, had bitten off a joint of her little finger as a mark for future identification. That this precaution was not unnecessary is shown by the remark of Campbell of Auchinbreck. While congratulations were being showered on the raiders over their safe arrival in Argyle with their prize, some marsport asked what would happen if the child died before reaching marriageable age. She can never die," said he, " as long as a red-haired lassie can be found on either side of Loch Awe." She did not die, but was married to John of Lorn, and thus the Campbells acquired the lands of Calder, the name of which they changed to Cawdor. By them the castle was much en- larged, and thus assumed its present aspect. The Northeastern Highlands 99 It is famous as having been the hiding place of Lord Lovat after the rebellion. The fol- lowing description is quoted from Tytler: " The whole of Cawdor Castle is peculiarly calculated to impress the mind with a retro- spect of past ages, feudal customs, and deeds of darkness. Its iron-grated doors, its ancient tapestry, hanging loosely over secret doors and hidden passages, its winding staircases, its rattling drawbridge, all conspired to ex- cite the most gloomy imagery in the mind. It was indeed a fertile spot for the writers of our modern romances. The mysteries of Udolpho would vanish in contemplation of the less perspicuous intricacies in the castle of Cawdor. Among these must be men- tioned the secret apartment which so effectu- ally concealed Lord Lovat from the sight of his pursuers. Never was anything so artfully contrived. It is impossible for the most dis- cerning eye, without previous information, to discover the place of his retreat. And even after being told that a place of this nature existed in the castle, I doubt whether it could be discovered. It is placed immediately be- neath the rafters in one part of the roof of the castle. By means of a ladder you are con- ducted by the side of one part of a sloping 100 Castles and Keeps of Scotland roof into a kind of channel between two, such as frequently serves to convey rainwater into pipes for a reservoir. By proceeding along this channel, you arrive at the foot of a stone staircase, which leads up one side of the roof to the right, and is so artfully contrived as to appear a part of the ornaments of the build- ing when beheld at a distance. At the end of this staircase is a room with a single window near the floor. It is said Lord Lovat used to be conducted to this place when his pursuers approached, the ladder being removed as soon as he ascended. When the search was over, and the inquirers gone, the ladder was re- placed, by which means he lived comfortably with the family, and might long have remained secure, if he had not quitted the place of his retreat. A remarkable tradition respecting the foundation of this castle is worth notice because circumstances still remain which plead strongly for its truth. It is said the original proprietor was directed by a dream to load an ass with gold, turn it loose, and, following its footsteps, build a castle wherever the ass rested. In an age when dreams were con- sidered as the immediate oracles of heaven, and their suggestions implicitly attended to, it is natural to suppose the ass — as tradition re- The Northeastern Highlands 101 lates — received its burden and its liberty. After strolling about from one thistle to another, it arrived at last beneath the branches of a hawthorn tree, where, fatigued with the weight on its back, it knelt down to rest. The space round the tree was immediately cleared for building, the foundation laid, and a tower erected: but the tree was preserved, and re- mains at this moment a singular memorial of superstition attended by advantage. The situ- ation of the castle accidentally proved the most favourable that could be chosen; the country round it is fertile, productive of trees, in a wholesome spot; and a river, with a clear and rapid current, flows beneath its walls. The trunk of the tree, with the knotty protuber- ances of its branches, is still shown in a vaulted apartment at the bottom of the principal tower. Its roots branch out beneath the floor and its top penetrates through the vaulted arch of stone above, in such a manner as to make it appear, beyond dispute, that the tree stood, as it now does, before the tower was erected. For ages it has been a custom for guests in the family to assemble round it, and drink, * Success to the hawthorn ; ' that is to say in other words, ' Prosperity to the house of Caw- dor!'" 102 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Spynie Palace Spynie Palace, about three miles north of Elgin, was at once the castle and palace of the bishops of Moray. While the cathedral was re- moved from here to Elgin in 1224, the palace remained. The ruins comprise a large and strong keep, and portions of other buildings surrounding an extensive courtyard. The keep, which is at the southwest corner, is sixty- two feet long and forty-four feet wide. The walls are more than ten feet thick, and still more than seventy feet high. The tower was six stories high, two being vaulted, and the rest of wood. In the basement is a large dungeon, lighted and ventilated only by a single narrow slit. The cellar also has gun- holes, with enormous splays to the outside. The enceinte formerly had towers at the other three corners, one wall of the southeastern still remaining. The gateway in the eastern wall, though ruinous, is a very fine piece of archi- tecture, and was probably designed by the builders of the cathedral, showing finer work than is usual in fifteenth century castles. The keep is said to have been built by Bishop David Stuart, who died in 1475. The Earl of Huntly had made a threat to The Northeastern Highlands 103 " pull him out of his pigeon-holes," and the bishop retorted that he would build a tower from which the nobleman and his whole tribe could not pull him. He did. The buildings of the enceinte are now wholly ruinous and show little of the interior arrangements. Lochindorb Castle Lochindorb Castle, seven miles from Gran- town, occupies the whole of an island in the middle of the loch, supposed to be wholly artificial. It is on the usual quadrilateral plan of the castles of the thirteenth century, with round towers at the four corners. The walls are seven feet thick, and about twenty high. The most remarkable thing about this castle is what remains of an outer court extending around the south and part of the east sides. This has a gateway facing the lake, but no communication with the castle itself. The castle belonged to the Comyns of Bade- noch in the thirteenth century. Edward I led an expedition into their territories in 1303 for the purpose of reducing them to submis- sion, and, after capturing Lochindorb Castle, resided there for a month. The English re- mained in possession for a nimaber of years. 104 Castles and Keeps of Scotland probably adding the outer court before spoken of, to enclose the whole island and prevent an enemy landing on it. It passed into royal possession when the English left Scotland. In 1335 the Regent, Sir Andrew Moray, be- sieged in it the Duke of Athole, who was hold- ing it for Edward Baliol. In 1372 it became the stronghold of the fierce son of Robert II, "the Wolf of Badenoch." In the fifteenth century it was a Douglas stronghold, and was destroyed by the Thane of Cawdor in 1458 by order of James II. The iron gate of Cawdor came from here. Fyvie Castle Fyvie Castle, on the banks of the river Ythan, in northern Aberdeenshire, is the finest example extant of Scottish castellated archi- tecture. The castle occupies a mound in the midst of an extensive marshy valley, and be- cause of the security of the position, the spot has been fortified since very early times. The castle forms two sides of a quadrangle, the south face measuring one hundred and forty- seven feet and the western front one hundred and thirty-seven feet. " At the three corners are massive square towers finished with angle turrets and high crow-stepped gables, and in The Northeastern Highlands 105 the centre of the south front are two project- ing drum towers with the main entrance to the castle between them. These two towers, at the height of about forty-two feet from the ground, are united by a bold arch eleven feet wide, into one grand centra] mass or pavilion called the Seton Tower. Just beneath the springing of the arch the drums are corbelled out to the square, and on either side they terminate in turrets, with a fine gable in the centre, and dormers be- tween the gable and turrets, the whole form- ing a magnificent centre to what is perhaps the most imposing front of any ancient do- mestic edifice in Scotland." The earliest part of the building is the south- 106 Castles and Keeps of Scotland eastern tower, twenty-four feet square, built about 1400 by Sir Henry Preston. The Mel- drum Tower, at the other end of the front, and the curtain between, with the exception of the front of the Seton Tower, were built by the next proprietors, who held the estate until 1596. The present form of the front is due to Alexander Seton, Lord Fyvie and Earl of Dunfermline, w^ho built the Seton Tower and placed the ornamental turreted upper stories on the corner towers. The great staircase of Fyvie Castle is the finest wheel-stair to be found in Scotland. The steps are nearly nine feet long, resting on a newel post twenty-one inches in diameter. They are supported by arches every ninety degrees. Billings thinks that Fyv^ie was built by a French architect, but MacGibbon and Ross, who trace the distinctive Scotch style rather to the Low Countries than to France, dispute this assertion, as follows: " If a French architect designed this build- ing, he must have changed his style very much to suit his Scottish patron, as the architectural style of Fyvie has almost no resemblance to French work. All the details are most de- The Northeastern Highlands 107 cidedly Scottish in their character, and bear a close resemblance to those of nearly all the castles and mansions erected about the same time in Scotland. No one will surely maintain that all the Scottish castles were designed by Frenchmen, although the assertions in Mr. Billings' work amount to almost this assump- tion. Yet if Fyvie was the work of a French architect, we do not see how any other Scot- tish building of the period can be claimed as of native design. . . . "If an example were to be selected of any building in which the work is more peculiarly characteristic of the Scottish style than an- other, we do not think a better instance could be adduced than Fyvie Castle. In the south front we have all the distinguishing features of the style — plain walls below the parapet and exuberance of enrichment above; corbel- ling freely used where the central round towers change to the square as well as to support the angle turrets; sharp-roofed turrets perched on every corner; dormer windows raised on the top of the parapet; gables finished with crow- steps, and plain chimney heads; minor details all equally Scottish, including the small corbel ornaments under the turrets, the cable and 108 Castles and Keeps of Scotland billet patterns, and the whole form and appli- cation of the mouldings." Kildrummie Castle Kildrmnmie Castle is situated on the north bank of the river Don, a few miles from Al- ford. It is one of the largest castles in Scot- land, two hundred feet by one hundred and seventy-five, and was built by Gilbert de Mo- ravia, Bishop of Caithness, in the thirteenth century. The position is very strong. The castle stands on a high and steep bank, pro- tected by a rivulet on two sides, and by a ditch on the other two. The plan is nearly quadrangular. The original enceinte was strengthened by six towers, four at the cor- ners, and two on each side of the gateway on the south side. The largest was called the Snow Tower, and was over fifty feet in diam- eter. This is now a mere stump. The gate towers have entirely vanished. The hall on the north side is seventy-three feet by forty- one feet, and the chapel also is very large. The walls of these buildings are almost level with the ground. The castle has had a varied history. It was early a royal domain, belonging to the family The Northeastern Highlands 109 of Bruce, and from them it passed to the house of Mar. It was besieged by Edward I in 1306, and made a strong resistance, but was finally captured through being set on fire. Its destruction took place in Cromwell's wars. Drum Castle Drum Castle is situated a short distance north of the river Dee, three or four miles below Crathes. It consists of a massive and ancient keep, to which has been added a seven- teenth century mansion. The castle was prob- ably built by William de Irvine, on whom the estate of Drum was conferred by Robert I. The charter, dated 1323, is in the possession of the family, who still own the estate. The keep is fifty-three feet by thirty -nine, with walls twelve feet thick, and rounded corners. The tower contains three vaulted stories, one of which was formerly divided into two, and is seventy feet high. The battlements are rounded at the corners, following the curve of the lower portion of the walls. The house was considerably extended in 1619, and again in the last century, but the additions have no special interest. CHAPTER VI THE SOUTHEASTERN HIGHLANDS Dunnottar Castle DuNNOTTAR Castle stands on a plateau of rock projecting into the German Ocean, two miles south of Stonehaven. This plateau is at the average level of this part of the coast, about one hundred and sixty feet above the flow of the tide, and is isolated from the main- land by a deep and wide cleft. As its precip- itous walls are washed by the sea on all sides except the west, and inaccessible except at one place on this side, the natural position is the strongest imaginable site for a fortress. The resources of art have been added to those of nature to form one of the most extensive and important castles of Scotland. The area oc- cupied by the structure is more than three acres. At the end of the thirteenth century the rock was occupied by a parish church. Sir William Keith, perceiving the possibilities of 110 The Southeastern Highlands ill the spot for defence, built a tower here, and was excommunicated by the Bishop of St. Andrews for building on sacred ground. The case was referred to Rome, and on July 13th, 1394, Pope Benedict issued a bull, ordering the bishop to remove the excommunication. The property was abandoned to secular use, and Sir William was obliged to build a new church in a more convenient location. He ob- tained the estate of Dunnottar from Lord Lindsay of the Byres in exchange for Struth- ers in Fifeshire, about 1390, and these two events serve to fix the date of the first build- ing at Dunnottar. The path to the castle descends the steep cliffs of the mainland, and passes under de- fensive outworks on an outlying spur called the Fiddlehead. A flight of steps leads up to the base of a thirty-five-foot wall which fills a cleft in the rock, and is pierced by a narrow gateway, the only entrance to the castle. Be- hind the arch is a portcullis and a further flight of steps with five embrasures for guns at the top. At the top of the steps the road- way turns to the left and ascends twenty-nine feet. It then turns again at right angles to the right. Twenty-nine feet further on is a strong door, then a tunnel twenty-six feet long 112 Castles and Keeps of Scotland with another door at the further end, and more open roadway. Another tunnel of the same length is also defended by doors at each end, beyond which the top of the rock is reached. All the open passages are commanded by buildings on both sides and high rock slopes, so that the passage is as impregnable as could be imagined. The oldest part of the buildings on the plat- form is the keep, of the first part of the fif- teenth century, at the southwest corner. It is L-shaped, and four stories high. The internal arrangements are similar to other keeps of the period. The parapet is carried on corbels and machicolated. To the east of the keep are storerooms and stables, built at a later date, when the keep became too small. Near these buildings is a sixteenth century structure con- taining a hall and private apartments, and called the Priest's House. The increasing wealth of the family caused the erection late in the sixteenth and early in the seventeenth century, of the very extensive quadrangle at the northeastern corner of the rock. This contained all the apartments necessary for a very large establishment conducted on the most sumptuous lines. In 1297 four thousand Englishmen retired The Southeastern Highlands 113 into Dunnottar Castle to escape from Sir William Wallace. He scaled the crag and entered by a window, opened the gates, and let in his troops, who slaughtered the garrison to the last man. In 1336 Edward III refor- tified Dunnottar during his progress through Scotland, but it was retaken by Sir Andrew Moray as soon as he left the kingdom. It later came into the possession of the Keiths, Earls Marischal, and had an uneventful history until the civil war. It was then be- sieged by the Marquis of Montrose, the Earl Marischal being a Covenanter, and having given refuge to sixteen covenanting clergy- men. The Earl rejected Montrose's terms of surrender, and in consequence saw all his prop- erties on the mainland burnt and wasted. As the smoke rolled up in clouds, he deeply re- gretted his resolution, " but the famous An- drew Cant, who was among the number of his ghostly company, edified his resolution at once to its original pitch of firmness, by assur- ing him that that reek would be a sweet-smell- ing incense in the nostrils of the Lord, rising as it did from property which had been sacri- ficed to the holy cause of the Covenant." During the Commonwealth, Dunnottar Cas- tle was selected, as the strongest fortress in the 114 Castles and Keeps of Scotland kingdom, as a place of deposit for the Regalia of Scotland. They were deposited here by order of the privy council, and the Earl Marischal was furnished with a garrison, am- munition and provisions. As the English were extremely anxious to get possession of the insignia. General Lambert blockaded the fortress in 1652. When it became evident that the castle must finally surrender, the Dowager Countess Marischal devised a stratagem by which the jewels were saved. Mrs. Granger, wife of the minister of Kinneff, with her maid, had been permitted to visit Mrs. Ogilvy, wife of the lieutenant-governor of the castle. When she left, she carried the crown packed among some clothes which she carried in her lap, and her maid took the sword and sceptre in a bag of flax on her back. The English general was so far from suspecting the ruse that he assisted the lady to mount her horse. So the precious insignia came safely through the English lines, and were buried under the pulpit of the church of Kinneff until the Restoration in 1660. The governor's son, the minister and his wife were all tortured after the surrender of the castle, but the secret was not betrayed. All parties asserted that the jewels had been conveyed to Paris by Sir John The Southeastern Highlands 115 Keith, and the English were completely baf- fled. Though the garrison was permitted to march out with drums beating and colours flying, Ogilvy was long imprisoned in Eng- land for saving the regalia. He was eventu- ally made a baronet by Charles II. In 1685 Dunnottar was used as a prison for one hundred and sixty-seven Covenanters, who were crowded for a whole summer into two cellars, so closely that there was not room for them all to sit down at once. They were treated with the most atrocious cruelty, and many of them died of their sufferings. Twenty-five finally managed to escape, but most of them were recaptured, and tortured by inserting burning slowmatches between their fingers, and in other diabolical ways. After being confined here from May until September, they were sold as slaves to Scott of Pitlochy and embarked for New Jersey. Most of them died of fever on the voyage, as well as their owner and his wife. Crathes Castle Crathes Castle, a picturesque and well-pre- served L-keep of the fourth period, stands in fine woods on high ground on the north side 116 Castles and Keeps of Scotland of the river Dee, in the town of Banchory. It is owned and occupied by the Burnetts of Plan of Crathes Castle Lys, proprietors of the estate since the days of Robert Bruce. It is a large and ample keep, and the staircase tower almost fills the The Southeastern Highlands 117 angle of the L. The basement is vaulted and contains the kitchen and offices. The upper floors contain a hall and a large number of bedrooms. On the top floor is a large gallery with a finely panelled oak roof. The great beauty of the house is the remark- able assemblage of corbelled and gargoyled turrets, dormer windows, and gables into which the upper stories burgeon out. The lower part has the characteristic plain walls of Scotch castles, with rounded corners, Edzell Castle About a mile to the westward of the pleas- ant town of Edzell, where the plains of For- farshire end at the base of the lower range of the Grampians, stands in solemn if ruinous majesty the imposing bulk of Edzell Castle. This was the most magnificent baronial resi- dence in the shires of Angus and Mearns, and is rivalled only by Dunnottar in extent. For luxury it has no peer in this region. The castle consists of an original fifteenth century keep which was extended in the following cen- tury into a castle built around a quadrangle. At the same time it was adorned with a large and elegant garden surrounded by a remark- 118 Castles and Keeps of Scotland able wall, to which were attached a summer house and a bath house. The keep is called the Stirling Tower, after the family from which the estate descended to the Lindsays by marriage in the fourteenth century. It is built on the usual plan, with two vaulted stories. The upper floors are gone, and the battlements can no longer be reached. Externally this tower is remarkable for a double row of corbels arranged in check- erboard fashion below the parapets. The upper ones alone support the projecting parts above, the lower row being merely ornamental. This form of decoration came into vogue in the latter half of the fifteenth century, at which time the keep was constructed. About the end of the sixteenth century the ninth Earl of Crawford built to the north of the keep a very extensive quadrangle. The buildings on the west and north sides still stand, though the northern ones are very ruin- ous; those on the east and south are entirely removed, leaving only the outer wall. The only feature worthy of remark in the quad- rangle is the kitchen fireplace, which attains the enormous dimensions of twenty -three feet by ten. The great hall was of fair size, fifty feet by twenty-four feet. The Southeastern Highlands 119 On the south of the quadrangle is the gar- den. While of course the flowers and fruit are long vanished, the fine architecture is well preserved. The space is covered with smooth and even turf, and the walls are overhung by noble trees which stand without, so that the scene is one of peaceful beauty. The walls enclose a space one hundred and seventy-three feet long and one hundred and twenty-four feet wide, and are elaborately decorated on three sides. They are divided into panels, which contain recesses for flowers cut out checkerwise. Above these are stars pierced with loopholes for musketry. Above them are recesses for busts. Alternately with these groups are single large openings above which are carved bas-reliefs. These represent the Celestial Deities, the Sciences and the Virtues, and are well preserved, though somewhat de- based in style. The summer house, which is very picturesque, contains several volumes of autographs of visitors, but they apparently became so numerous that the supply of books was exhausted some years since. Edzell Castle, like many others in Scotland, boasts of a visit from Mary, Queen of Scots, in August, 1562, while on her northern ex- pedition to quell the Huntly Rebellion. On 120 Castles and Keeps of Scotland her return, accompanied by Lords Moray, Maitland and Lindsay (the last of whom afterwards compelled her to abdicate at Loch- leven Castle), she held a Council at Edzell and there passed the night. Most unaccount- ably, tradition has failed to immortalize the room in which she slept. History the castle most signally fails to have. The Lindsays were a warlike race, but their castle was far removed from danger of foreign invasion, and not until the civil wars were hostile forces seen without its walls. Strength indeed it needed, for the Caterans were wont to issue forth from the Grampians, and the lairds were ever alert to protect the plains of Forfarshire from the raiding bands. For this purpose they kept up to the last of their prosperity a feudal militia. " They were remarkable," says a traveller, "for being chief over a numerous set of small tenants, and kept up to the last the parade of being at- tended to church by a band of armed men, who served without pay or maintenance, such duties being then esteemed honourable." They were most liberal lords to the poor, and from the magnificent style in which hos- pitality was dispensed at the castle, it was called " The Kitchen of Angus." Oxen were The Southeastern Highlands 121 roasted whole, a feat easily accomplished in the enormous fireplace already mentioned, and all other foods were prepared in correspond- ingly liberal quantities. Each day, after the family dinner was over, the parish poor gath- ered in the courtyard, sitting on the stone benches which still remain outside the en- trance door. Here they were served with their allowance of meat from the hands of the lady or daughters of " the proud house of Edzell." The lairds of Edzell were sheriffs in their own domain, and had the power of pit and gallows. Consequently they possessed a he- reditary doomster, the head of the family of Durie, who held Duriehill on this tenure. Besides the estate, the executioner was vested with the privilege " of fishing in the almost waterless burn of Wishop, and of hunting on the hill of Wirren with a hawk blind of an eye and a hound crippled of a leg ! " Besides, he received four pennies Scots for ringing the bell of St. Lawrence at the birth or funeral of a lord or lady of Edzell. The ruin of the family came with the fall of the Stuarts, and the castle was deserted by them in 1715. Its destruction was accom- plished in 1746, when three hundred Argyle Highlanders were stationed in the castle to 122 Castles and Keeps of Scotland hunt down the Jacobites, and pillaged and despoiled their quarters. The end of the family is pathetically told by Lord Lindsay, in his " Lives of the Lind- says : " — " The Laird, like his father, had been a wild and wasteful man, and had been long awa'; being engaged with the unsuccessful party of the Stuarts. One afternoon the poor Baron, with a heavy heart, followed by one of a' his company, came to the Castle, almost unnoticed by any. Everything was silent — he gaed into his great big house, a solitary man — there was no wife and no child to gie him welcome, for he had never been married. The Castle was almost deserted; a few old serv- ants had been the only inhabitants for many months. The broken-hearted ruined man sat all night in the large hall, sadly occupied — destroying papers sometimes, sometimes writ- ing, sometimes sitting mournfully silent — un- able to fix his thoughts on the present or to contemplate the future. In the course of the following day he left the Castle in the same manner in which he had come; and, turning round to take a last look of the old towers, he drew a last long sigh, and wept. He was never seen here again." The Southeastern Highlands 123 He had two sisters. One, Janet, who had always been followed about the castle by a pet lamb, fell victim to the seductive words of a dashing cavalier and followed him to Eng- land, where she died in ignominy. The other, Margaret, married Watson of Aitherny, in Fife. Her last visit to the ancestral home is thus touchingly described : — " Year after year passed away, and the Castle fell to ruin — the pleasance became a wilderness, and the name of the old proprie- tors was seldom mentioned, when a lady ar- rived one day at Edzell, in her own coach, and drove to the Castle. She was tall and beautiful, and dressed in deep mourning. * When she came near the ancient burying- place,' says the same faint voice of the past (tradition) , ' she alighted and went into the chapel. The doors had been driven down, the stone figures and carved work was all broken, and bones lay scattered about. The poor lady went in and sat down among it a', and wept sore at the ruin of her house and the fate of her family, for no one doubted of her being one of them, though no one knew who she was or where she came from. After a while she came out, and was driven in a coach up to the Castle; she went 124 Castles and Keeps of Scotland through as much of it as she could, for stairs had fallen down and roofs had fallen in, — and in one room in particular she staid a long while, weeping sadly. She said the place was dear to her, though she had now no right to it, and she carried some of the earth away with her.' " It was Margaret of Edzell, the lady of Aitherny, so ascertained by an independent tradition, derived from a venerable lady of the House of Aitherny, who lived to a great age, and always spoke of her with bitterness as the proud bird out of the eagle's nest who had ruined her family. ' She came once to my father's house,' said she to my informant, * with two of her children. She was on her way to Edzell Castle. My father did all he could to persuade her from so waefu' a jour- ney, but go she would; and one morning she set off alone, leaving her children with us to await her return. She was a sair changed woman when she came back. She had found everything changed. For the noise and mer- riment of those days, she found silence and sadness — for the many going to and fro, solitude and mouldering walls — for the plen- tiful board of her father, his house only, roof- less and deserted. When she looked out from The Southeastern Highlands 125 the windows, it was the same gay and smiling landscape, but all within was ruin and deso- lation. She found her way to what in former days had been her own room, and there, over- come with sorrow she sat down and wept/ And such was the end of the ' proud house of EdzelL' " Auchmull and Invermarh Castles The Lindsays possessed two other castles, Auchmull in Edzell, and Invermark in Loch- lee, a few miles up Glenesk. In Auchmull young Lindsay of Edzell took refuge in 1607, when he was being hunted down after the murder of Lord Spynie in the High Street of Edinburgh. This castle was pulled down in 1772 to build a farmhouse, and only a few fragments now remain. Hunted out of here, he retired up the glen, spending part of his time in Invermark Castle, and part in the heather. On one occasion he was surprised in the glen by a band commanded by his uncle, the Earl of Crawford, and was forced to flee for his life. The pursuers were between him and the hills, and his only choice seemed to be between capture and death by drowning in the torrent of the Mark. Nerved to desper- ation, he made a mighty leap and cleared the 126 Castles and Keeps of Scotland terrible chasm at a place still known as the " Eagle's Loup," thus gaining refuge and safety in his castle. The Castle of Invermark, a simple keep commanding the entrances of several glens, was an outpost against the Caterans. A for- tress was here from the fourteenth century, but this tower was built at the beginning of the sixteenth. It is now a roofless, but fairly well-preserved ruin, standing in beautiful scenery, and itself adding greatly to the land- scape. Here died in 1558 the ninth Earl of Crawford, bequeathing his soul " to the Om- nipotent God, and the whole Court of Heaven," and his body to be buried " in my own aisle within the Church of Edzell." The castle was formerly entered by a huge drawbridge which rested on a pier of masonry built at some little distance from the castle, and approached by stairs on either side. It is defended by a massive iron grate, erected by royal permission, and made of iron found in the neighbourhood. Glamis Castle Glamis Castle, known to all the world by the connection of the thane of that name with The Southeastern Highlands 127 Shakespeare's tragedy of Macbeth, is situated in the town of the same name. It is need- less to say that no part of the existing struc- ture goes back to the shadowy times of King Duncan, nor indeed farther than the fifteenth century. The central portion of Glamis Cas- tle is an L -shaped keep, with walls more than ten feet thick. With its multitude of turrets and pinnacles, it makes a most attractive spec- tacle, but the beauty of the castle is much diminished by the miserable horizontal Gothic battlements affixed to the roofs of the lower portions. The central tower, together with the views of Crathes and Fyvie, will give an excellent idea of Scotch castellated architec- ture at the height of its development. It is hardly worth while to describe the internal arrangements, as the castle is not accessible to visitors. It has been often described by the older writers, who are enthusiastic about its beauties. It is said that the son of James VII, when he returned to Scotland in 1715, lodged for a night at Glamis, and said that there was no castle on the continent to com- pare with it. Glamis was the residence of Malcolm II, and here he was slain in the year 1031. His murderers fled across an unfamiliar country 128 Castles and Keeps of Scotland by night, and everything being covered with a layer of snow, they happened upon the thin ice of the frozen Loch of Forfar, broke through, and perished. The Bonnie House o' Airlie Airlie Castle, the ancient seat of the Ogil- vies, Earls of Airlie, is five miles northeast of Alyth, on a rocky promontory at the con- fluence of the Melgum and the Isla. The grounds are open to visitors on Tuesdays and Saturdays. " It possessed great strength of both position and masonry, and ranked as one of the proudest and most massive for- tresses in Central Scotland; and previous to the introduction of artillery, it must have been almost if not entirely impregnable. It had the form of an oblong quadrangle; and occu- pied the whole summit of the promontory, with the exception of a small space at the ex- tremity, which is traditionally said to have been used for exercising the horses. The wall which protected it on the eastern and most accessible side — high and massive, together with the portcullis entry — still remains in connection with the modern mansion of Airlie; and the fosse also continues distinct, but has The Southeastern Highlands 129 been partially filled up, in order to render the place accessible to carriages. In July, 1640, the Earl of Argyle, acting secretly upon the personal resentment which he had all his life entertained against the Ogilvies, but overtly upon an express commission given him for the public service by the Committee of Es- tates, raised a body of five thousand men of his own clan, and led them across the Gram- pians and down Strathtay to devastate the territories of the Earl of Airlie. He is said by an old tradition to have halted them for the night on the haughs at the village of Rattray; and, in accordance with this, though most diminishingly out of reckoning with regard to the numbers, the old ballad says : — " 'Argyle has raised a hunder men, A hunder men and mairly, And he's awa doun by the back o' Dnnkeld, To plunder the bonnie house o' Airlie.' The Earl of Airlie at the time was absent in England, whither he had gone as much to avoid the necessity of subscribing to the Cove- nant, as to render immediate service to the king's cause. Lord Ogilvie, the Earl's eldest son, held the charge of Airlie Castle, and had recently maintained it against the assault of 130 Castles and Keeps of Scotland a party under the Earl of Montrose; but, on the approach of Argyle's army, he regarded all idea of resisting them as hopeless, and hastily abandoned the castle and fled. Ar- gyle's men plundered the place of everything which they coveted and could carry away, and then proceeded to damage the castle to the utmost of their power by dilapidation and fire ; and Argyle himself acted so earnest a part in the demolition, that, according to the report of the historian Gordon, * he was seen taking a hammer in his hand, and knocking down the hewed work of the doors and windows till he did sweat for heat at his work.' " The modern house of Airlie incorporates only a single wall of the ancient castle. CHAPTER VII THE SHIRES OF STIRLING AND PERTH Stirling Castle The Castle of Stirling stands upon one of those isolated outpourings of trappean rock which have made so much history for Scotland by their excellence as sites for fortifications. Like Dumbarton and Edinburgh Castles, it has in all ages commanded the low country at its base, and been one of the great fortresses on which the safety of the kingdom depended. Even more than either of the others, Stirling has been the key of Scotland. It stands athwart the natural road from the Highlands to the Lowlands, and under its walls has ever passed all the traffic between north and south. It commands the windings of the Forth, and under it stood for centuries the only bridge across the river. Below Stirling, until within recent times, there were no ferries across the river; above, though fords may be found, they are in a mountainous arid difficult country, im- 181 132 Castles and Keeps of Scotland practicable for ordinary travel, and also far out of the usual road of those who would fare between north and south Scotland. Conse- quently Stirling was, during the greater por- tion of Scotland's history, the key to the High- lands, and its possession, carrying with it the control of the passages of the river, was indis- pensable to him who would have the mastery of the kingdom. It was naturally a strong place, rising precipitously two hundred and twenty feet from the level plain of the Forth, and its natural defences were augmented on every side by artificial strengths of ditch and wall. The Castlehill of Stirling is strikingly simi- lar in external aspect to the Acropolis of Athens, and the Castlehill of Edinburgh, to the latter of which it is in every respect geo- logically similar. It rises in a moderate slope from southeast to northwest, ending in a tre- mendous and abrupt precipice. The ancient town clustered along the two or three streets which follow the backbone of the hill, and open into the esplanade which lies before the castle. From the upper end of this we enter the struc- ture by the drawbridge, passing through a double gate, formerly defended by portcullis and double ditch. This portion of the defences The Shires of Stirling and Perth 133 is comparatively modem, dating only from Queen Anne's time. The eastern battery, commanding the Forth Bridge, was erected by Mary of Lorraine and is called the French Battery, because built by French engineers. The only similar one in Scotland is at Ber- wick-on-Tweed. Before us is now the earlier entrance gate- way, flanked by two round towers, which dates from the time of James III. Passing this we find ourselves in the outer courtyard. To the right is the palace, curiously adorned on the outside with rude statues and gargoyles. These are the earliest Renaissance sculptures in Scotland, done by French sculptors brought over by James V after his residence and mar- riage in France. The architecture is a curious medley of Gothic and Renaissance. The fig- ures on the east side represent deities and mythological personages, those on the south side are soldiers, while the northern ones are perhaps the most interesting, including statues of James V and his daughter Mary, and Cleo- patra with the asp. This palace was begun by James V and completed by his daughter, though it was never made as large as was planned, by reason of the western tier of rooms not having been added, though a corri- 134 Castles and Keeps of Scotland dor exists from which they were to have been entered. Within the block is a courtyard called the Lions' Den, because James IV is said to have kept his lions here. The square tower on the southwest is much older than the palace, being a guard tower of the original wall. The palace is now occupied for military purposes, and inaccessible to visitors. Passing imder an arch at the north end, we enter the inner court. On the east is the Par- liament Hall, pure late Gothic, and older than the palace or any of the buildings of the inner court. This was probably built by James III. It contains what was originally a noble hall with timbered roof, one hundred and twenty- five feet long. It has now been cut up into numerous floors and apartments, to serve the purpose of a barracks. On the north side is the Chapel Royal, built on the site of an earlier collegiate chm^ch by James VI for the bap- tism of his son, Prince Henry. It is now sadly mutilated by internal changes. Part of it is used as an armoury. The buildings on the west are modern, but occupy the site of the earliest royal residence, that of James II, and perhaps contain some of the original walls. One of the rooms, the principal one in the castle which may be seen by visitors, is called The Shires of Stirling and Perth 135 the Douglas Room, and is popularly supposed to be the identical chamber where James II assassinated the Earl of Douglas. This haughty nobleman, then in league with the Earls of Ross and Crawford, was induced in 1452, by promises of safe-conduct, to enter the castle and take supper with the king. After the meal the king took him aside and urged him to withdraw from the league. His un- compromising refusal so angered the king that he immediately drew his dagger and plunged it into the Earl's heart. The poet thus pic- tures the Douglas's refusal: ^ No, by the cross it may not be ; I've pledged my knightly word/ And like a thunder-cloud he scowled, And half unsheathed his sword. Then drew the king that jewelled glaive, Which gore so oft had spilt And in the haughty Douglas' heart He sheathed it to the hilt." The Douglas Room contains a miscellaneous assortment of relics, of more curiosity than value. The visit is apt to be disappointing, as the room was devastated by fire a few years ago, and the panelling is mostly modern. What will well repay the most hardened 136 Castles and Keeps of Scotland sightseer, however, is to dimb to the battle- ments at the eastern side of the Douglas gar- den, and slowly survey the view from their whole length. There is no fairer prospect in the whole of Scotland, and I know of but three or four in Europe which in my opinion can equal it, — the Bosphorus from the Galata Tower at Constantinople, the plain of Attica from Lycabettos, the east coast of Sicily from Taormina. The foreground of the view from Stirling Castle is everywhere formed by the rich allu- vial plain, abundantly fertile, and sprinkled with village, wood and farm. Its monotony is broken at short distances by half a dozen bold masses of trap rock, well disposed to adorn the landscape. Not too far away for good scenic effect, on the north and south re- spectively, rise the green and softly rounded slopes of the Lennox and Ochil hills. To the east curve interminably the famous windings of the Forth, leading the eye gradually to the blue firth and the distant Lothians, dominated by Arthur's Seat. On the northwest and the west our eye ranges over the valleys of the Allan, the Teith and the Forth, above which rise the distant peaks of the southern High- lands. The eye never tires of gazing at this The Shires of Stirling and Perth 137 diversified loveliness, and it has called forth the admiration of more than one author. " Who," says Macculloch, " does not know Stirling's noble rock, rising the monarch of the landscape, its majestic and picturesque towers, its amphitheatre of mountain, and the windings of its marvellous river; and who that has once seen the sun descending here in all the blaze of its beauty beyond the purple hills of the west, can ever forget the plain of Stir- ling, the endless charm of this wonderful scene, the wealth, the splendour, the variety, the majesty, of all which here lies between earth and heaven? " For a while withdrawing our gaze from the distant landscape, we shall find in nearer ob- jects much to interest us. To the east lies a rocky mass, called Gowlan Hill, now partly occupied by cemeteries. Here were formerly to be seen the ramparts thrown up by Prince Charles Edward in 1746, when he besieged the castle. This low ridge stretches away to the north, where it ends near the bridge in the Moat Hill, the feudal place of justice, where executions formerly took place. On this hill, in sight of the towers of their own castle of Doune, and their own fair hills and farms, died by the axe in 1425 Duncan, the old Earl of 138 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Lennox, his son-in-law, the Regent Murdoch, Duke of Albany, and Walter and Alexander Stuart, the latter's sons. At an earlier date Sir Robert Graham and his associates were executed here for the murder of James I. The popular name of this mount is Hurley- Haaky {haaky being an old Scotch word for cow, and hurley the amusement of coasting), because James V used to coast down the steep slope on a cow's skull. Between these hills and the ramparts of the castle a steep road or pass comes up from the houses below, and leads to a point where formerly was a large gateway in the castle wall. Opposite this in the inner wall is a low- arched sallyport, known as the " Laird of Ballangleich's entry," and said to have once been the main entrance of the castle. This path was anciently of much importance and was known as the road of Ballangleich, mean- ing the windy pass, a name which is still abun- dantly justified. This name furnished an in- cognito to James V who, as the Laird of Bal- langleich, was wont to make many a surrep- titious excursion on errands of gallantry or curiosity which frequently led him to adven- tures similar to those of Haroun al Raschid. Passing to the other side of the ramparts. The Shires of Stirling and Perth 139 we may note, carved in the stone, the initials M. R., Mary Regina. The place is known as Queen Mary's Lookout, and verily she could have found no better spot from which to sur- vey the beauties of her kingdom. In the valley below lies what was formerly known as the King's Park, and long stretches of its enclosing wall still exist. It was for- merly wooded and full of deer kept for the royal hunts. At the east end were the royal gardens. Though the flower beds and fruit trees have long since disappeared, the terraces and mounds on which they stood are clearly visible. In the centre of these paths and mounds rises an octagonal mound of some size, flat on top, known as the King's Knot. This is of great antiquity, and is said to have been the scene of court festivities of various kinds. Presumably it was a place for knightly reunions, for it was called the Round Table as early as the time of Bannockburn, when Edward of England was told by Moubray, the governor, not to expect safety by being admitted to the castle, and so " took the way beneath the castle by the Round table." Like Edinburgh and Dumbarton, Stirling Castle Rock has been a fortress since times so ancient that its founders are forgotten. The 140 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Romans recognized its strength, and Agricola placed a garrison here, while his successors found it very useful in overawing the northern tribes. The Roman military road from south to north passed through here, and persisted much longer than their dominion. After Roman times, Stirling was a prize to be con- tended for by belligerent tribes. In the ninth century, the Northumbrians added much of the territory of Scotland to their own, either by conquest or treaty, and Stirling was in- cluded. They rebuilt the castle, and under protection of its garrison, bridged the Forth with a stone structure which was adorned with a cross and the motto, part of which is borne on the ancient seal of the burgh, — " Anglos a Scotis separat crux ista remotis. Hie armis Bruti : Scoti stant hie cruce tuti.^' The castle at this remote period, however, was probably nothing but a rude and small tower, and as such it appears in the seal of the burgh. Even if the Scots did temporarily lose pos- session of the hill, they soon regained it again, and made common cause with the Saxons against the Danes. In the tenth century, learning of a Danish invasion, Kenneth III appointed Stirling The Shires of Stirling and Perth 141 Castle as a place of rendezvous for his barons, and marched from it to the victorious field of Luncarty. Two centuries later William the Lion was captured by the English during an unsuccessful expedition across the border, and to secure the ransom which was promised for his deliverance, the four principal fortresses of the kingdom, Stirling, Edinburgh, Rox- burgh and Berwick, were impignorated to the English. This was the first time English troops held any important part of Scotch ter- ritory, and occurred during the reign of Henry 11. His son, the generous Richard Cceur de Lion, freely forgave, at his acces- sion, the unpaid instalments of the ransom, withdrew his troops from Scotch soil, and re- nounced all claims he had upon the kingdom. WilHam the Lion afterwards held some of his parliaments here, and here occurred his death in 1212. Alexander II here had enacted sev- eral important statutes, notably that estab- lishing trial by jury. John Baliol also con- voked parliament in Stirling Castle, and from here in 1295 wrote to the King of France, asking for a French princess to marry to his son. In 1296, when Edward I overran Scotland, the garrison of Stirling deserted it without 142 Castles and Keeps of Scotland offering resistance. The next year the Eng- Ush were repulsed on the field of Stirling ; the garrison which they left in the castle speedily surrendered to Sir William Wallace, who dis- mantled and destroyed it after the battle of Falkirk. Edward II repaired it and held it for a year, when the Scots again captured it. In 1300 Sir WiUiam OHphant defended it for three months, but was finally obliged to capit- ulate to the English, who held it three years. Then it was retaken, and Oliphant again as- sumed the governorship. He maintained the castle against Edward when all of Scotland was at his feet, and all the resources of the king, who besieged the castle in person for three months, seemed inadequate to force its surrender. The king called a coimcil at St. Andrews and obliged the assembled barons of England and Scotland to pronounce sentence of outlawry on Sir William Wallace, Sir Simon Frazer, and the garrison of Stirling Castle. When at last necessity forced the garrison to offer to capitulate, the king was so incensed that he refused the offer, and finally took the place by storm. The garrison was distributed among various English jails, and the governor sent to the Tower of Lon- don. The Shires of Stirling and Perth 143 For a long time the castle was now held by the English, who were masters of most of Scotland. Though besieged several times by- Bruce, it was not taken until 1339. When the Stuart kings succeeded to the throne, Stirling Castle became one of their favourite places of residence, and to them it owes its present form, as we have seen. James II was born and brought up here, and here he perpetrated the abominable treachery of the murder of the Earl of Douglas. James III, a mild-mannered monarch wholly out of sympathy with the turbulent manners of his age, here secluded himself from his nobles, and surrounded himself with favourites. After his death on the field of Sauchie, his son ascended the throne, and often resided here during Lent that he might do penance in the Franciscan church for his share in the death of his father. James V was born and crowned in Stirling, and popular tradition has made it the scene of many gallant or amusing adventures of the " Laird of Ballangleich." In 1543, Queen Mary was crowned here when scarcely nine months old, and the for- tress was her residence for many years. Her son James was brought hither soon after his birth in Edinburgh Castle and baptized in the 144 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Chapel Royal on December 15, 1566. When Mary was forced to sign her resignation of the crown, in the following year, he was crowned here, and spent his boyhood in the castle. He convoked his first parliament in the great hall, which so incensed his friends that it nearly provoked a civil war. In spite of all opposition, he continued to live here much of the time. The castle was besieged and taken by Gen- eral Monk in 1651, and Scotland suffered severe and irreparable loss, for he removed the national archives, which were here for safe keeping, to the Tower of London. There they remained for years, and when they were shipped back by sea, a storm overwhelmed the vessel which was carrying them, and they were for ever lost. The castle played a part in 1689, and 1715, and was besieged in 1746 by Charles Edward, who might have taken it if he had not been forced to retreat by the arrival of the Duke of Cumberland. Doune in Menteith The Castle of Doune, one of the best pre- served ruins of a feudal fortress at present ex- isting in Scotland, stands on a mound, prob- The Shires of Stirling and Perth 145 ably partly artificial, on a tongue of land between the rivers Teith and Ardoch, near the town of Doune. It was formerly defended by Plan of Doune Castle, Ground Floor ditches, which can still be traced, and by an outer wall at the top of the sloping bank, the foundations of which still exist. The castle has been recently restored with much good taste and moderation, and gives at present an excellent idea of its appearance at 146 Castles and Keeps of Scotland its time of greatest strength. The single blemish on the work is the atrocious zinc structure erected as a ventilator in the middle of the roof of the banqueting hall. While we may safely assume that in so well-built a castle as this, some means of allowing smoke to es- cape would be provided, a much less conspic- uous and modern-appearing structure should have been placed in this prominent position. The date of erection of the castle is usually placed at the beginning of the fifteenth cen- tury. Its present appearance is exceptionally homogeneous, and there seems to be little doubt that it assumed its present form at that time, and that it was designed and built on a predetermined plan. As its builder, Murdoch, Duke of Albany, erected it during the years he was Regent of Scotland, the date seems well fixed. This nobleman's viceroyalty was terminated in 1424, when James I returned to Scotland and ascended the throne after his long imprisonment in England. The new monarch at once took vengeance on the un- faithful guardians of his kingdom. He quickly took possession of all the great for- tresses of the kingdom, including Doune. Isabella, Duchess of Albany, was locked in her own dungeon and later confined at Tan- The Shires of Stirling and Perth 147 tallon, while the Duke was taken to Stirling. Here, on the Heading Hill, in sight of his own proud towers, he and two sons were exe- cuted in the following year. While most of the present structure thus dates from this period, there is no doubt that there was a castle at Doune long before Mur- doch's time. The Earls of Menteith probably- had a seat here at least a century earlier, and Robert, Murdoch's father, dated several char- ters from " the Castell of Downe in Men- teyth," during the latter half of the fourteenth century. The character of the masonry on the inner side of the southwest gable seems quite differ- ent from that of the rest of the courtyard in the lower part of its structure, and it seems from this, and a study of the plan, that this is probably what remains of an earlier square keep. This keep was rebuilt and perhaps ex- tended to the west, during Murdoch's opera- tions. The castle is built on the courtyard plan, and contains three blocks of buildings, the keep, the portion containing the banqueting hall, and the kitchen block, which I have as- sumed to be the original keep. It is evident that the plan was not completely carried out, 148 Castles and Keeps of Scotland for pointed windows in the southern wall were evidently pierced for a chapel or other build- ing, and projecting tusks in the southwest tower show that this side was to have been continued. The keep is a large castle in itself, and was without internal communication with the rest of the structure. The castle entrance is under it by means of an arched passage running through into the courtyard. This had an oaken door, and an iron grate which still re- mains. It was defended also by a portcullis, worked from a window embrasure above, and flanked by the great roimd tower of the north- east angle. On the right of the gate passage are the guard room and prison, and on the left storerooms and a well room in the round tower. On the first floor is the great hall, forty- four by twenty-seven feet and twenty-four feet to the crown of the vault. It has been repanelled and floored and is very satisfac- torily restored. This hall was entered only by an outside stair. Its only internal communica- tion with the basement is by a hatch in the floor beside the fireplace, and another in the adjoining tower room, through which water was obtained from the well. Over the gate The Shires of Stirling and Perth 149 passage at the courtyard end is a retiring room, with a window overlooking the hall, which afforded a view of all that went on Plan of Doune Castle, First F loor there. Over the entrance is a wide window recess, from which the portcullis was worked. The fireplace is remarkable; it is a double arch, with crudely carved shafts and lintels, and is divided into two parts by a partition in 150 Castles and Keeps of Scotland the centre on the line of the supporting column. From the hall two spiral stairs lead to the upper chambers and the roof. Over the hall is the withdrawing room, which contains a single fireplace and an oratory in the courtyard tower, with locker and piscina still remaining. The top story had a wooden floor, and this and the roof have been restored. The rooms in the round tower were all vaulted. The east gable of the keep was carried up to form a high watch tower with a beacon. Adjoining the keep on the west is the ban- queting hall, sixty-eight feet by twenty-seven. A doorway now joins this to the hall of the keep, but was not there originally. Probably strangers were rigorously excluded from the keep, which was accessible only to the family of the owner and his most trusted domestics and retainers. The banqueting hall has been restored with an open timbered roof. In the floor are indicated the positions of the dais and the central fireplace, the smoke from which found its way out of the unglazed windows and perhaps an opening in the roof. This hall was the centre of domestic life. Here nobles, soldiers and domestics lived and ate, and the majority of them slept. Here were The Shires of Stirling and Perth 151 brought the trophies of war and of the chase, and here, after a day of drenching rain or snow, wet clothes steamed around a six-foot pile of blazing logs, while rusted weapons were cleaned and sharpened. In an earlier age, this same fire would have served for roasting hunted deer or stolen cattle, but when Doune was built kitchens had come into use, and this contribution to the mingled odours of the hall was lacking. This hall was entered by an outside stair, and had an inside staircase to the wine cellar. At the west end was the min- strel's gallery, over the screens. The banqueting hall communicates with the kitchen through a serving room, which has two arched openings for passing in food. The kitchen has an enormous fireplace. Over it are numerous guest-rooms and apartments. The courtyard is surrounded by a wall forty feet high with six-foot parapets. It has open bartizans at the corners and midway of the sides, but no machicolations except over the postern gate in the west side. The parapets are continued entirely around the castle, over all the roofs and gables, both externally and on the courtyard side. On the whole it was a castle of great strength, when artillery was unknown. The 152 Castles and Keeps of Scotland courtyard wall is the weakest point, but this was formerly covered by an outer wall. The courtyard gained, the buildings were accessible only by steep outside stairs, with gates at the bottom. The keep, the final stronghold, was entirely isolated, and even if entered, was de- fensible floor by floor, with means of escape either by a newel stair to the top of the wall, or by a secret passage undergroimd which opened in the bed of the Ardoch. Doune has been described at length, as per- haps the best preserved and most accessible feudal fortress of great strength to be seen in Scotland. For picturesqueness of situation and for completeness of arrangement, it is well worthy of a visit. Its history is not as stirring as that of some other strengths. As related before, it was long the seat of the Earls of Menteith. It came into the royal family by the marriage of Rob- ert, Duke of Albany, son of Robert II, with Margaret, Countess of Menteith, in the four- teenth century. Their son was Murdoch, Re- gent of Scotland, executed by his cousin, James I, as told previously. His duchess, Isabella, after a long imprisonment in Tan- tallon, was allowed to retire to Inchmurran Castle in Loch Lomond, where she died about The Shires of Stirling and Perth 153 1460. Their youngest son, James Stuart, after a futile attempt to resist the king, fled to Ireland, and there founded an eminent family. The castle was confiscated, and he- came the dower house of the queens consort. It was granted in 1451 by James II to his queen, Mary of Gueldres, in 1491 by James III to Margaret of Denmark and in 1503 by James IV to Margaret of England. In 1528, James V, with his mother's approbation, granted the castle to James Stuart, great- grandson of Duke Murdoch. By direct de- scent it is now property of the Earl of Moray. This grant occasioned the death of the gran- tee, for the custody of the castle had been hereditary with the family of Edmonstone of Duntreath, and the head of that family finally assassinated James Stuart. Another unfortunate owner of the castle was the first Earl of Moray, James Stuart's grandson, to whom the Mains of Doune were ratified by the Scots Parliament in 1592. He was murdered at Donibristle by his hereditary enemy, the Earl of Huntly, as related in the melancholy ballad, " The Bonnie Earl of Moray." His widow Ehzabeth, daughter of the Regent Moray, is thus referred to: — 154 Castles and Keeps of Scotland " 0 lang, lang will his lady- Look ower the Castle Downe Ere the bonnie Earle of Moray Comes sounding thro' the town." Queen Mary had, long before this, fre- quently resided in the castle, with her young son, James VI, whose nursery is still shown in the round tower. It was here that he is supposed to have formed, in 1580, a project, under the guise of a hunting party, for free- ing himself from the guardianship of the Earl of Mar. Doune Castle was frequently used as a political prison. James VI often attempted to usurp the power of the burghs to nominate their own rulers, and tried in 1599 to force the council of Montrose to elect the Earl of Mar as their provost. They refused, and he summoned before the Privy Council the whole of the town's officers. Having been found guilty, they were all condemned to be incar- cerated in Blackness Castle and in Doune in Menteith. In 1745, despite the presence of the royal garrison at Stirling, it was successfully held for Prince Charles Edward by Gregor Mac- gregor of Glengyle, with two hundred men. After the battle of Falkirk, Charles sent his The Shires of Stirling and Perth 155 prisoners here. Among these was the poet John Home, author of " Douglas," who un- dertook and succeeded in a plan of escape for himself and his fellows. They twisted their bedclothes into ropes, and five of them had descended safely when the rope broke. The sixth, Thomas Barrow, an Englishman, risked the attempt, nevertheless, but fell, breaking his ankle and several ribs. In spite of this, his friends carried him off and made their escape, as Home relates in his " History of the Re- beUion." Finlarig Castle Finlarig Castle, a mile from Killin, at the head of Loch Tay, was apparently built in 1609, as appears from a dated coat of arms over the entrance door. It was probably built on the Z-plan, but the northeastern tower is now entirely gone. Though this castle is com- paratively modern, there is no doubt that a castle has existed on the site from very ancient times. The spot, situated between two rivers, and protected on the third side by the loch, is well adapted for a fortification, and the ancient trees about the place, together with the justice mount hard by, confirm this supposition. The 156 Castles and Keeps of Scotland castle has a small chapel, which has been the burial place of the Breadalbanes since the six- teenth century. Kinclaven Castle The scanty remains of Kinclaven Castle stand on the high right bank of the Tay, oppo- site the infall of the Isla, eight miles from Perth. The castle, which was a royal resi- dence in the thirteenth century, consists of a large wall of enceinte, and is about one hun- dred and thirty feet square. The walls are about eight feet thick, and the remains are from fifteen to twenty-five feet high. The gateway is on the west side, away from the river, and there is a postern on the south side. This was once guarded by a tower, and others stood at all four corners, the narrow entrances being still visible. These openings were only about two feet wide, defended by barred doors. Two sides of the castle were defended by the steep bank sloping down to the Tay, and on the other sides were ditches, some traces of which still remain. The castle was a royal residence of Alex- ander III, and is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the year 1264. In 1297, The Shires of Stirling and Perth 157 according to Blind Harry the Minstrel, Wal- lace took Kinclaven, which had been visited by King Edward I in the previous June. Wallace and his folk stayed in the castle for seven days, wrecking and pillaging it, and leaving it a desolate ruin. The English soon rebuilt it, and it is enumerated in 1335 among the castles in the possession of Edward III. It was again taken by the Scots in the follow- ing year. As it was never anything but a place of strength, it seems to have gone to ruin many centuries since. Huntingtower or Ruthven Castle Huntingtower, formerly known as Ruth- ven Castle, stands above the river Almond, about three miles west of Perth. It consists of a square three-story keep of the fifteenth century, to which other buildings have later been added. The first addition consisted of an independent tower on the L-plan, which was built alongside the first building, but nine feet away from it. The two towers had no com- munication except by a movable drawbridge between the ramparts. This seems to be a reminiscence of the ancient method of building castles as a series of detached and independent 158 Castles and Keeps of Scotland posts. Huntingtower also shows well the transition from open battlements to gables springing from the top of the parapets. In the sixteenth century the two houses were connected by building up the gap, in which a staircase was placed. The first Lord Ruthven was invested with the estate in 1488, and the second tower was probably built by him. Pat- rick, third Lord Ruthven, was one of the prin- cipal conspirators who assisted at the murder of Rizzio. His son, created Earl of Gowrie in 1581, was the author of the famous " Raid of Ruthven," the enticement to Huntingtower, and imprisonment there, of the boy-king James VI, with the object of removing him from the influence of his two early favourites, the Earl of Arran and the Duke of Len- nox. For this offence he was beheaded. The castle was forfeited, and was bestowed by James VI on the family of TuUibardine, from which it passed by marriage to the Dukes of Athole. The tower is also famous for the legendary " Maiden's Leap," the exploit of a daughter of the first Earl of Gowrie, who, in a fit of terror, leaped across the chasm between the two buildings, a distance of over nine feet, sixty feet in the air. The Shires of Stirling and Perth 159 Elcho Castle Elcho Castle, belonging to the Earl of Wemyss, in whose family the estate has been for centuries, is situated on the Tay, a few miles below Perth. It is a sixteenth century castle, curiously modified from the keep plan. The main oblong building is provided with no less than five towers, four of which are on the northern face. It has a number of corbelled turrets and gables, but can scarcely be said to be picturesque from any point of view. The south- west tower, which is mostly occupied by the stairway, alone has battlements, so that the castle can hardly be said to be defensible. The castle has no history worth mentioning, but in the time of Wallace there was a tower called "Elchoch" by Blind Harry, which often served him as a refuge. This may have been the predecessor of this one, as the site is a good one for a fortification. CHAPTER VIII FIFE AND VICINITY St Andrews Castle The first Castle of St. Andrews was built about 1200 by Bishop Roger, son of Robert, third Earl of Leicester. It was seized by- Edward I, and he held here the parliament at which the Scottish barons gave him their allegiance. It was again garrisoned by Ed- ward III, but shortly after he retired to Eng- land, Sir Andrew Moray, the Regent, cap- tured it after a siege of three weeks, and en- tirely demolished it. It was reconstructed by Bishop Trail about the end of the fourteenth century. At his death in 1401 the governor, Albany, took possession, and confined here the Duke of Rothesay, heir to the Crown, before his death by starvation at Falkland. The strength of the castle at this time is shown by the fact that the revenues of the kingdom, by act of parliament, were kept in " a kist of four keys," in the " Castle of St. 160 Fife and Vicinity 161 Andrews, under the care of the bishop and prior of the monastery." James III was born in the castle. In the days of Archbishop Beaton (1523- 1539), the castle was kept with great splen- dour. The English ambassador wrote, " I understand there hath not been such a house kept in Scotland many days before, as of late the said archbishop hath kept, and yet keepeth; insomuch as at the being with him of these lords (Angus, Lennox, Argyle, etc.), both horses and men, he gave livery nightly to twenty-one score horses." On the 28th of March, 1545, George Wish- art of Pit arrow, the famous divine, was burned aliive before the castle by order of Cardinal Beaton. The tower was hung with tapestry as for a festival, and the cardinal and his friends reclined on cushions of velvet in the windows to enjoy the spectacle. Before his death Wishart foretold the cardinal's im- pending death with much exactness. At this very time, Henry VIII had entered into a conspiracy with several Scottish noblemen, in- cluding Norman Lesley, Master of Rothes, his uncle John Lesley, and Kirkcaldy of Grange, for the murder of the prelate. On the 29th of May of the same year, the 162 Castles and Keeps of Scotland conspirators, about a dozen in number, gained admittance to the castle early in the morn- ing when the drawbridge was lowered to ad- mit workmen who were strengthening the for- tifications. They stabbed the porter, sent off the workmen, and gradually turned out all the servants as they appeared from their beds. Eventually, having thus quietly disposed of more than one hundred and fifty of his de- fenders, they were left alone in the castle with the cardinal. They forced open his door, and stabbed him repeatedly with daggers. " A few angry words, a bright gleam of steel as the weapons flashed in the morning light, and the cardinal fell covered with wounds, crying ' Fy! fy! I am a priest; all is gone!' and vengeance was satisfied. The citizens having been aroused, assembled at the gate, clamour- ing for * a word with my lord cardinal,' but were, instead, presented with his mangled body, suspended from the balcony of the tower ' by the tane arm and the tane fut,' and re- quested to look at their god." Sir David Lindsay of the Mount thus expresses the feel- ing of most of the reformers: — " As for the cardinal, I grant, He was the man we well might want j God will forgive it soon. Fife and Vicinity 163 But of a truth, the sooth to say, Although the loun be well away, The deed was foully done." The conspirators were soon joined in the castle by one hundred and twenty of their friends and held the place for more than a year. The French finally sent twenty-one galleys under the command of Leo Strozzi, Prior of Capua, a knight of Rhodes, to finish the siege. Lindsay of Pitscottie relates that " when the news came that these vessels were seen off St. Abb's Head, steering for St. Andrews, the governor well content hereof, hasted him to St. Andrews, with the gentle- men of Fife, Angus, and Strathearn, and wel- comed the French captain. . . . They clapt about the house so hastily and unexpectedly, that many were closed out, and divers were closed in, against their will. Then they mounted their ordnance both upon the college steeple, and also upon the walls of the abbey kirk, wherewith they commanded the castle close; so that no man durst walk therein, or go up to the wall head. The captain told the governor, that they had been unexpert war- riors who had not mounted their ordnance on the steeple heads in that manner, and that he 164 Castles and Keeps of Scotland wondered at the keepers of the castle; that they had not first broken down the heads of the steeples. He caused also the great battery to be laid to the castle, the two Scottish can- nons and six French; and to prevent slaugh- ter, he devised that the cannons should pass down the streets by engines, without any man with them; which thing when the Italian en- gineer (which had been sent from England for the support of those within the castle) per- ceived, he said that they had now to do with men of war, and therefore had need to take heed to themselves. They answered that they should defend their castle against Scotland, France, and Ireland, all three. But the bat- tery within a few hours made such breaches in the wall that, despairing of their strength, after consultation, they yielded the castle and themselves to the King of France. The French captain entered and spoiled the castle very rigorously; wherein they found great store of vivers, clothes, armour, silver, and plate, which, with the captives, they carried away in their galleys. The governor, by the advice of the council, demolished the castle, least it should be a receptacle of rebels." The castle was rebuilt by Archbishop Ham- ilton, and what stands to-day is mostly his Fife and Vicinity 165 work, though portions are represented by the guides as being much older. " A genial keeper was one day conducting a party of tourists over the ruins, and was describing their various parts and explaining the uses to which they were put in the heyday of the castle. ' This, gentlemen,' he said, * is the room used by Cardinal Beaton, and that,' pointing to the opening, ' is the window from which he wit- nessed the burning of George Wishart the martyr.' * But,' interrupted one of the party, ' this is not Beaton's castle; what remains is the work of Archbishop Hamilton.' ' I ken that,' replied the keeper, ' but if I were to pay off Cardinal Beaton and George Wishart I might just as well close the gate.' " The ruins of St. Andrews Castle, standing on a bold headland washed by the North Sea, offer a conspicuous landmark to mariners. The castle was very extensive, but is now re- duced to a very ruinous condition. It was originally a courtyard about one hundred and fifty feet square, partly surrounded by a moat, with towers at each corner. The entrance was once through the central tower of the south side, the highest portion of the ruins. A new gate, reached by a drav/bridge, was later cut through the north curtain on this side. Little 166 Castles and Keeps of Scotland of the internal arrangements remains. The chief items of interest to visitors are the bottle dungeon in the northwest dungeon, and a sub- terranean passage under the moat, recently dis- covered. Macduff's Castle A little to the east of the village of East Wemyss stand the remains of a fifteenth cen- tury castle, popularly called jMacduff 's Castle, because supposed to have been built by Mac- duff, Maormor of Fife in the reign of Mal- colm Canmore. While this castle was not his, he had seats in the vicinity, and his direct descendants in the thirty-first and thirty-sec- ond generation, of the name of Wemyss, are still living in the village. The ruins of the castle consist of remains of two rectangular buildings at the top of a steep sandstone cliff a hundred feet above the sea. They have not been occupied since the middle of the seven- teenth century. Newark Castle Newark Castle, in the little town of St. Monance, consists of a few fragments of an early thick wall of enceinte, and a round tower and domestic apartments built at a much later Fife and Vicinity 167 date. It stands on a rocky cliff overlooking the Firth of Forth. It once belonged to the famous soldier, David Leslie, renowned in the civil wars of the seventeenth century, who built much of what now stands. Falkland Palace The domain of Falkland belonged originally to the Crown and was gifted by Malcolm IV to Duncan, sixth Earl of Fife, who married Ada, the king's niece. It remained in this family until 1371, when Isabel, last countess of the line, transferred the estates to Robert Stuart, Earl of Menteith, second son of Rob- ert II, who became sixteenth Earl of Fife, and was afterwards created Duke of Albany. This nobleman was for thirty-four years Re- gent of Scotland, and resided in the Castle of Falkland. Of this building no trace now re- mains. In his days the castle received its first historic notoriety, from the tragic fate of David, Duke of Rothesay, eldest son of Robert III. The Duke of Albany early perceived the brilliant promise of the young heir to the throne, and feared lest he should menace his power. Playing on the credulity of the imbe- 168 Castles and Keeps of Scotland cile king, he persuaded him to issue an order for the arrest and confinement of the prince, representing that this was necessary to teach him self-restraint. He was inveigled to the castle of Falkland, and imprisoned to die of starvation. His life was prolonged for some time by the compassion of the daughter of the governor, who fed him with small cakes through a crevice of the wall. When she was discovered and murdered by her own father for her merciful kindness, her task was taken up by another tender-hearted woman, a wet- nurse in the governor's family, who supplied the prince with milk from her breasts by means of a long reed, until she too was dis- covered and put to death. When James I returned from captivity in 1424, Murdoch, son and successor in the Re- gency of Robert, was executed for treason, and Falkland was forfeited to the Crown. As the estate is well situated in a pleasant valley, at a convenient distance from Edinburgh and Stirling, and was surrounded by forests filled with game, it became a favourite resort of the Stuart kings. The palace was begun by either James III or James IV, and completed by James V. This latter monarch was par- ticularly attached to Falkland, and died of grief Fife and Vicinity 169 here after the rout of Solway Moss. Mary of Guise often lived here, and it was a favourite resort of her daughter, Mary Stuart. Between 1561 and 1566 the latter visited it many times, and found much pleasure here in hunting and other outdoor sports. James VI was also par- tial to living here, and two attempts on his person, one of them the famous Gowrie con- spiracy, were made here. The last monarchs here were Charles I and Charles II, both of whom made short visits. Its last visitor of fame was Rob Roy Macgregor, who took pos- session and plundered it after the battle of Sheriff muir in 1715. All that is now left of the original quad- rangle is the south side, and a ruinous wall on the east. The building is partly inhabited, and architecturally resembles Stirling and Linlithgow Palaces. Lochleven Castle Lochleven Castle is one of the best and least changed examples of a fourteenth century keep remaining in Scotland. It stands on an island in the loch of the same name, which is under the control of an association of anglers. This association controls all the boats which are 170 Castles and Keeps of Scotland allowed to ply upon the loch, and only from their pier in the town of Kinross can the castle be visited. The charge for a boat with two oarsmen for an excursion to the island is five shillings, irrespective of the number of the party, to the limit of capacity of the boat. The lake is the home of a peculiar species of trout, of which an average of twenty-five thou- sand per year are taken by the anglers, who are required to keep an exact record of their baskets. The loch was lowered by drainage works in the beginning of the last century, so that the water, which once lapped the castle walls, has left a considerable space of greensward on all sides at present. The island seems to have been connected in very ancient times with the mainland by a causeway, which has now sunk well under the surface. Still, in very dry seasons, it is possible for a man to wade all the way to the island. The castle consists of a small keep, only about thirty-eight feet by thirty, with walls seven or eight feet thick, and five stories high. This has a vaulted basement below the level of the court, with no access to the floor above save by a hatch. The entrance is two floors above this, leaving the first floor with- Fife and Vicinity 171 out external communication. The upper floors are gone, and there is no access to the battlements, which have corbelled bartizans at the three external corners. This keep is provided with an extensive courtyard, which has a continuous rampart walk. At the corner opposite the keep is a ruinous round tower, in which Queen Mary was confined. This is of the sixteenth cen- tury, as were the other buildings in the court- yard, of which only the foundations now re- main. The earliest castle in the island is said to have been built by Congal, son of Dongart, King of the Picts. The first authentic history of the castle is given in the following quota- tion: " In the wars which harassed Scotland during the minority of David II, the castle of Lochleven was held in the patriotic interest by Allen de Vipont, against the troops of Ed- ward III, who acted in behalf of Edward Baliol. John de Strivilin blockaded it, and erected a fortress in the churchyard of Kin- ross, which occupies the point of a neighbour- ing promontory; and, at the lower end of the lake, where the water of Leven issues out of it, it is said that he raised a strong and lofty bulwark, by means of which he hoped to lay 172 Castles and Keeps of Scotland the castle under water, and constrain Vipont to surrender. The water continued to rise daily, and the besiegers thought themselves certain of success, when, the English general and most of his troops having left the camp to celebrate the festival of St. Margaret at Dunfermline, the besieged, seizing the favour- able opportunity (June 19, 1335), after much labour and perseverance broke through the barrier, when the water rushed out with such impetuosity as to overwhelm the English en- camped on that side." The most famous association of Lochleven Castle is undoubtedly the imprisonment here of Mary, Queen of Scots. The Douglases had held the castle and lands on the mainland since the time of Robert III. Sir Robert Douglas, the laird of Mary's time, was a kinsman of James, Earl of Morton, and stepfather to the queen's natural brother, James, Earl of Moray, so that he was entirely in sympathy with her captors. She was delivered into his keeping on June 16th, 1567, immediately after her surrender at Carberry Hill. On the 4th of July she was visited by Lord Ruthven, Lord Lindsay of the Byres, and Sir Robert Melville, who wrung from her her signature to an instrument purporting to resign the Fife and Vicinity 173 crown to her infant son James. This scene has been graphically depicted by Scott, in " The Abbot," as well as the other events of her stay here, and is portrayed with great pathos. Mary was not content with her unhappy lot, and succeeded in gaining the affections of George Douglas, younger son of her jailer, and in persuading him to help her to escape. The first attempt, on the 25th of April, was unsuccessful, and George was ex- pelled from the castle. He remained in the neighbourhood and kept up correspondence with her. With the assistance of William Douglas, a young relative of the family, the second attempt, on May 2d, 1568, was entirely successful. The young lad stole the keys of the castle from the place where they were kept, while his lord was at supper. " He let the queen and a waiting-woman out of the apartment where they were secured, and out of the door itself, embarked with them in a small skiff, and rowed them to the shore. To prevent instant pursuit, he, for precau- tion's sake, locked the iron grated door of the tower, and threw the keys into the lake. They found George Douglas and the queen's servant, Beaton, waiting for them, and Lord 174 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Seton and James Hamilton of Orbieston in attendance, at the head of a party of faithful followers, with whom they fled to Niddrie Castle, and from thence to Hamilton." The freedom of the unfortunate queen was of short duration, however, ending with her defeat at Langside. The keys of the castle were re- covered when the loch was lowered, and are now in the Armoury at Abbotsford. The castle later served as a prison for the Earl of Northumberland after his rebellion in England and capture in Scotland. He was confined here from 1569 to 1572, and then delivered to Elizabeth, by whose orders he was executed. Burleigh Castle This ancient seat of the Balfours, built in the fifteenth century, stands near the village of Milnathort, just north of Loch Leven. While it was formerly a quadrangular en- closure, all is now gone except the keep and the gate and gatehouse of the courtyard. These are loopholed for both guns and mus- ketry in a curious manner, and are exceed- ingly picturesque. History tells us little about the castle. The most famous owner was Lord Balfour of Fife and Vicinity 175 Burleigh, ambassador of James VI to the Duke of Tuscany and the Duke of Lorraine. He was general of the Scottish forces in 1644 and was defeated by the Marquis of Mont- rose near Aberdeen. He was also one of the commanders of the parliamentary army which lost the bloody battle of Kilsyth because of the dissensions of its leaders. " About a mile north of Lochleven, in this neighbourhood, are several remarkable hol- lows, which, from their shape, have been de- nominated the Ships of Burleigh. One of these is distinguished by the designation of Lady Burleigh's Jointure, and tradition thus relates its story. A Lord Burleigh, it seems, had obtained in marriage a lady less enam- oured than provident. Her applications for an ample settlement becoming somewhat teas- ing, his lordship, in rather an angry mood, desired her to attend him early next day, when he would take her to a field not half a mile distant from the castle, and there settle upon her all the lands within her view. Avarice is often credulous, and it was so in this instance. The lady walked forth with elated expecta- tions; but when, from a level road, descending a gentle slope, she was told to look round her, she beheld, with disappointed emotion, only 176 Castles and Keeps of Scotland a verdant circle of about fifty yards in diam- eter, finely horizoned with a lofty cope of azure." Dunfermline Palace A few miles west of Edinburgh the Firth of Forth contracts to a narrow channel, and here since the earliest times has existed a ferry which enabled easy communication between the capital and the eastern border, and the peninsula of Fife. Not far from the northern end of this ferry route, within easy reach of Edinburgh, yet not exposed to sudden raids from the southland, sprang up the town of Dunfermline, which has played a prominent part in Scottish history. The region was much affected by Malcolm Canmore, and here he built him a tower, some small remains of which may still be seen on a rocky promontory pro- jecting into a small glen near the palace and abbey. This was a keep apparently about fifty feet square, now but a grass-grown stump. " The site of Malcolm's tower," says Mercer, " was strikingly adapted for a stronghold, and could not fail of attracting a rude engineer of the eleventh century. Fordun says it was a place extremely strong by natural situation, Fife and Vicinity 177 and fortified by steep rocks; in the middle of which there was a pleasant level, likewise de- fended by rock and water, so that it might be imagined that the following words were de- scriptive of this place : — Non homini facilis, vioo adeunda feris. ' It is difficult to men, scarcely accessible to wild beasts.' The venusta planities, — or ' pleasant level ' on which the tower was built, — forms the summit of a very steep eminence that rises abruptly out of the glen, and causes the rivulet to wind round its base, forming a peninsula. The whole sub- structure of the glen on both sides is formed of freestone, which projects in many places from the surface ; and these rugged declivities must have been clothed with thick impervious woods, rendering the summits extremely diffi- cult of access on three sides." In this tower lived Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland, and here he married the Saxon princess Margaret, granddaughter of Edmund Ironsides, King of England. When William the Conqueror overthrew the Saxon dynasty, Edgar, heir to the throne, with his mother Agatha and his two sisters Margaret and Christian, took ship to flee to Hungary. Be- ing blown north by contrary winds, they landed in a bay called St. Margaret's Hope, 178 Castles and Keeps of Scotland near North Queensferry, and sought the hos- pitality of Malcolm. Malcolm's Tower was but a poor residence for kings, and it was eventually replaced by a palace adjoining the abbey founded by Mal- colm. It is said that Robert Bruce was the builder of the palace, but it was added to by later kings. It was frequently visited by the Scottish monarchs, as is evident from state papers dated there. James IV was very par- tial to the palace, and practically rebuilt it. James V visited it with his bride, Mary of Lor- raine, and James VI resided here often. Here were born Charles I in 1600, and Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, in 1596. The last royal visitor was Charles II, in 1650, after which time it appears to have gone to ruin. The roof fell in in 1708, and all that is now left is the south wall, two hundred and five feet long, and the kitchen. A curious anecdote is told of the infancy of Charles I: " Charles was, it is said, a very peevish child, and used to annoy his parents by his cries during the night. One night he was puling in his cradle, which lay in an apart- ment opening from the bedroom of the king and queen, when the nurse employed to tend him suddenly alarmed the royal pair by a loud Fife and Vicinity 179 scream, followed up by the exclamation, ' Eh! my bairn ! ' " The king started out of bed at hearing the noise, and ran into the room where the child lay, crying : ' Hout, tout, what's the matter wi' ye, nursie? ' " * Oh! ' exclaimed the woman, ' there was like an auld man came into the room, and threw his cloak ower the prince's cradle; and syne drew it till him again, as if he had ta'en cradle, bairn, and a' awa' wi' him. I'm feared it was the thing that's no canny.' " * Fiend, nor he had ta'en the girnin' brat clean awa' ! ' said King James, whose demon- ological learning made him at once see the truth of the nurse's observations ; ' gin he ever be king, there'll be nae gude a' his reign; the de'il has cusen (cast) his cloak ower him already.' " This story is generally told," adds the writer, " and in the same manner, by the aged and more primitive portion of the inhabitants of Dunfermline, and the latter part of the king's observation is proverbial in the town, it being common to say to a mislearned or ill- conditioned person, ' I daresay the de'il has cusen his cloak ower you! ' " 180 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Castle Campbell Plan of Castle Campbell A couple of miles from the town of Dollar, on a high spur of the Ochil Hills, in one of the grandest situations enjoyed by any castle in Scotland, stands Castle Campbell. The only approach to it is up the bed of the burn, through a narrow canon of tremendous depth, across dizzy chasms on narrow bridges, and finally up a stiff climb by the side of tumbling waterfalls. The ascent is difficult and arduous even now, after the way is smoothed as well Fife and Vicinity 181 as may be for the tourist. What must have been the prospect for the enemy who tried to compass the attack of the castle against a determined defence! The castle stands on a green promontory between the two streams, known as the Burn of Sorrow and the Burn of Care, and its original name was the Castle of Gloom. The mound on which it stands is partly natural and partly artificial, and at least three hundred feet high. On the side toward the hills was formerly a deep chasm, spanned by a draw- bridge ; but this is now partly filled up, so that the ascent on this side is not more than fifty feet. In such a situation, before the advent of artillery, an attack on this castle would have been perfectly useless. No engines could have been brought to bear on it, and a handful of men on the parapets could have resisted an army as long as their provisions held out. The castle comprises a keep and enceinte of the fourteenth century, to which have been added buildings about the walls of the en- closure. The keep is a simple rectangle, twenty-eight by sixteen feet inside, with walls about eight feet thick. The original entrance is on the ground floor, and the hall floor is reached by a wheel-stair. The upper rooms 182 Castles and Keeps of Scotland are reached by another stair in the opposite corner, a most unusual arrangement. The keep has three vaults, the upper one cut in two by a wooden floor midway of its height. The dungeon in the ground floor is six and a half by three feet, and reached only by a trapdoor from the hall; truly, a desirable place to be imprisoned in! Elevation Plan of Castle Campbell The later buildings comprise ranges on both east and south sides. Those on the south were lighted by numerous windows cut in the south wall, and are therefore of comparatively late Fife and Vicinity 183 date. They comprised a row of vaults in the basement, and a large hall and private rooms above. The east wing contained private apart- ments. A new staircase here gave access to both the east wing and the keep, and two more angle turrets on the south side also carried staircases. The porch on the east side is an excellent piece of work. The gateway and gatehouse are late work, as is proved by the gun-holes for defence. The name of the castle was changed to its present designation by act of parliament in 1489, at the request of its proprietor, the first Earl of Argyle. It was destroyed in 1645, when the MacLeans and Ogilvies, the fierce allies of the Marquis of Montrose, carried fire and sword through all the Argyle territories. It is now partly inhabited, and kept in good repair. Clackmannan Tower Clackmannan Tower is situated in the town of the same name, six or seven miles from Stir- ling, and two from Alloa. The tower be- longed to David II, who gifted it in 1359 to his cousin Robert Eruce, in the possession of whose descendants it remained until 1791. King Robert Bruce is also said to have resided 184 Castles and Keeps of Scotland here, and his sword and helmet were preserved in the tower until the Bruce family died out, when they were transferred to the Earl of Elgin, as the nearest of kin. The old Jacob- ite lady, Mrs. Bruce, who knighted Robert Burns with the sword of Bruce, resided here. The tower is of peculiar construction. The original keep, which has a gabled roof, event- ually became too small, and another wing was built on to the south, which is higher than the original structure. This addition has an em- brasured parapet with open machicolations and rounded corners, which gives the structure a very martial air. Niddrie Castle Niddrie Castle is easily to be seen by every visitor to Scotland who passes by rail from Glasgow to Edinburgh, as it stands within fifty yards of the railroad track about three miles east of Linlithgow. It is visible only for a minute on the north side of the track, as the train passes the only break in a long deep cutting, but this glimpse shows prac- tically all that could be seen by a visit to the castle. It is an empty and ruinous L-keep of the fifteenth century, of very massive con- Fife and Vicinity 185 struction. When more room was needed, for security's sake it was gained by adding to the top. The castle was the ancient seat of the Plan of Niddrie Castle Earls of Winton, and its sole historical in- terest lies in the fact that Queen Mary passed a night there while fleeing from Lochleven Castle to join her friends at Hamilton. 186 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Linlithgow Palace Plan of Linlithgow Palace, First Floor Linlithgow Palace is situated about half- way between Edinburgh and Stirling, on a promontory projecting into a small lake, and was of such magnificence when complete as to fully justify the statement of Mary of Guise, who said, " She had never seen a more princely palace," and Scott's description in " The Lay of the Last Minstrel: " — Fife and Vicinity 187 " Of all the palaces so fair Built for the royal dwelling, In Scotland, far beyond compare Linlithgow is excelling: And in its park in jovial June How sweet the merry linnet's tune, How blithe the blackbird's lay ! The wild buck bells from ferny brake. The coot dives merry on the lake, — The saddest heart might pleasure take To see a scene so gay." The palace is approached through a gate- house erected by James V and ornamented by shields on which are carved his four orders of knighthood, St. Michael, the Golden Fleece, the Garter and the Thistle. The palace is now entered by a gate passage on the south side. On the right of this is the guard-room, in which the Regent Moray expired after being shot in the main street of the town by Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh. The passage leads into a large court, about ninety feet square, around which the palace forms a com- plete quadrangle, with towers at each internal corner. On the east side is another passage which was the original main entrance of the palace. This has also a guard room, and was defended by three doors and a portcullis. It opens on the outside at a level considerably 188 Castles and Keeps of Scotland above that of the park, and was reached by a drawbridge from the outer wall, which was strengthened by towers, the bases of three of which still remain to the north of the entrance. The original gate is elaborately ornamented outside with carved niches and armorial bear- ings. The ground floor of the palace is occupied with cellars, stables, kitchens, bakeries, and other domestic offices. The main public rooms were on the first floor. They include chapel, anteroom, dining room, drawing room, ban- queting hall, kitchen, and the great hall called the parliament house, as well as a number of private rooms. The great hall is one hundred feet long and thirty wide, and had an open timbered roof. The fireplace is very fine, be- ing divided into three parts, and extending across the whole end of the room. The col- umns and lintels are beautifully carved. The private apartments of the king are on the west side, ^nd in the one called the draw- ing room it is said that Queen Mary was born. The north side contains a fine hall called the banqueting hall, and numerous bedrooms. The angle turrets all carry stairs to the roof, which has continuous battlements for defence. The northwest tower is highest, and contains ^een Mary W as Born Fife and Vicinity 189 a room at the top known as " Queen Mar- garet's Bower," said to be her boudoir, where she watched vainly for the return of her hus- band, James IV, after Flodden. The site of LinHthgow Palace was occupied by a Roman station, being connected by a road with the Wall of Antoninus at a point in the parish of Falkirk. In the time of David I there was a royal residence here. Edward I built " a Pele mekill and stark " here about 1300, and spent three months there during the winter of the next year. It remained in his hands until 1313, when it was taken by Bruce, with the aid of the stratagem devised by the peasant William Bunnock, or Binny. " Binny, who was known to the garrison, and had been employed in leading hay into the fort, com- municated his design to a party of Scottish soldiers, whom he stationed in ambush near the gate. In his large wain he contrived to conceal eight armed men, covered with a load of hay; a servant drove the oxen, and Binny himself walked carelessly at his side. When the portcullis was raised, and the wain stood in the middle of the gateway, interposing a com- plete barrier to its descent, the driver cut the ropes which harnessed the oxen; upon which signal the armed men suddenly leapt from the 190 Castles and Keeps of Scotland cart, the soldiers iii ambush rushed iii, and so complete was the surprise, that with httle re- sistance the garrison were put to the sword, and the place taken." The castle was des- troyed by Bruce, in accordance with his usual pohcy. It was restored by David II, and became a favouiite residence of the Scotch monarchs. It was destroyed by fire in 142-4, and rebuilding operations were begun at once by James I. Between then and 1-451, the west side and possibly the north side, afterwards rebuilt by James VI, were probably erected. The south side was completed before 1496. James III and James IV were very fond of the palace, and the latter built the east side. James V erected the gatehouse and changed the entrance to correspond. He presented the palace to his queen, ]\Iary of Guise, whose conmient has been already quoted. It was finally completed by James VI. After the removal of James VI to Eng- land, the palace was Httle used, though it con- tinued to be habitable. It was fortified by CromweU, and afterward occupied by Prince Charlie. In 1746, when the royal army passed through here in pursuit of the Pretender, Hawley's Dragoons occupied the hall on the north side. ^"\Tien they departed, they neg- Fife and Vicinity 191 lected to extinguish their fires, and the build- ing was soon in flames. By the time this was discovered the roof had ignited, and the lead with which it was covered melted and flowed down in streams, making it impossible to fight the conflagration. Since then the palace has remained in ruins, but is now kept in good repair by the royal authorities. CHAPTER IX EDINBURGH CASTLE Of all the castles of Scotland, that which is most familiar both to the traveller and the reader is that of Edinburgh. Frowning down from its precipitous rock, the most conspicu- ous mass in the landscape for miles around, it is the first object which seizes the attention of the approaching traveller to-day, as it has in all ages. The time when men first used this rock as a fortress dates back to the age of hazy fable and tradition. When the Roman brought his legions hither, its history began, but long ere this the Picts had built a rude wall upon its summit. They were the Otta- dini, the first whom we know to have lived upon this beetling rock. From them, the Romans wrested it, but their hold was transi- tory; their rule was soon forgotten in Valen- tia, as they named their northernmost province, in which the rock was, and with their rule van- ished the name they must have given the Castlehill. 192 Edinburgh Castle 193 To the Romans succeeded the Britons, but most of what they did about here has dropped back into forgetfulness. Here, however, warred that hero of Romance, Arthur of the Table Round, and his deeds have riveted his name to several places in the neighbourhood. Best known of these is Arthur's Seat, the mighty mass of trap overlooking all Edin- burgh from the southeast. There is little doubt that the northern Cymry, separated from their southern brethren in Wales by the relentless onsweep of the Saxons, sullenly re- treated to the borders of Scotland under their great leader Arthur, and there waged their last desperate battles, which, however, were not able to prevent the submerging of their nation- ality in the peoples of the Scotch Highlands and Lowlands. As they did fight fiercely, and for long held back the Northumbrian princes, let us believe that tradition is right in telling us that Arthur, wearied with long war, sat on the brow of Arthur's Seat, and saw his victorious forces drive back the hated Saxons for a time at least. From this fabulous time dates the earliest name recorded for the Castle Rock of Edin- burgh, " Castelh-Mynyd-Agned," the For- tress of the Hill above the Plain. Later the 194 Castles and Keeps of Scotland monks mistranslated this, and called it " Cas- trum Puellarum," the Castle of the Maidens, fabricating the legend that the rock was the home of the daughters of the Pictish kings. In the year 617, when Northumbrian rule in the Lothians was well established, Edwin of Deira overthrew Ethelfrith of Northumbria, and fortified the rock to hold the Britons in check. He named the town which grew about the fort " Edwin's-burgh." The Celts modi- fied this to Dun-Edin, which, besides meaning " the hill of Edwin," may be translated " the face of a hill," and may be regarded as a descriptive name. Edwin's Castle protected his town, which gradually crept down the eastern slope of the hill. But the Picts did not relish this Saxon village in their territory, and in the middle of the century swept down upon the town while the castle garrison was away on a foray, and almost entirely destroyed it. Unhappily they stayed a little too long to burn and plunder, and the garrison caught them at their task, to take a bloody revenge. So for a generation it remained a Saxon thorn in the Pictish side. In 685 Brudi, Pictish king, in the great bat- tle of Nectansmere, destroyed the forces of Northumbria with their King Egfrith, and Edinburgh Castle 195 made Edinburgh his own. From that time on Picts and Scots made conmion cause against Angles, Saxons, and Britons, and held their own against them. In 844 Kenneth Mac- Alpine united the two peoples, and Scotch his- tory begins. Again a century later we find Northumbria powerful in the Lothians, but Malcolm II, the first Scotch king whose reign may be said to belong in the realm of authentic history, de- termined to break its power. At first he was unsuccessful, but in 1018, aided by King Owen of Cumbria, he destroyed the Northumbrian- army at Carham on the Tweed, and settled the frontier of Scotland for all time. King Canute accepted the Tweed as the northern boundary of England, and Edinburgh became for ever Scotch. The establishment of the frontier by no means kept the English out of Scotland, and Malcolm Canmore, the next king, decided to build such a fortress that it would completely dominate the roads from south to north. He rebuilt Edinburgh Castle, and there made his royal residence. It was the favourite home of his beautiful and religious wife, Margaret, sister of Edgar Atheling, and niece of Ed- ward the Confessor. This pious queen tried 196 Castles and Keeps of Scotland her best to introduce among the rude Scots some of the culture of more refined England, but without much success. The king preferred the clash of spear and shield, the chase or the foray, to mass and litany. But he idolized his beautiful wife, had her books of devotion bound in sumptuous gold and jewels, and kissed piously what he could not read. For her he built the Chapel of Saint Mar- garet, the oldest and smallest ecclesiastical building in Scotland, standing to-day in the castle yard almost as it did in her time. He also endowed and built for her the Abbey of Dunfermline, on the other side of the Forth, and as she passed from one to the other for her devotions, she gave her name to what is still known as the " Queen's Ferry." Margaret's chamber was where the Argyle Battery now stands, and here in November, 1093, the queen lay dying of a decline, brought on by her ascetic hfe. The king and his eldest son were off to the wars, and on the 13th of the month both were slain while besieging Aln- wick Castle. On the fourth day thereafter, the queen heard mass and partook of the sac- rament. Then, returning to her bed, she asked for her precious relic, the Black Rood of Scot- land, which contained a fragment of the true 4 Edinburgh Castle 197 cross. While she was holding this in ecstasy, there came to her her second son with the sad news that his father and brother were no more. The saintly queen spoke no word, but raised her relic to heaven and passed away. Donalbain, the brother of the king, claimed the throne by the ancient Scotch law of tanis- try, which excluded a chieftain's sons from the succession in favour of his brother or nephew, and stormed up against the castle walls with his wild Highlanders, bent on assuring his throne by the slaughter of his nephews. The firm walls held him out, but escape was neces- sary, as the castle was not prepared for a siege. Close beleaguerment seemed to make this im- possible, but Turgot, the queen's confessor, having prepared the body for burial in her own Abbey of Dunfermline, caused the sally- port on the west side to be opened, and carried forth the corpse in solemn procession. A mi- raculous mist settled about the cortege, and dead queen and living princes passed unseen through the lines of blinded foes, across the Queen's Ferry, and on to the stately church of the Culdees, where the body was laid with those of her loved ones. Having seen the funeral rites performed, the sons returned and put their uncle to flight. Edgar took the 198 Castles and Keeps of Scotland crown, but soon died in the castle, and his brother became king as David I. David lived his life in Edinburgh Castle, and changed the appearance of the surroundings. Until then the foot of the rock was surrounded by a deep and dangerous wilderness, a tangled forest seamed with dark pools and treacherous morasses. Much of this he cleared away and turned into a garden, being on the whole a man of peace, with some refined tastes. The town at this time was very small in extent, and composed of thatched mud huts. How small it was is shown by a famous passage in Boece, telling of a notable event in the king's life. He states that in the fourth year of his reign the king was resident at Edin- burgh Castle, which was surrounded by " ane gret forest full of Hartis, hyndis, toddis (foxes) and sic lyk maner of Beistis." On the day of the Holy Rood, he determined to go forth into this wilderness to hunt, being pressed thereto by his thoughtless young nobles. In vain Alcuin, his confessor, en- treated him to desist. He departed with a great multitude : "At last quhen he wes cumyn thorow the vail that lyis ti the eist fra the said Castell, quhare nou lyis the Canon- gaitt, the staill (train) passed thorow the Edinburgh Castle 199 wode with sic noyis and dyn of bugillis, that all the beistis wer raisit fra their dennis." In the ardour of the chase the king became sepa- rated from his companions, and suddenly found himself thrown from his horse, and about to be gored by a great stag. As he gave himself up for lost, a marvellous mist rolled about him, and a hand reached out of it a cross. He grasped it, and the stag took to flight. That night he dreamed that his adventure was a heavenly command to build an Augustinian monastery on the spot where his life was miraculously saved. Thus he came to endow the Abbey of Holyrood. He became thereafter so devout and expended so much money on religious foundations, that James VI, being told that his ancestor was a saint, testily replied, " Humph, he was a sair saunct to the Croon." Among his secular works, he greatly strengthened the castle, building the great Norman keep, whose fragments still serve as the foundations of the Argyle Tower, as well as several other of the outworks. He made the town one of the four burghs royal in 1128. From this time on, Edinburgh always ranks as one of the most important places in Scot- land. The kings were always crowned at 200 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Scone, and the parliaments were held in vari- ous towns, but Edinburgh Castle was a fa- vourite place of residence of all the kings from David I down. Wilham the Lion was wont to reside there until he made an unfor- tunate expedition across the border and was taken prisoner by the English in 1174. He surrendered the castle to the English and did not regain it for twelve years. He then mar- ried Ermengarde, an English princess, and she brought it as a dower. In 1215 the first parliament of Alexan- der II was held in Edinburgh. In 1235 there was held here a provincial synod of the Catholic Church, presided over by Cardinal L'Aleran, legate of Pope Gregory IX. Alex- ander III and his girl wife Margaret, daugh- ter of Edward III, resided in the castle, and he made it the depository of his regalia and archives; but the queen was much dissatisfied with her habitation, and complained of it as " a sad and solitary place without verdure and by reason of its vicinity to the sea unwhole- some." Alexander was surprised in the castle by a band of nobles headed by the Earl of Dunbar, who were favourable to the English, and laid down terms to the king, after driving out his loyal nobles. Edinburgh Castle 201 Alexander died a tragic death in 1286, hav- ing been thrown from his horse near King- horn in Fife. His death was a sore blow to the kingdom of Scotland, and well justified the doleful words of Thomas the Rhymer which are reproduced elsewhere. The death of his granddaughter, the Maid of Norway, while on the way to claim her crown, opened the way to rival claimants for the throne, and the Wars of the Succession involved Edin- burgh in dire disaster. Edward I, seizing the opportunity, asserted his feudal superiority over Scotland, and besieged Edinburgh in 1291. He captured the castle after a siege of fifteen days, but it was later withdrawn from his control, and he captured it again in 1294, after the battle of Dunbar. Thereafter, the magistrates and inhabitants of the burgh gave their fealty to him, and the castle remained in his hands for nearly twenty years. In 1313, Bruce had nearly recovered Scotland, and Edinburgh was one of the few strongholds which remained to Edward II. The castle was defended by Sir John Wil- ton, whose loyalty was intensified by the fact that his promised bride had made their mar- riage conditional on his holding the castle a year and a day. Randolph, Earl of Moray, 202 Castles and Keeps of Scotland invested the rock, but the garrison was strong and well furnished, and it seemed impossible even to hope that it could be starved out before the return of the English king. Bruce in- formed Randolph that the castle must be taken at all hazards. The earl tried his best, but every approach to the walls called forth such a storm of arrows, bolts and rocks from the engines as made an assault hopeless. At this juncture, on a cold March after- noon, William Francis, a trusted under-officer, informed the earl that he would undertake to lead a party up the crag by night and surprise the fortress. It seems that a number of years before his father had been keeper of the castle under Baliol. He was a soldier of the garri- son, which was kept strictly within the walls, and forbidden to go out under any pretext. Being enamoured of a maiden who lived in the West Bow, and having as a boy clam- bered all over the castle rock, he had sought to make his way out to meet his lady love. By means of a ladder and a path which he had discovered, he had made his way up and down the cliffs by night until he was perfectly famil- iar with the way. He now offered to use this knowledge to lead a band of thirty men up to the base of the walls. Edinburgh Castle 203 Volunteers were quickly found, though the way was, as Sir Walter Scott says, " fitter for a eat than for a man to traverse." The night was moonless and starless, windy, and bitter cold, — a night to make the sentinels cower under the shelter of the battlements, while the whistling of the blast would drown any noise made by the climbers. Fortunately, their path lay on the sheltered face of the crag. Francis went first, and hooked the ladders into place for the more heavily armed men behind. Sometimes they had to traverse a horizontal ledge. The ladders were then car- ried on the outside, serving as a kind of balus- trade to prevent an unlucky slip from hurling a man to death far below. Finally they reached a broad flat ledge near the top, where they paused to rest and await the changing of the watch. Some sentinel, presumably as a joke, or perhaps to prove to the approach- ing patrol that he was awake, suddenly called out, "Aha! I see you well!" and cast over a great rock, which passed close to the cower- ing band, and thundered from ledge to ledge until it reached the bottom. Not knowing whether they were discovered or not, they crouched in their cramped position, gnawed by 204 Castles and Keeps of Scotland the bitter cold, until the patrol had long passed, and all was quiet above. Then they nerved themselves for the last portion of their tremendous climb. A few more feet over the sloping rocks brought them to the base of the walls, more than two hun- dred feet above the plain. The towering bul- warks were far too high for their ladders. Thrice the length was necessary. Finally they found a spot where two bound together en- abled a man to grasp the top of the parapet. Strong and willing hands supported the un- steady ladders; dark forms stealthily clam- bered to the top. Claymore in hand, and dirk between his teeth, Francis was first on the parapet, with Sir Andrew Gray and Earl Randolph close behind. In a moment a dozen men had swarmed over the battlements. The bewildered sentinel barely could scream " Treason! " before a claymore stilled his cries. The alarm was given, however, and the Scotch battle cry, "A Randolph! A Moray! Clay- more, claymore, ho!" warned Blantyre with- out the gates to be ready. As the Scots clambered from the walls and rushed across the court toward the guard room and the gates, the constable and his guard opposed them. The struggle was fierce, but Edinburgh Castle 205 short. Wilton fell at the head of his men, who were bewildered and stupefied by the attack by a band whose strength they did not know. They broke and allowed Sir Andrew Gray to reach and open the gates, and Blantyre en- tered with a force so large as to speedily quell all opposition. Thus was successfully carried out one of the bravest and most difficult sur- prises in all the history of sieges. Bruce adopted toward Edinburgh his his- torical policy, and stripped it of all defences, that it might not shelter the English if they came that way again. In fact nine years later Edward II returned to Edinburgh, and sacked Holyrood Abbey; but was compelled to re- treat, as there was no castle left to protect him from the harassing bands of the Scotch. In 1326 Robert Bruce held parliament in Edin- burgh, and two years later another parliament was called, famous for first seating the repre- sentatives of the burghs, and for ratifying the treaty with Edward III which confirmed the independence of Scotland. In 1334 Edward Baliol, usurper and vassal of Edward, convoked a parliament in Holy- rood, which agreed to surrender to the Eng- lish all of Edinburghshire. Guy, Count of Namur, was sent with an army to take posses- 206 Castles and Keeps of Scotland sion for Edward, but the Earl of Moray de- feated him on the Borough Moor, chased his army headlong into Edinburgh, slaughtered great part of it in the narrow lanes and wynds, and drove the remnant to precarious shelter on the bare castle rock. In 1337 Edward III penetrated as far north as Perth, and on his return rebuilt Edinburgh Castle, and placed in it a strong garrison. Four years later Sir William the Douglas, the Black Knight of Liddesdale, captured the castle by as ingenious a stratagem as ever brave soldier invented or put into execution. The plan was made by an ex-priest, William Bullock, who disguised himself as a French sea-captain, and sailed into the Forth with a cargo of wines and biscuits. He presented himself to the castellan, Richard de Limoisne, and offered his lading for sale. The governor purchased the whole cargo, and as the pre- tended captain seemed to be very much afraid that the Scots would injure him, allowed him to deliver it early the next morning. At dawn appeared the carts, escorted by twelve sturdy mariners. The portcullis was lifted, and the train entered the gateway. As the first wagon was under the portcullis, the escort upset it so that the grating could not be Edinburgh Castle 207 lowered, and attacked the guard. A bugle call brought the band of Douglas from their ambush hard by, and a bloody struggle ensued in the castle yard. The garrison was anni- hilated, and the Scotch banner was raised, never to be lowered again from Edinburgh Castle until the union of the crowns. David II was captured by the English and ransomed by his burghs, with Edinburgh for the first time as chief town, for one hundred thousand marks annually. The town was thus becoming prosperous, yet some years later, in 1384, Froissart, who was there with a party of French knights, said that its four thousand houses could not afford the knights due ac- commodation. On his return from England, David II resided in the castle, and completed the restoration begun at the orders of Ed- ward III. His architect and military engi- neer was John Stuart, Earl of Carrick, af- terwards Robert III, who was familiar with the modes of fortification then current in France. He built the lofty tower long known as " David's Tower," on the north side of the castle and in which David II, the last king of Bruce's line, died in 1370. Carrick's work made the castle so impregnable that neither 208 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Richard II nor Henry IV was able to reduce it by siege. Robert II, David's nephew, the first of the Stuart kings, made Edinburgh the capital of his kingdom. It was yet a mean town, built of cheap materials. It was open to assault from Border raiders, and often the bale-fire's gleam warned the citizens that their safety lay in flight. Then, packing up their goods, they retreated with their famiUes and cattle to a more secure place, often removing even the straw thatch of their houses to save them from conflagration. When the enemy retired in dis- gust from the shell of a to^vn which was left, they had repaired damages almost before he was across the Tweed. On account of such invasions, in 1383 all respectable burghers were granted permission to build themselves houses within the castle walls, but this was so inconvenient that few took advantage of it. Two years later the burghers regretted it, for Lancaster invaded Scotland and laid the city, including Holyrood and St. Giles, in ashes. For five days his troops raged through the town and thundered at the gates of the castle, but the Duke of Rothesay, heir-apparent, successfully defended it. In 1383 the castle had seen the ambassador Edinburgh Castle 209 of France entertained by the first Stuart king, and the league of perpetual amity, entered into a century before, formally renewed. Seven years later, when Robert III suc- ceeded his father, the ambassadors of Charles VI once more came to Scotland and renewed the treaty of 1383. Henry IV, at whom this league was aimed, answered by reviving his claim to suzerainty over Scotland, and formed an army to enforce it. In 1400 he laid siege to the castle. The Scots laid the country waste about him, and privation and the approach of winter forced him to raise the siege inglori- ously, and retreat, pursued far into his own dominions by a harassing but invisible foe. Robert III loved Edinburgh, and resided almost wholly either in its castle or its abbey. The mysterious death of his heir, the Duke of Rothesay, and the capture of his second son James by the English, while travelling to France, broke his heart, and he died in far- away Bute, leaving Scotland to a regency, with its monarch a prisoner in the hands of his hereditary enemies. During the regency of Albany, and the reign of James I, Edinburgh and its castle were little regarded by those in power. James I lived mostly at Perth. With the 210 Castles and Keeps of Scotland accession of James II, however, the city became the chief place of Scotland, its claims as capital never again to be disputed. He had been brought up in the castle, and had a deep affection for it. From the castle he was led solemnly by the Lords of Parliament to the altar of Holyrood to be cro\TOed. When he went back there, guarded by the Earl of Douglas, Duke of Touraine in France, and Lieutenant-Governor of Scotland, on one side, and by the Lord Chancellor Crichton and the Regent Livingstone on the other, it was vir- tually as a prisoner. Whichever lord could control the person of the seven-year-old boy could practically rule Scotland. For two years Crichton held the control. But when he refused to allow either the queen- mother, guardian of the king, or the Regent Livingstone to see the boy, and began to rule despotically in his name, a change occurred. The wily queen pretended to quarrel with Livingstone, and sought the protection of Crichton in the castle. There she lived for several weeks. Then she bade the chancellor farewell, saying that she was going to White- kirk to redeem a vow, and tenderly commit- ting the young king to his care. But when she left the castle early the next morning, the little Edinburgh Castle 211 king was safely packed in a chest on one of her baggage horses, and was shipped from Leith to Stirling, where Livingstone was wait- ing. Regent, king and queen soon returned to Edinburgh and besieged the castle. Crichton saw that he was no match for the three and surrendered, on condition of keeping his of- fices of chancellor and governor of the castle. Livingstone carried off his king to Stirling and proceeded to act much as Crichton had; so that the queen soon stole her son again while he was hunting and fled to Crichton. Livingstone, infuriated, followed with his forces. Civil war was imminent, but some of the bishops succeeded in reconciling the two in the Church of St. Giles, on the basis of making common war against the Douglases. The great earl, Lieutenant-Governor of Scotland, and more powerful in wealth and vassals than the king himself, had just died, leaving two sons. William, the elder, chose to markedly resent the fact that he had not been raised to his father's office. He displayed the most superb arrogance, never riding to Edinburgh save with a retinue of fifteen hun- dred mail-clad warriors, and sending two am- bassadors to France to secure for him his title 212 Castles and Keeps of Scotland to the Duchy of Touraine. As the privilege of sending embassies was strictly a royal pre- rogative, the chancellor and the regent saw in this presumptuous youngling an enemy to the throne, and laid plans for his undoing. They invited him to come to Edinburgh to join in counsel for the realm with them. At Crichton Castle he received lordly entertain- ment, but also warnings from his friends not to put all the Douglas eggs in one basket, by taking his brother David to Edinburgh. He resented the suggestion, and the two youths marched into Edinburgh. They were conducted to the castle, but their train was excluded for lack of room to enter- tain it. They were well received in the fortress, and the king was charmed with his young guests. The feast was set forth, and every- body was happy mitil it was time for the prin- cipal course to be served. Then, to the horror and consternation of both the king and his guests, there was set upon the table the head of a black bull. This, an ancient Scottish custom, doomed to death the principal guest. The unfortunate boys, seeing that they were betrayed, drew their swords, but were speed- ily overpowered by Crichton's vassals, who swarmed in. They were hurried to the " back Edinburgh Castle 213 court of the castle which lyeth to the wast," and pronounced traitors by a mock court which was hastily made up. When they were sen- tenced to be beheaded, the king protested most vehemently, and drew his sword to defend them, but Crichton told him coldly that either he or they must die, as there was not room in Scotland for both a Stuart and a Douglas. Then the headsman's axe was stained with youthful blood, and the most horrible tragedy of the castle was perpetrated. The effect on the popular mind may be read in the words of the ballad : — " Edinburgh Castle, town, and tower, God grant thou sink for sin, And that even for the black dinner Earl Douglas gat therein." No attempt was ever made to avenge this fearful outrage, and there is no doubt that James the Gross, great-uncle of the earl, and his heir, was privy to the crime. He was soon succeeded by his son, who formed an alliance with Livingstone to destroy Crichton and steal the king. But Crichton, safe behind the cas- tle's walls, not only laughed at their siege, but sallied forth and inflicted great losses on them. When he did finally surrender to the king 214 Castles and Keeps of Scotland himself, the terms involved his restoration to his office and the royal favour. When the king attained his majority, he was married with great pomp, in which all factions joined, to JNIary of Gueldres. After his mar- riage, he defended his city and castle by the first city wall, of which only the Wellhouse Tower, at the northern foot of the Castle Rock, now remains. As a further protection to the castle, he destroyed King David's gar- dens, and made the Nor' or Xorth Loch, an artificial lake extending along the whole north- ern base of the rock, both wide and deep. The next unusual event in the history of the castle occurred in the reign of James III. The king allowed himself to be deluded by an astrologer into believing that his two brothers, the Duke of Albany and the Earl of IVIar, were about to compass his death. The one was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, the other in Craigmillar. Mar was soon brought to a house in the Canongate, as he was ill of a fever, and being bled by the king's own physi- cian, he was thereafter found dead in a warm bath, his wound having burst open and left him too weak to call for help. Albany was more fortunate. He was com- mitted to King David's Tower, and his ward- Edinburgh Castle 215 ers were informed that his escape would mean their death. Nevertheless, his friends man- aged to inform him that a French vessel was waiting for him at Leith. From this they sent him as presents two casks of Gascon wine, in one of which was a rope, and a waxen roll containing a letter. This informed him that " the king's minions had resolved he should die ere to-morrow's sun set." Albany invited the officers of the guard to sup with him, and made them all drunk. This end achieved, he seized the captain's dagger from his belt, and dispatched all four of his captors. Though he had gained in France the title of " Father of Chivalry," he treated most barbarously the corpses of his enemies. With the assistance of his attendant he threw all the bodies into the fire which blazed high in the great fireplace, " and there in their armour they broiled and sweltered like tortoises in iron shells." He had previously secured the keys of the tower, and locked all the external doors. The rope was made fast to the top of the tower, and the attendant insisted on going down first. As the rope was twenty feet too short, he fell and broke his leg. Albany heard his groans, and rushed back for the sheets of his bed, which he tied to the rope, and came safely to 216 Castles and Keeps of Scotland the ground. There he found the hapless at- tendant, raised him on his shoulders, and car- ried him all the way to Leith, whence they took ship to Dunbar and thence to France. Meanwhile the awful stench from the burning bodies had caused the tower to be broken into, but the prisoner was beyond recapture. Albany now proved himself a traitor in- deed, by bargaining with Edward IV to hold Scotland of him if assisted to gain the crown. James set out with an army to meet the Eng- lish, but took all his favourites with him. His principal nobles took matters in their own hands, hanged the favourites, and committed James to Edinburgh Castle as a prisoner. The Dukes of Gloucester and Albany, meet- ing no resistance, entered Edinburgh, and Gloucester spared the town at Albany's en- treaties, " only taking such presents as the merchants genteelly offered him." Gloucester signed a treaty most unfair to his brother, by which Albany acknowledged James's author- ity, and was pardoned, and also made Lieu- tenant-General and Earl of Mar. James was released from his imprisonment, but Albany immediately sent to England and renewed his contract of the previous year, using as a mes- senger Angus, " Bell-the-Cat." James again Edinburgh Castle 217 retired to the castle, and by the help of the citizens, was saved from danger. Albany and his allies were outlawed. But a few years later, another conspiracy drove James north from Edinburgh to death at Sauchieburn. In the troublous minority of James V the castle was alternately a refuge and a prison for him, while unruly nobles strove for the command of the government, but the history of the castle for many years is almost devoid of interest. It twice successfully resisted the attacks of the English under Hertford and Somerset, when the town was burnt and sacked, in 1544 and 1547. In 1560 the Regent, Mary of Guise, died in the castle, and her body, wrapped in lead, lay there for some months before it was conveyed to France. Less than a year afterward Mary Stuart decided to return to Scotland, her husband the Dauphin having died. In August, 1561, she arrived at Leith, and three days later made her entry to her capital. For the first time she saw her great rock-borne castle, and that day she dined there. Thereafter she often resided there, and after her marriage to Darn- ley, and the murder of Rizzio, she took up her residence in the castle for security. Here, on 218 Castles and Keeps of Scotland June 19th, 1566, was born her son, James VI of Scotland and I of England. Darnley was at this time residing in the castle, apparently on the most amicable terms with his wife, and on this occasion he sent the following letter to the Cardinal de Guise: — " From the Castle of Edinburgh, 19th day of June, 1566, in great haste: — " Sir — my Uncle, " Having so favourable an opportunity of writing to you by this gentleman, who is on the point of setting off, I would not omit to inform you that the Queen my vrife has just been delivered of a son, which circumstance, I am sure, ^^^11 not cause you less joy than our- selves; and also to inform you how, on this occasion, I have on my part — as the Queen my said wife has also on hers — written to the King, begging him to be pleased to oblige and honour us by standing as sponsor for him, by which means he will increase the debt of grat- itude I owe him for all his favours to me, for which I shall always be ready to make any return in my power. " So, having nothing more agreeable to in- form you of at present, I conclude, praying Edinburgh Castle 219 God, Monsieur my uncle, to have you always in His holy and worthy keeping. " Your very humble and obedient Nephew, " Henry R. " Please to present my commendations to Madame the Dowager de Guise." The little room in which James was born is still shown in Edinburgh Castle; like all the rooms shown as abiding places of Mary, it is of extremely small dimensions. Very little of Mary's tragic history is associ- ated with the Castle of Edinburgh. She pre- ferred Holyrood, when she was not visiting in other parts of the kingdom. After Mary's escape in 1568, Kirkcaldy of Grange seized the castle in her behalf, and held it for three years. The town was bombarded, and the attacks of the various regents who followed each other in quick succession had little effect. At last Elizabeth sent Sir Will- iam Drury, with a siege battery and a well equipped force, to reduce the castle. Kirk- caldy had supplied himself with provisions by an underground passage into the town, but this had been discovered and blown up some time before, so that he was already short of pro- 220 Castles and Keeps of Scotland visions when the siege commenced. He might have surrendered on easy terms; the dying John Knox had sent him a letter of prophetic warning; but he waited in hope of rehef from France. Batteries were erected all around him, but he held out for thirty-three days. One by one the towers fell, the walls crumbled, the wells were choked. Provisions gave out, and finally the garrison mutinied. Kirkcaldy sued for terms; receiving the promise of favourable treatment, he surrendered, and was hanged at the town cross. His companion, Maitland of Lethington, Mary's secretary, had preferred suicide to the mercy of Elizabeth. The castle was so ruinous that James never lived there, preferring Holyrood. In the reign of Charles I the castle was still in ruins, so that he did not visit it when mak- ing his progress. Six years later he sent a command to the citizens to put the castle into a good state of defence, but they voted fifty thousand pounds Scots to aid the Covenanters in besieging it, and it was forced to surrender to General Leslie. Cromwell besieged the castle in 1650, and after two months' resistance it honourably ca- pitulated. At the Revolution it was held for Edinburgh Castle 221 James VII by the Duke of Gordon. At the RebelHon of 1715, the insurgents made an at- tempt to capture it by surprise, but failed. Prince Charles Edward, in 1745, although he occupied the city, made no attempt to get pos- session of the castle, in spite of the fact that it bombarded the city, because of his presence. Since the union of the crowns the castle has been kept in good repair, this being guar- anteed by the terms of the document. The only event of historical importance was the discovery of the regalia of Scotland by Sir Walter Scott, which will be described later. CHAPTER X EDINBURGH CASTLE (Continued) The usual approach to the Castle of Edin- burgh is from the Princes Street side, crossing the valley of the beautiful gardens, once the Nor' Loch, by the Mound or Waverley Street Bridge. Both routes lead into the Castlehill, from which we enter the Esplanade in front of the castle. Here was of old the place of execution for witchcraft, a bloodstained spot where, during the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centu- ries, no less than two thousand persons were " worryit at the stake." This process implies strangling and burning, and was inflicted on the most slender evidence. Frequently a dozen persons suffered at once, and the victims in- cluded those of all ranks and stations. Natu- rally, here as elsewhere, the old, the ill-tem- pered, the invalid, the ugly or useless man or 222 Edinburgh Castle 223 woman was the usual sufferer, but the highest of Scotland were not exempt. Lady Jane Douglas, young and beautiful, faithful to the memory of her dead husband, John, Earl of Glamis, was revengefully accused by a re- jected suitor of attempting to compass the death of the king by witchcraft, convicted, and here burned alive. James VI took a great interest in the witch- craft trials, and even applied the torture with his own hands. In 1590-1 an unfortunate maid-servant was tortured by her master, and confessed that she and several others whom she named were guilty. They were all tried, condemned and burnt on the Castlehill. One of them, Agnes Sampson, told the story of her intercourse with the devil as follows: " The devil in man's likeness met her going out into the fields from her own house in Keith, between five or sax at even, being alone, and commanded her to be at North Ber- wick kirk the next night. She passed there on horseback and lighted down at the kirkyard. A little before she came to it, about eleven hours at even, she and others danced alang the kirkyard; Geilie Duncan playing to them on a trump, John Fian missalit (masked) led all the rest, the said Agnes and her daughter fol- 224 Castles and Keeps of Scotland lowed next, and some others, in all about ane hundred persons, whereof sax were men, and all the rest women. The women first made their homage, then the men. The men turned nine times withershins about {i. e. counter- clockwise) . The witches then took hands and danced a reel to the music of Geilie Duncan's Jew's trump, singing the while — " * Cummer, go ye before, Cummer go ye, Gif ye will not go before, Cummer let me/ " John Fian touched the doors with his staff and they opened ; he then with his breath blew in the lights, which were like muckle black candles sticking round the pulpit. The devil then started up in the pulpit, like ane muckle black man, and callit everyane by his or her name, and they answered, * Here, Master.' . . . On his command they openit up the graves, two within and ane without the kirk, and cut off the joints of the fingers, toes and knees of the dead, and partit them amang them, so that having ground them to a powder they might work mischief therewith. They also put to sea on the day James was expected back from Denmark with his bride, and threw a cat into the water, pronouncing at the same Edinburgh Castle 225 time an invocation to the devil. This was in- tended to raise such a storm that the vessel would be wrecked and the king drowned. [James stated that he could vouch for the truth of this, for his vessel had been greatly troubled by storms and contrary winds, while the other vessels of the fleet were bowling along before a favourable wind.] The witches added that they asked the devil why they could not work the king any evil. And the Prince of Darkness replied, ' Because he is such a good man, I have no power over him. He is my greatest enemy.' " The king regarded this statement as a high compliment, but it did not mollify him enough to prevent the unfortunate woman from being burned on the Castlehill. The space before the castle, the Esplanade, was, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a favourite promenade of the citi- zens of the town. It was not levelled until 1753, when the earth excavated from the foun- dations of the Royal Exchange was employed to remedy the former inequalities of the hill- side. The walls and railings were added about the middle of the nineteenth century. It con- tains two monuments, one to the Field Mar- shal the Duke of York and Albany, the other 226 Castles and Keeps of Scotland in memory of members of the 78th Ross-shire Highlanders who fell in the Indian Mutiny. Before entering the castle we may recall that the Castlehill possesses a certain interest to students of American history, because dur- ing the reign of Charles I it was officially a part of the province of Nova Scotia. In Sep- tember, 1621, Sir William Alexander, who later became Earl of Stirling, was granted by James VI a charter which conferred upon him and his successors most of what is now the northern United States and Canada, as well as the adjacent islands. This charter con- ferred on him almost royal authority over a country two or three times as large as the whole realm of Great Britain. Besides giving him the proprietorship of the land and all its products, the charter allowed him to appoint legal tribunals, coin money and grant lands. Charles I renewed the charter in 1625, and thereupon Alexander began to create baronets. From each he received one hundred and fifty pounds, in return for which he transferred to each new lord a tract of six square miles of land, with right of pit and gallows thereon. In order that these baronets might be con- veniently enfeoffed in their new estates, the king issued a royal mandate declaring the soil Edinburgh Castle 227 of the Castlehill to be that of Nova Scotia. In the ensuing twenty-five years, sixty-four American baronets took seizin on this spot. But this, the first attempt to create a heredi- tary American aristocracy, met with httle suc- cess. To enter the castle we must cross the old moat, which was formerly filled with water from the Nor' Loch. It is now dry and laid out for recreation groimds. The gateway is modern, but contains an ancient door im- pressively studded with iron bolts. This is known as the Outer Port. The cobbled road leads under the rock wall on the left, and passes through the Portcullis Gate in the base of the Argyle Tower. This sht in which the iron grate descended is still to be seen. The Argyle Tower is possibly the one formerly known as St. David's Tower, which was battered to pieces during the siege of 1573, when Kirkcaldy of Grange upheld the cause of Mary. The walls are of enormous thick- ness and show under the later ashlar work masonry of great antiquity, so that Blanc con- siders this undoubtedly some of David's work. Other authorities, however, place David's Tower about in the centre of the Half Moon Battery, just within and above the Outer Port. 228 Castles and Keeps of Scotland The present name of the tower comes from the two Argyles, father and son, one of whom was imprisoned here in 1661, the other in 1685. Both were executed for their religious prin- ciples. The last day of the younger Argyle has been commemorated by a great fresco in the lobby of the House of Commons in Lon- don, based on the following description by Macaulay : — "So effectually had religious faith and hope, co-operating with natural courage and equa- nimity, composed his spirits that on the very day on which he was to die, he dined with appe- tite, conversed with gaiety at table, and after his last meal, lay down, as he was wont, to take a short slumber, in order that his body and mind might be in full vigour when he should mount the scaffold. At this time one of the lords of the council (supposed to have been Middleton), who had probably been bred a Presbyterian, and had been seduced by in- terest to join in oppressing the church of which he had once been a member, came to the castle with a message from his brethren and demanded to see the earl. It was an- swered that the earl was asleep. The privy councillor thought that this was a subterfuge and insisted on entering. The door of the cell Edinburgh Castle 229 was softly opened, and there lay Argyle on the bed, sleeping in his irons, the placid sleep of infancy. The conscience of the renegade smote him. He turned away, sick at heart, ran out of the castle, and took refuge in the dwelling of a lady of his family who lived hard by. There he flung himself on a couch and gave himself up to an agony of remorse and shame. His kinswoman, alarmed by his looks and groans . . . prayed him to tell her what had disheartened him. He replied, * I have seen Argyle within an hour of eternity sleeping as sweetly as ever man did. But as for me— Passing through the archway of the Argyle Tower, we see on the left a staircase, formerly the only means of access to the citadel, which may now be more easily reached by the broad roadway which circles around the base of the upper platform. On the right of this road- way is first the Argyle battery, and then vari- ous buildings pertaining to the internal econ- omy of the garrison. Behind them on the west side is the location of the old sallyport through which the body of St. Margaret was conveyed, and up to which Dundee climbed in 1689 for his historic conference with the Duke of Gor- don, governor of the castle, on the possibility 230 Castles and Keeps of Scotland of raising the Highland clans m support of the deposed James. A tablet over the postern records this inter^iiew. Following the roadway we reach the upper platform, on which are the parts of the castle open to the pubhc. Inmiediately before us is the old bomb battery, from which a most ex- tensive prospect is visible in clear weather. The most conspicuous object here is the old cannon, famed as ^lons ]Meg. Sir Walter Scott affii'ms that this gun was made by Kim of ^lollance or ^lons in Kirkcudbrightshire, and presented by the ^IcLellans of that comity to James II, when he arrived at Carlingwark in 1455, on his way to besiege Threave Castle, belonging to William, Earl of Douglas. This story has been much disputed. Mr. Burnet, who edited the Exchequer Rolls, thinks it very unlikely that a country smith in West Scot- land would be skilled enough to build such a piece of ordnance, even if he had the needful tools and apphances. He finds in the Rolls proof that the king imported his bombards from Flanders, and an entry covering the expense of conve^-ing the king's great bom- bard from Linlithgow to the siege of Threave Castle. It therefore seems most likely that the gun was forged at ^lons in Flanders, as af- Edinburgh Castle 231 firmed in the inscription on the gun, though perhaps earher than 1476, as there asserted. Whenever it was made, it was used at the siege of Dumbarton in 1489, when the treas- urer's books reveal the payment of eighteen shillings Scots for drink money to the gunners. It was again used in Edinburgh on April 24th, 1558, when the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, to the Dauphin was being celebrated. The treasurer's accounts on this date contain the following entry: — " By the Queenis pre- cept and speciale command to certain pyonaris, for their laboris in the mounting of Mons furth of her lair to be schote, and for the finding and carrying of her bullet after she wes schot, frae Weirdie mure to the Castell of Edin- burgh." In 1682 the gun burst while firing a salute to the Duke of York. In 1745 it was removed to the Tower of London, whence it was brought back in 1829 on the prayer of Sir Walter Scott. Nearby stands St. Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh and the oldest church in Scotland. This without doubt dates back to the time of the good queen, and is the only building on the rock which was not des- troyed by Bruce. It is only twenty-eight feet long and ten wide, and is architecturally Early 232 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Xorman, with some Saxon details. The chan- cel is sixteen feet long, and is separated from the circular apse by a wall pierced by an en- riched Xorman arch. The chapel has been restored in recent years as nearly as possible to its original appearance. By tradition it is the place where Edward I received the fealty of the Abbot of Holyrood and other ecclesi- astics. On the right is the doorway to the Ai'gyle Tower, from which the two noblemen of that name, JNlarqnis and Earl, went forth to death. The yoimger man was twice imprisoned here, escaping once, even as his father might have done, had not his courage failed at the last moment. The earl was visited on a stormy night by his step-daughter. Lady Sophia Lindsay of Balcarres, who came to bid him farewell. When she left, the earl, disguised as her footman, held her train. At the outer gate, the sentinel seized his arm, and the agi- tated earl dropped the train. As if incensed with his clumsiness, the quick -T^^tted woman slapped the muddy train across his face, and the sentinel was so amused at the comical spec- tacle that he forgot his suspicions and let them pass. The earl escaped to Holland, and was not recaptured until 1685. In this chamber Edinburgh Castle 233 also the wraith of " bloody Claverhouse " ap- peared to his comrade and friend, Lord Bal- carres, on the night when Dundee died at Killiecrankie. Passing the Half Moon Battery, we enter the Palace Yard, historically the most inter- esting part of the castle. On the east is the entrance to the Crown Room, an oak-pan- elled apartment where are kept under heavy bars the Regalia of Scotland. The crown, which possibly dates back to the time of Bruce, though added to in the time of James V, is richly adorned with precious stones. The sceptre was made in Paris for James V, of silver gilt, and is richly adorned with carv- ings and a great beryl taken from an ancient Egyptian sceptre. The sword of state, five feet long, was presented by Pope Julius II to James IV, together with the golden rose. The collection also contains the royal jewels be- queathed by Cardinal York, the last of the Stuarts, to George IV, including the jewels of the Garter and the Thistle belonging to James VI and the coronation ring of Charles I. Oliver Cromwell had the Regalia of Eng- land destroyed during the Commonwealth, and the Scotch Privy Council was apprehensive 234 Castles and Keeps of Scotland lest the same fate should befall those of Scot- land. So they were sent to Dunnottar Castle, and afterwards conveyed from there to safe concealment, as is more particularly related elsewhere. After the Restoration they came back to Edinburgh, and at the Union, the Council, fearful lest they should be conveyed to England, ordered them concealed once more. They were placed in a huge chest in one of the vaults of the castle, the door sealed, and stringent orders given that the room should never be opened. There they remained for a hundred years and ten, and faded from the memory of living men. The room was en- tered in 1794, when certain valuable papers were being searched for, and the huge chest shaken. As it gave forth no sound, it was believed to be empty, and the legend that the jewels were there concealed was put down as an idle fable. It then came to be believed that the English Government had had the Regalia secretly conveyed out of the kingdom and melted down. Sir Walter Scott made researches which convinced him that there w^as truth in the an- cient legend, and in 1818 obtained an order from the regent allowing him to enter the Crown Room and break open the chest. So, Edinburgh Castle 235 on the 4th of February, a commission consist- ing of some of the principal officials of the kingdom, of which Scott was a member, vis- ited the Crown Room with a smith, who broke open the chest. The dust was thick inside the chest, but the jewels were there, wrapped in a cloth and uninjured. A salute was imme- diately fired from the castle batteries to com- municate the good news to the populace, and great joy was everywhere manifested. They are still preserved in the room in which they were found, where stands the chest which pre- served them safely. A passage from Lock- hart shows Scott's feeling about the precious relics : — " On the 5th February, Scott and some of his brother commissioners revisited the castle accompanied by several of the ladies of their families. His daughter tells me that her father's conversation had worked her feeHngs up to such a pitch that when the lid was again removed, she nearly fainted and drew back from the circle. As she did so she was startled by his voice exclaiming in a tone of deepest emotion: * No, by God, no!' One of the commissioners, not quite entering into the solemnity with which Scott regarded this busi- ness, had, it seems, made a sort of motion as 236 Castles and Keeps of Scotland if he meant to put the crown upon the head of one of the young ladies near him; but the voice and aspect of the great poet were more than sufficient to make the worthy gentleman understand his error." On the ground floor at the northeast angle is a doorway, over which is the date 1566 and the initials H and M, standing for Henry Darnley and Mary, father and mother of James VI, who was born here in that year. These ornaments were probably inserted by James VI, as the buildings date from the fif- teenth century. The queen's mother, INIary of Guise, died in this room in 1560. The most remarkable thing about Mary's bedroom is its small size, — not more than eight feet in its longest dimension. In this it is like every room shown in any Scotch castle as a chamber of the queen. She seems to have had a fond- ness for tiny apartments, and according to the traditions of many castles, always slept on a camp bedstead of her own when outside her palace of Holyrood. The wainscoting of this room is older than the date of James's birth, having been brought here from the Guise Palace in Blyth Close. The panelled oaken ceiling, with royal crowns and the initials I. R. and M. R., remains im- Edinburgh Castle 237 changed from Mary's day. The famous in- scription, surmounted by the Scottish arms, is still to be read on the wall : — "Lord Jesu Chryst, that crounit was with Thornse, Preserve the Birth, quhais Badgie heir is borne. And send Hir Sonne successione, to Reigne stille, Lang in this Bealme, if that it be Thy Will ; Als grant, 0 Lord, quhat ever of Hir proceed, Be to Thy Honer, and Praise; Sobied. 19th IVNII, 1566." The south side of the quadrangle is occupied by the old Parliament or Banqueting Hall. Long neglected, it has in recent years been restored by the munificence of an Edinburgh citizen, WilHam Nelson, and now houses a fine collection of arms and armour. This was the meeting-place of many parliaments; here was proclaimed king the six year old James II; here Crichton and Livingstone feasted the Douglases, when the fatal Black Bull's Head ended the meal with a sentence of death; here banqueted the peers of Scotland at all the coronations down to the time of Charles I; and here the Earl of Leven entertained Crom- well in 1648. From the windows of this gallant hall, fair ladies and proud knights watched the tilting 238 Castles and Keeps of Scotland in the Grassmarket below. The Stuart kings were very fond of this exercise, and such was the renown of the tiltings of Edinburgh that knights came from all parts of Christendom to break a lance with the kings or their lords. Pitscottie tells of a combat which was wit- nessed by James IV in 1503 from one of these windows : — " A famous cavalier of the Low Countries, Sir John Cochbevis, challenged the best knight in Scotland to break a lance or meet him in combat a Voutrance. Sir Patrick Hamilton of the House of Arran took up his challenge. Amid a vast concourse, they came to the bar- riers, lanced, horsed and clad in tempered mail, with their emblazoned shields hung around their necks. At sound of the trumpet they rushed to the shock and splintered their spears fairly. Fresh ones were given them, but as Hamilton's horse failed him, they drew their two-handed swords and fought on foot. They fought thus for a full hour, till the Dutchman, being struck to the ground, the king cast his plumed bonnet over the castle wall to stay the combat, while the heralds and trumpeters proclaimed the Scottish knight victorious." The northern and western buildings of the quadrangle are of no importance, architectural Edinburgh Castle 239 or otherwise. They include the hospital, into the walls of which are built the stones of an old church which formerly stood on the spot. As we pass out of the castle, the sentimental will be inclined to take a peep at the dogs' cemetery in a corner of the ramparts, where are buried the pets of the regiments that have been quartered here. Below the north side of the castle, in the gardens, may be seen the ruins of the Well- house Tower, the starting point of the first wall of the city, where for centuries gushed forth a spring which was the principal reli- ance of the garrison in time of siege. On the side of the rock may be seen the lines of a built-up arch. This may have been the lion's den, but is more probably a remnant of the subterranean passage which once connected the castle with St. Giles and Holyrood and through which Kirkcaldy of Grange was pro- visioned during his long defence of the castle for Mary. CHAPTER XI THE CASTLES OF EDINBURGHSHIRE Holyrood Palace Although no castle in the strict sense of the word, the Palace of Holyrood demands some mention, more especially because linked with so many events in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. The legend of the founda- tion of the abbey by David I has already been related. Although we have told it as it has been handed down for centuries, there is little doubt that it was invented many years after the death of the king; nevertheless, it is inter- esting, and a fair sample of the legends which have attached themselves to many abbeys in various parts of Europe. The abbey was endowed for the canons reg- ular of the Augustinian order, a colony of whom was transferred from St. Andrews. The financial resources of the establishment were large from the outset, and in addition 240 The Castles of Edinburghshire 241 it was gifted with the privileges of trial by wager of battle, by water, by red-hot iron, etc., and also possessed the right of sanctuary, which still exists, though no longer useful since the abolition of imprisonmen-t for debt. It soon became one of the most splendid estab- lishments in the kingdom, and, like all monas- teries, contained numerous apartments for the entertainment of visitors of all ranks. Nobil- ity and royalty were frequent guests within its walls, and it became one of the favourite residences of Scotland's kings. Robert Bruce and Edward Baliol held par- liaments within its walls. Robert III resided here when he came to Edinburgh. James I and his queen preferred it to any of their pal- aces, and in Holyrood the queen gave birth to twins, one of whom was afterward James II, and was crowned in the abbey. The same king was married and buried here, and spent much of his life in residence within its walls. Just when a royal residence was erected in connection with the abbey is not clear. Prob- ably the accommodations were extended at various times, as the needs of the royal fam- ily crowded the original quarters designed for guests. James IV, however, began the erec- tion of a truly royal palace which henceforth 242 Castles and Keeps of Scotland subordinated the monastery, and it was fin- ished by the fifth James. The abbey did not escape the storms of war which rolled over the Lowlands. In August, 1332, the army of Edward III, on its return to England, laid waste the grounds and build- ings of the abbey, and carried off its treasures. In 1385, during the furious raid of Rich- ard II, it was burnt. It was wholly disman- tled during Hertford's invasion in 1545, and the roofs were stripped of the remaining lead three years later by Somerset, after the battle of Pinkie. Some repairs were made for the Scottish coronation of Charles I, but final ruin was accomplished by a mob at the time of the Revolution, when the roofs were again stripped, the monuments destroyed, the vaults desecrated, and the bones of kings and nobles scattered in the most disgraceful manner. The head of Queen Magdalen, still retaining its lifelike appearance and much of its beauty, and the skull of Darnley were stolen, and the other bones were piled promiscuously in heaps, where they long remained a show for sight- seers and a prey for thieves. The church was roofed again in 1758, with heavy stone flags, but the weight was too much for the shattered The Castles of Edinburghshire 243 walls, and the structure succumbed and as- sumed its present ruinous state. The original palace was destroyed by Hert- ford at the same time as the abbey, but was rebuilt. Again it was partially destroyed by the soldiers of Cromwell. At the orders of Charles II it was reconstructed in its present form by Sir William Bruce, who incorporated the whole western front of the old palace, in- cluding the two castellated towers, so that the architectural appearance is not wholly homo- geneous. This older portion, to the north, con- tains the apartments which are of the deepest interest to all visitors, those of Mary, Queen of Scots. Here she resided during almost all of that period of her life which was so crowded with passionate and tragic incidents, her two mar- riages with Darnley and Bothwell, the murder of Rizzio in her presence, and of Darnley with her knowledge or at least approbation. After visiting some public rooms of indiffer- ent interest, we enter the apartments of Darn- ley. The most interesting thing here is the little private stair from the turret room, by which access was gained from the courtyard to Mary's apartments. By this stair the assas- sins of Rizzio entered the palace, and were eon- 244 Castles and Keeps of Scotland ducted by Darnley to Mary's rooms above. This is now closed, and entrance is made by a stair from the audience room to Queen Mary's audience chamber. Here stands the bed of Charles I, used also by Prince Charles Edward in 1745, and by the Duke of Cumber- land, his conqueror, in the following year. In this room Mary disputed with John Knox. From this room we enter the bedchamber of Mary, panelled and tapestried as befitted a royal apartment. Fenced from the devastat- ing touch of the relic-hunter, made up with the mouldering linen and rotted damask under which the queen slept on her last night here, her bed is the most pathetic memorial of past greatness which can be imagined. As one stands in the presence of this tangible evi- dence of the bodily presence of the queen in this historic spot, the centuries vanish, and the imagination easily repeoples these bare and decaying chambers with the ghosts of the past; the passionate and changeable queen; the four Maries, attendants of her youth, desolating her as they one by one married and left her; Chastelard, poet of love and gentleman of France, loser of his own head from inflated vanity; Rizzio, the murdered secretary; Sec- retary Maitland; the awkward and lascivious The Castles of Edinburghshire 245 king, Henry Darnley; Bothwell, seducer, murderer and pirate, invincible with women; John Knox, the Reformer; Ruthven; George Douglas; Ker of Faldonside; gentlemen and ruffians, nobles and churchmen, courtiers and retainers, a motley crowd, all intent on their own petty purposes, and dragging the des- tinies of a nation through their coils of in- trigue, passion and violent death. The queen's supper room, at the head of the spiral staircase, is the culminating point of the visit. Here occurred the tragedy whose vis- ible evidence is the dark stain in the audience room which a doubting public requires to be renewed yearly, against the wish of the author- ities, that it may be assured that the vital fluid of some unfortunate sheep is the very life- blood of the Piedmontese secretary. The mur- der of Rizzio has been depicted over and over again, but who could do it better than Mary herself. Here it is as she testified to it : — " Upon the 9th day of March, we being, at even, about seven hours, in our cabinet at supper, sociated with our sister the Countess of Argyle, our brother the Commendator of Holyrood House, the Laird of Creich, Arthur Erskin, and certain other our domestic servi- tors, in quiet manner, especially by reason of 246 Castles and Keeps of Scotland our evil disposition (illness), being counselled to sustain ourselves with flesh — having then passed almost to the end of seven months in our birth — the king, our husband, came to us in our cabinet, and placed himself beside us at our supper. The Earl of Morton and Lord Lindsay, with their assisters, bodin (armed) in warlike manner, to the number of eighteen persons, occupied the whole entry of our palace of Holyrood House, so that they believed it was not possible for any person to escape forth out of the same. " In the meantime the Lord Ruthven, bodin in like manner, with his complices, took entry per force in our cabinet; and there seeing our secretary, David Riccio, among others our servants, declared he had to speak with him. In this instance we required the king, our hus- band, if he knew anything of that enterprise, who denied the same. Also we commanded the Lord Ruthven, under the pain of treason, to avoid him forth of our preseiice. He (Riccio) then for refuge took safer guard, having re- tired him behind our back; but Ruthven, with his complices, cast down our table upon our- self , put violent hands on him, struck him over our shoulder with whinyards (daggers), one part of them standing before our face, with The Castles of Edinburghshire 247 bended dags (cocked pistols), most cruelly took him out of our cabinet, and at the entry of our chamber gave him fifty-six strokes with whinyards and swords. In doing whereof we were not only struck with great dread, but also by sundrie considerations were most justly induced to take extreme fear of our life. " After this deed immediately the said Lord Ruthven, coming again into our presence, de- clared how they and their complices were highly offended with our proceedings and tyranny, which was not to them tolerable; how we were abused by the said David, whom they actually put to death, namely, in taking his counsel for maintenance of the ancient religion, debarring of the lords who were fugitives, and entertaining of amity with for- eign princes and nations with whom we were confederate; putting also upon Council the Lords Bothwell and Huntly, who were trai- tors, and with whom he (Riccio) sociated him- self." Mary was not deceived by Darnley's pro- testations of innocence in the matter, more especially as his bloody dagger was found in the hastily made grave of Rizzio, and this ter- rible invasion of her chamber, regardless of her rights as a queen, a woman, and an ap- 248 Castles and Keeps of Scotland preaching mother, combined with Darnley's indiscriminate amours with the most debased companions, effectually killed her love for him. The manly Both well succeeded to her favour, and less than a year later the house where Darnley was staying, in the Kirk o' Field, was blown up at night, and the king killed. Then followed the secret marriage with Both well in the hall of Holyrood, not the Chapel Royal, where Darnley had been espoused. The be- ginning of the end; few and short were her hours of ease thereafter. Secrecy, evasion, flight, defeat, imprisonment, in varied se- quence, were her lot, and finally came death by behest of that Elizabeth depicted with bloody hands in Mary's bedchamber at Holy- rood. In the registers of Holyrood these entries relate to some of the important events of Mary's hfe. On July 21st, 1565: proclamation of mar- riage between Mary and Darnley: " Ye quhilk daye, Johnne Brand, Mynister, presented to ye Kirk ane writtin writin be ye Justice-Clerk's hand, desyring ye Kirk of ye Cannogait and Mynister thairof to proclaime Harie, Duk of Albayne, Erie of Roiss, etc., on ye ane pairt, and Marie, be ye Grace of J3 The Castles of Edinburghshire 249 God, Queene of Scottis, Soverane of this Reahne, on ye ather pairt. The quhilk ye Kirk ordains ye Mynister so to do wi. invo- cationne of ye Name of God." And on the 29th of July of the same year, stands the entry of the said parties having been proclaimed: " Harie, Duk of Albayne, Erie of Roiss, Marie, be ye Grace of God, Queene Soverane of this Realme, 1. 2. 3." with the note, " Mar. in ye Chappell." The two murders are thus entered: " Monsr. Singnior Dauid wes slaine in Halyruidhous ye ix. daye o' Merche anno 1565. (Old style.) " " The King's Grace blaun up wi' pudr. in ye Kirk o' Field, ye x. day o' Februar, 1566." Craigmillar Castle Three miles south of Edinburgh, in the par- ish of Liberton, there stand on a wooded hill the well preserved ruins of Craigmillar Castle. The nucleus of this castle was probably erected in the latter part of the fourteenth century. It was a keep of L-plan, four stories high, with a flat roof well adapted for purposes of de- fence. Two of the floors were vaulted, the others were formed of wood midway in the height of the vaults. This keep was provided 250 Castles and Keeps of Scotland with a courtyard which has probably always retained the same dimensions. Entering the castle by the gateway on the north side, which formerly had a guardhouse and a portcullis, it Plan of Craigmillar Castle was necessary to pass around two sides of the keep, through a narrow passage between it and the south wall of the courtyard, and across a chasm in the rock provided with a movable bridge, before reaching the entrance door. This was consequently deemed to be well enough defended to be placed on the ground floor. Inside there is a lobby below the out- side level, commanded by a guardroom above. To get to the stairs, an abrupt turn through The Castles of Edinburghshire 251 a narrow door is necessary. The stair contains a provision for defence, in that it does not continue straight up, but leads into a guard- room at the hall level, and makes a new start upward several feet to one side. It would hardly be possible to make a more tortuous and difficult entrance for an enemy to win. The walls of the enceinte are about thirty feet high, and provided with turrets at each corner. They are corbelled out to make a con- tinuous rampart with open machicolations, em- brasures and loopholes. Some parts of the curtain had also wooden hoardings outside, the beam-holes for which are still visible. In the sixteenth century, after the ravages of Hertford, the castle was restored, and a range of buildings erected around the east and south sides of the wall, thus converting this into a courtyard castle. A new staircase was built at this time for easier access to the keep. The west wing was added later, perhaps in the seventeenth century, to replace earlier build- ings on this side. This castle is almost unique in having intact the outer bailey, which contained the farm buildings, chapel, and gardens. The whole enclosure is over three hundred feet long and about two hundred wide. This outer court is 252 Castles and Keeps of Scotland not extended around the south side, where the castle stands on the edge of a precipitous cliff some thirty feet high, and needed no additional defence. Craigmillar is mentioned in a charter of Alexander II as early as 1212. It was pur- chased from Sir John de Capella by Sir Simon Preston in 1374, and remained in the Preston family for almost three hundred years. In 1477 it was the prison of John, Earl of Mar, younger brother of James III, who was con- fined here on the charge of conspiring against his brother's life. It was the residence of James V during his minority, when he left Edinburgh on account of the plague; and by the favour of his guardian, Lord Erskine, the queen dowager was allowed to visit him here while the Duke of Albany, the governor, was absent in France. The castle was burned and plundered by the English in 1554, and most of the present buildings are of later date, as stated above. The castle was a favourite resi- dence of Queen Mary after her return from France in 1561. Her French retinue were lodged in the little village which still exists to the east of the castle, and is known as Petit France. Mary's room, in the south wing of the keep, is only seven feet by five, but never- The Castles of Edinburghshire 253 theless contains two windows and a fireplace. Mary was residing here in November, 1566, when the " Conference of Craigmillar " was held, at which Bothwell proposed her divorce from Darnley. Here also was signed and dated the " bond of blood " for the murder of Darnley, by Maitland, Morton and the other conspirators. The castle has been much repaired in recent years, and is in good preservation. It may be visited on application to the custodian in the village to the east, the fee to the guide being optional. Borthwick Castle Borthwick Castle, now unfortunately abso- lutely closed to visitors, is the finest keep in Scotland. The building is in good preserva- tion and stands almost in its original form. Its date of erection is exactly known, as Sir William Borthwick was created Lord Borth- wick in 1430, and was granted, by James I, a license to erect upon the spot called the Mote of Locherwart a castle or fortalice, to surround it with walls and ditches, to defend it with gates of brass or iron, and to place upon the summit defensive ornaments, that is, battlements and turrets; he was further em- 254 Castles and Keeps of Scotland powered to place in the castle so erected a con- stable, a porter, and all other persons and things necessary for the defence thereof. The castle stands on a slight eminence be- tween two streams, towards which the ground slopes precipitously. It is defended by outer walls, forming an irregular courtyard about two hundred and forty feet long and one hun- dred and twenty broad. At the bottom of the steep slope crowned by these walls is a ditch. The wall is defended by towers, of which that at the corner by the gate is very strong, and had a fair-sized apartment within. The castle is perhaps the largest simple keep in Scotland. It is seventy-four feet by sixty- eight, and ninety feet high, exclusive of the battlements. It consists of an oblong block containing the great hall, and two wings on the west side, with a deep recess between. It is built of polished sandstone, which has re- sisted the weather remarkably well, and gives it an unusual appearance of freshness in spite of its great age. The basement comprises several vaulted rooms, as is usual, and access from it to the hall is gained by a spiral stair opening into the guardroom. The great hall, fifty-one feet by twenty-three, occupies the entire first floor The Castles of Edinburghshire 255 of the main building. To enter from without it was necessary to go around two sides of the keep, and mount a stair to the parapet of the enceinte on which rested a drawbridge from the entrance. The first floor walls are twelve to fourteen feet thick and a guardroom in them defends the entrance. The hall is vaulted and twenty-nine feet high. It contains a lofty hooded fireplace, somewhat ornamented, and a music gallery. In the north wing is the kitchen, containing an enormous fireplace, in which are three win- dows. The south wing contains a parlour. The rooms above in each wing are bedrooms. In the main block are a drawing-room and chapel on the second floor, and bedrooms on two more floors. The roof was defended by parapets sup- ported on bold corbels with open machicola- tions all around and round bartizans at the corners. These parapets are gone on the east side, where they were destroyed during Crom- well's bombardment in 1650. The land on which this castle was built was purchased by its builder from William Hay of Locherwart, and was on the extreme edge of his property. This was a common custom, the reason for which was well expressed by a 256 Castles and Keeps of Scotland northern laird who did the same thing. One of his friends warned him of the inconvenience of such a procedure, as removing him too far from the other side of his estate. The laird significantly answered, " We'll brizz yont." Translated, this signifies, " We'll press for- ward," and is indicative of the habit of the feudal barons to extend their domains upon every pretext. Hay of Locherwart looked with envy on the magnificent castle rising on the land he had so lately parted with, and vented his spleen by building just below the tower, in the valley which was still in his domain, a mill, declaring that the pride of Borthwick should never cease to be wounded by the clack of his neighbour's mill. William, Lord Borthwick, the builder, was a man of note in his time, and was a member of the assize which sat at Stirling on Murdoch, Duke of Albany, builder of Doune, and his sons. His descendants were also men of merit, ambassadors overseas, and forward in Parlia- ment. The third lord, with his neighbour of Crichton, fell on the fatal field of Flodden. His last descendant died in 1672, and ninety years later the peerage became extinct. It had been one of the greatest in Scotland, its lands The Castles of Edinburghshire 257 in 1538 comprising no less than thirteen do- mains, in five counties. . The last lord, on being confirmed in his title by Parliament, claimed the title of First Baron of Scotland. Sir Walter Scott relates the following curi- ous incident which occurred at Borthwick in 1547, having found an account of it in the ecclesiastical records of St. Andrews. In con- sequence of a process betwixt Master George Hay de Minzeane and the Lord Borthwick, letters of exconmiunication had passed against the latter, on account of the contumacy of cer- tain witnesses. William Langlands, an appar- itor or macer of the see of St. Andrews, pre- sented these letters to the curate of the church of Borthwick, requiring him to publish the same at the service of high mass. It seems that the inhabitants of the castle were at this time engaged in the favourite sport of enact- ing the Abbot of Unreason, a species of Mgh- jinkSj in which a mimic prelate was elected, who, like the Lord of Misrule in England, turned every sort of lawful authority, and par- ticularly the Church ritual, into ridicule. This frolicsome person with his retinue, notwith- standing the apparitor's character, entered the church, seized upon the primate's officer with- out hesitation, and, dragging him to the mill- 258 Castles and Keeps of Scotland dam on the south side of the castle, compelled him to leap into the water. Not contented with this partial immersion, the Abbot of Un- reason pronounced that Mr. William Lang- lands was not yet sufficiently bathed, and therefore caused his assistants to lay him on his back in the stream, and duck him in the most satisfactory and perfect manner. The unfor- tunate apparitor was then conducted back to the church, where, for his refreshment after his bath, the letters of excommunication were torn to pieces, and steeped in a bowl of wine; the mock abbot being probably of the opinion that a tough parchment was but dry eating. Langlands was compelled to eat the letters, and swallow the wine, and dismissed by the Abbot of Unreason with the comfortable as- surance that if any more such letters should arrive during the continuance of his office, " they should a' gang the same gait." The authorities of St. Andrews, owing to the progress of the Reformation, appear to have been unable to avenge the insult by any- thing more serious than threats of excommuni- cation against the perpetrators when discov- ered. This species of license grew so fast, that a few years later an act of Parliament not only prohibited the choosing of Abbots The Castles of Edinburghshire 259 of Unreason, but ordered that women singing around summer-trees or May-poles were to be taken, handled and put upon the ducking- stone. This same John, fifth Lord Borthwick, who allowed thq license of the Abbot of Unreason, was a loyal friend and adherent of Queen Mary. The Earl of Bothwell was proprietor of Crichton Castle, only two miles away, and Mary often visited Borthwick to be near him. As shown by Cecil's diary on the Tth of October, 1566, when the queen heard that Bothwell had been hurt in Liddesdale, she rode to Borthwick. She was also there on June 6th, 1567, with Bothwell, to whom she had been married little more than three weeks. Less than a week later, on the eleventh, Mary and Bothwell were again here, fear hav- ing driven them from Holyrood. A letter of James Beaton, Archbishop of Glasgow, states that, in this morning, " my Lords of Morton, Mar, Hume, Lindsay, etc., with sundry odderis barronis, to the nommer of nine hundredth or a thousand horsemen, arryvit in the morn- ing about Borthwick, in deliberation to com- prehend and tak my Lord Duk, wha was in the said place with the Queen's Majestic. My Lord Duk hearing of this enterprize, thinking 260 Castles and Keeps of Scotland well he could be in mair securitie in the field than in ane house, passit forth and red away. " Her Majestic, in mennis claithes, butit and spurrit, departit that samin nicht of Borthwick to Dunbar, quhairof na man knew saif my Lord Duk and sum of his servants, wha met her Majestic a myll off Borthwick, and conveyed her hieness to Dunbar." The insurgent nobles had not yet felt them- selves able to touch the person of Mary, so, finding Bothwell flown, they returned to Edin- burgh, where they beat down the gates of the castle, without opposition from the provost and town officers. There they captured Mary's friends, who had retired there for safety. Beaton, the writer of the letter just quoted, conveyed these tidings to Mary, whom he found " so quiet at Borthwick, that there was none with her, passing six or seven per- sons." This small garrison probably deter- mined her to ride forth, " butit and spurrit, and in the guize of a page," to Cakemuir Castle, where she passed a night, and where BothwelFs servants met her, to escort her to Dunbar. During the Civil War, the eighth Lord Borthwick was a follower of the king. Borth- wick Castle, as well as all the other strong- I The Castles of Edinburghshire 261 holds in the vicinity of Edinburgh, was gar- risoned for the royal side, which fact was greatly instrumental in causing the retreat of Cromwell from Edinburgh. After the disas- trous battle of Dunbar had caused the surren- der of the capital, these fortresses fell gradu- ally into the possession of the English. Borth- wick Castle held out persistently and its gar- rison harried the victorious army on every occasion. Cromwell soon determined to put an end to this wasp-like annoyance, and sent from Edinburgh on the 18th November, 1650, a letter endorsed " For the Governor off Borthwick Castle — These." Its terse and emphatic contents were as follows: " Sir, " I thought fitt to send this trumpett to you to let you know, that if you please to walk away with your company, and deliver the house to such as I shall send to receive it, you shall have libertie to carry off your arms and goods, and such other necessaries as you have. You harboured such parties in your house as have basely and inhumanely murdered our men; if you necessitate me to bend my cannon against you, you must expect what I doubt you will 262 Castles and Keeps of Scotland not be pleased with. I expect your present answer, and rest " Your servant, " O. Cromwell." The governor, supposed to be Lord Borth- wick, chose to remain, whereupon the artillery- was duly brought into position on the east side, and the garrison soon found their de- fences tumbling about their ears. They then surrendered on honourable terms. Thus closes the history of Borthwick's wars. Of the name of Borthwick, not in the line of succession, one or two men have passed into history. Of these was Robert Borthwick, gun founder and gunner in the infancy of great guns, master of artillery to James IV. He cast the beautiful guns called the Seven Sis- ters, a greatly admired prize of the English on the bloody field of Flodden. Another of the name spoke on his last bed the sentence proverbially called " David Borth- wick's Testament." He was a lawyer, and became rich; all his estates he gave to his son. Sir James Borthwick, who spent prodigally what came so easily. As the old advocate lay dying he was told that Ballencrieff, the last estate, was sold. He merely replied: " What The Castles of Edinburghshire 263 can I say? I bequeath every man to the devil that begets a fool, and does not make a fool of him." Crichton Castle Crichton Castle, two miles from Borthwick, is a fine specimen of a structure begun as a simple fourteenth-century keep, and afterward extended into a castle surrounding a court- yard. It was until recently accessible to the public, but entrance is now forbidden, as the present owner has again made it into a dwell- ing house. The keep contained the usual hall, with a vaulted basement below, there being no com- munication between the floors. The dungeon was in one corner of the basement, in the thick- ness of the wall and the haunch of the base- ment vault, a cramped apartment communi- cating with the hall by a stair. The door of the dungeon is less than three feet high, and is nine feet above the floor. It has no win- dows but an air-slit. On the north and west sides of the court- yard are fifteen-century additions, including new halls, kitchens, etc., as at Doune and Tan- tallon. Two halls are included, one above the 264 Castles and Keeps of Scotland other, each with its own kitchen and serving- room. The latest portion of the buildings is the finely decorated north side, erected about 1600. The lower floor is an arcaded corridor, and the stonework above is cut into square facets, so that the whole aspect of this side is rather that of a Venetian palace than a Scottish castle. The first recorded proprietor of Crichton was Sir William Crichton, chancellor to James I and guardian of his son. In 1445 the castle was stormed and destroyed by For- rester of Corstorphine, a follower of Living- stone. In 1488 the estate was given to Pat- rick Hepburn, first Earl of Bothwell, and descended from him to the famous earl of Mary's time. Forfeited by him to the Crown, it was given by James VI to Francis Stu- art, Earl of Bothwell. Later it passed through numerous changes of proprietorship, and was until lately a crumbling ruin. Scott thus describes it in " Marmion: " — " That castle rises on the steep Of the green vale of Tyne : And far beneath, where slow they creep, From pool to eddy, dark and deep, — Where alders moist and willows weep, — You hear her streams repine. The Castles of Edinburghshire 265 The towers in different ages rosej Their various architecture shows The builders' various hands ; A mighty mass that could oppose, When deadliest hatred fired its foes, The vengeful Douglas bands. Crichton ! though now thy miry court But pens the lazy steer and sheep ; Thy turrets rude, and totter'd keep, Have been the minstrePs loved resort. Oft have I traced within thy fort, Of mouldering shields the mystic sense, Scutcheons of honour, or pretence. Quartered in old armorial sort, Eemains of rude magnificence. Nor wholly yet has time defaced Thy lordly gallery fair ; Nor yet the stony cord unbraced Whose twisted knots, with roses laced, Adorn thy ruin'd stair. Still rises unimpaired below The court-yard's graceful portico; Above its cornice, row on row Of fair hewn facets richly show Their pointed diamond form ; Though there but houseless cattle go To .shield them from the storm ; And, shuddering, still, may we explore. Where oft whilom were captives pent, The darkness of the Massy-More ; Or from thy grass-grown battlement, 266 Castles and Keeps of Scotland May trace, in undulating line, The sluggish mazes of the Tyne." Eoslin Castle Roslin Castle stands on a high promontory lying above the North Esk, twelve miles south of Edinburgh. To the ordinary visitor it is an unimportant incident of the visit to the wonderful Roslin Chapel, one of the gems of Gothic architecture, which stands hard by. The castle is indeed but a shapeless mass of ruins, with a house of late date built over part of them, but it possesses some unusual archi- tectural features. The approach to the castle was over a narrow promontory of rock. This has been cut through at its narrowest part, and the gap was formerly crossed by a draw- bridge, but is now filled with a stone arch. The road under this once crossed the river, but the bridge has long vanished. The entrance to the castle was anciently guarded by a gatehouse with round towers, and by a square tower, both of which are now utterly ruinous. The keep, the oldest part of the castle, was at the southwest corner, on the highest part of the site. It was fifty feet long, of unknown width, and is now represented The Castles of Edinburghshire 267 only by the walls of one side and part of another. No vestige of the internal arrange- ments is left. It was built in the thirteenth century. Continuing its wall to the northward is what is apparently a wall of the fifteenth century. This is unique in Scotland, and its construction is both curious and hard to de- scribe. It is composed of eight buttresses or rounds, wedge shaped in plan, with rounded outer ends. Father Hay, the historian of the family, gives a description which makes it probable that arches were thrown across the tops of these buttresses, to form a parapet. He calls them the wall of the chapel, but there is no present indication that they ever f ormed part of a building. The buildings on the southeast side of the court are seventeenth century. Three stories are built below the level of the courtyard, vaulted in stone, and reached by a wide stone stair. These buildings rise two stories above the courtyard level, containing the dining- room, great hall, etc., while the lower rooms were used as kitchen, bakery, and store rooms. They overlook the tilting ground to the south in the valley. Though surrounded by trees of great age, this is still clear, and bears evident marks of its original purpose. 268 Castles and Keeps of Scotland " The lordly line of high St. Clair " has been domiciled in Scotland since the time of Mal- colm Canmore." This monarch gave William, son of Waldernus, Comte de St. Clair, one of the Norman barons who came with the Conqueror, the lands of the barony of Roslin. This was about 1100, and there has probably been a castle on the spot ever since. His castle was doubtless incorporated in the pres- ent keep, built by William de St. Clair, who set out with Lord James Douglas to carry the heart of the Bruce to Palestine. The line prospered, and its titles extended until the St. Clairs were Barons of Roslin and several other lands in Lothian, Earls of Orkney and Caith- ness, and Dukes of Oldenburg. They were at the head of the baronage of Midlothian, and rich to an extent unusual for Scotland. Their glory culminated in Earl William, who flour- ished in the middle of the fifteenth century, and founded Roslin Chapel. He maintained his court at Roslin Castle with a state and magnificence even greater than that of many of the Scotch monarchs. He was served at his own table from vessels of silver and gold, by great nobles; Lord Dirleton was the mas- ter of his household. Lord Borthwick his cup- bearer, and Lord Fleming his carver. If The Castles of Edinburghshire 269 these were absent their deputies were respect- ively Stuart, Laird of Drumlanrig, Tweedie, Laird of Drumerline, and Sandilands, Laird of Calder, each of which six owned a castle of his own. As to the state of his remaining equipage, let us quote Father Hay : — " His Countess, Margaret Douglas, was waited on by seventy-five gentlewomen, whereof fifty-three were daughters of noble- men, all cloathed in velvets and silks and with their chains of gold and other pertinents; together with two hundred rideing gentilmen, quho accompanied her in all her journies. She had carried before hir when she went to Edin- burgh if it were dark eighty lighted torches. So that in a word none matched her in all the contrey save the Queue's Majesty." The castle was destroyed by fire in 1452, and again demolished during the English in- vasion of 1544, along with Craigmillar. It was partially restored in 1580, but Monk knocked it to pieces again in 1650, and it was never rebuilt. What he left, the mob tore down and carried away when they ravaged Roslin Chapel in 1681. Roslin is the scene of more than one pic- turesque legend, some of which have been the subjects of Scott's poetic genius. The most 270 Castles and Keeps of Scotland famous is that which relates how the earl of the time of Bruce obtained from that monarch his broad baronies in the Pentlands. It seems that Robert Bruce was in the habit of hunt- ing in the dense forest which then covered all this region, and that his hounds had often started a beautiful white deer, which regularly outran them and escaped. On a certain day William St. Clair boasted that his dogs were better than the king's, and offered to wager his head that Help and Hold, for so they were named, would pull down the white hind before she should cross the March burn. The king, incensed, accepted the wager, but saying that the head of a Scottish nobleman was too valu- able to be risked for nothing, he staked against it the broad forest of Pentland. So the wager was joined, and all the hounds were called to leash save Help and Hold, and the slowhounds used to raise the deer. St. Clair was allowed to post his animals as he pleased, and all awaited the result. The slow- hounds did their work, and the white deer flashed by Earl William, seeming to cast a reproachful glance upon him as she passed. He released his dogs, urging them on with his voice and galloping close at their heels. Fleet as they were, the white hind was faster. The Castles of Edinburghshire 271 and reached the burn long before them. Into the stream she plunged, and the spectators felt that St. Clair's head was lost. But in the middle of the stream the deer paused, and in an instant the hounds were upon her. Their terrible fangs tore her throat, and they dragged her upon the bank just as the hunting party rode up. The deer reproachfully turned her fast-glazing eyes on the earl, and from that moment neither the saving of his head nor the increase of his possessions could drive away the impression that a misfortune had befallen him in the death of the white deer. In the night in a vision he saw again the chase of the white deer. This time he was aware that it foreboded disaster, but could not avert it. When he again saw before him the dying deer, a whisper came to him: " O day of infinite sorrow! You have slain the guar- dian of the brightest jewel of the house of Roslin!" The vision passed and he awoke. A storm was impending. The clouds rolled across the sky, the wind howled, the lightning flashed. A terrible tempest burst over Lothian and the Firth of Forth, and not only devas- tated the lands of Roslin, but swamped the barge in which his only daughter Rosabelle was returning from a visit to her aunt in Fife. 272 Castles and Keeps of Scotland The barons of Roslin were anciently buried in a vault in the chapel, each in his armour, without coffins, and before the Revolution, the vault contained the remains of ten of the line thus interred, and perfectly preserved by the dryness of the situation. A superstitious belief arose that on the night before the death of any of the family, the chapel appeared to be in flames, and this, with part of the legend of Rosabelle, has been woven into the verses of Scott : — " O'er Koslin all that dreary night, A wondrous blaze was seen to gleam ; 'Twas broader than the watch-fire's light, And redder than the bright moonbeam. " It glared on Eoslin's castled rock, It rnddied all the copsewood glen ; 'Twas seen from Dryden's groves of oak, And seen from cavern'd Hawthornderu " Seem'd all on fire that chapel proud, Where Eoslin's chiefs uncoffin'd lie; Each baron, for a sable shroud. Sheathed in his iron panoply. Seem'd all on fire, within, around, Deep sacristy and altar's pale ; Shone every pillar foliage-bound, And glimmer'd all the dead men's mail. The Castles of Edinburghshire 273 " Blazed battlement and pinnet high, Blazed every rose-carved buttress fair, — So still they blaze, when fate is nigh The lordly line of high St. Clair. " There are twenty of Roslin's barons bold Lie buried within that proud chapelle j Each one the holy vault doth hold — But the sea holds lovely Rosabelle ! " And each St. Clair was buried there, With book, with candle, and with knell ; But the sea-caves rung, and the wild waves sung, The dirge of lovely Rosabelle ! " Hawthornden A mile down the glen of the Esk from Roslin Castle stands the house of Hawthorn- den on a high crag rising from the south bank of the stream. The walk hither from Roslin is one of the most beautiful and romantic in all of Scotland, and in the perfumed air of spring a delight to all the senses. "... The spot is wild, the banks are steep. With eglantine and hawthorn blossomed o'er, Lychnis, and daffodils, and harebells blue : From lofty granite crags precipitous. The oak, with scanty footing, topples o'er, Tossing his limbs to heaven ; and, from the cleft. 274 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Fringing the dark-brown natural battlements, The hazel throws his silvery branches down : There, starting into view, a castled cliff, Whose roof is lichened o'er, purple and green, Overhangs thy wandering stream, romantic Esk, And rears its head among the ancient trees." The age of Hawthornden is usually over- stated. The modem house dates only from the seventeenth century. Attached to this are frag- ments of a small square keep whose age is diffi- cult to determine, but which is probably of the fifteenth century. That there was a castle here much earlier we know, as also that the perpendicular cliff under the house was carved into caves used as habitations and places of refuge in very early times. One room is ar- ranged as a dovecot, and is popularly called King Robert Bruce's library, but as a Scotch- man cannily remarked, " There wadna be mony bund books then." These caves were used as refuge by Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie during the reign of David II, when the English were in possession of Edinburgh. The most celebrated owner of the house was the poet, William Drummond, friend of Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, and the first Scotchman who wrote good English verse. The incident of his visit from Ben Jonson, The Castles of Edinburghshire 275 who walked all the way from London, is well- known. Though of old Edinburghshire boasted a hundred castles, the number is now sadly re- duced. Many of those which remain have been so changed by rebuilding as to lose what- ever architectural interest they have possessed, while others have been removed by the march of progress. So, though we might enumerate many other structures in Midlothian called by the title of castle, we will pass on to other fields. CHAPTER XII CASTLES OF EAST LOTHIAN Dunbar Castle The fragmentary ruins of the once magnif- icent Castle of Dunbar stand on a reef of trap rock projecting into the sea, which makes its way through many fissures and caverns of the crags to the base of and even under the mas- sive walls. The buildings were once of considerable extent. The main body of the castle was about one hundred and sixty-five by two hun- dred and seven feet, stretching its length from north to south. Southwest of the main building was what Grose supposes to have been the citadel or keep, an octatgonal build- ing sixty feet in diameter on a perpendicular rock accessible only on one side, and connected with the main building by a defended passage. On the other side of the ruins is a large nat- ural cavern of black stone, called the dungeon, which, as Pennant says, " the assistance of a 276 Castles of East Lothian 277 little art had rendered a secure but infernal prison." It is perhaps more likely to be the postern gate through which Sir Alexander Ramsay and his band succoured the garrison in the famous siege of 1337-8. The age of Dunbar goes far back of his- tory. The name in Gaelic means " the fort on the height," but the legend asserts that Kenneth I defeated the Picts at Scoon through the aid of one of his most valiant soldiers, whose name was Bar. On him was bestowed the stronghold as a reward; hence the name Dun-Bar, " Castle of Bar." How- ever this may be, in 961 two leaders named Dunbar and Graeme led the men of Lothian against the Danes at Cullen. In 856 Kenneth II burned the castle, but it speedily rose again, for it was justly consid- ered one of the keys of the Lowlands. The founder of the family of Dunbar, which for four centuries maintained an almost regal authority in the east of Scotland, was Cos- patrick, great-grandson of Uthred, Prince of Northumberland. After the Norman con- quest in 1066, he, with other northern nobles, fled to Scotland, carrying with him Edgar Atheling, the heir of the Saxon line, together with his mother and sisters. One of the latter, 278 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Margaret, became the queen of Malcolm Can- more, and Cospatrick was created Earl of Dunbar. For his exploit in defeating a for- midable band of robbers, of whom he killed six hundred and hanged eighty, later present- ing the head of their leader to the king, he was created Earl of March and granted arms of a bloody head. He was also granted Cock- burnspath on the unusual tenure of keeping the March and East Lothian free of robbers. His successors prospered, and rendered their castle so strong that Henry III and a great army, after reducing the powerful fortress of Berwick in 1214, were unable to capture Dun- bar, and retired to England. Patrick, earl at this time, in 1231, after assembling all of his family and neighbours to celebrate Christmas, entertained them most sumptuously for four days. At the end of this time he summoned the Abbot of Melrose, received extreme unc- tion at his hands, and assumed the monastic habit. He died a year later and was succeeded by his son Patrick, who became the most powerful lord in Scotland, and was the leader of the twenty-four barons who guaranteed the treaty with England in 1244. He was the head of the faction which caused the downfall of the Castles of East Lothian 279 Bissets in 1242, when the king was powerless. This was the outcome of a royal tournament held at Haddington, where the Earl of Athole bore down Walter Bisset, head of the family. In revenge, the earl's lodgings were fired that same night, and the earl and a number of his party perished. The sixth Earl Patrick died in 1248, while besieging Damietta in Egypt. His son Pat- rick was a leader of the English party during the troublous minority of Alexander III. In 1285 he was visited at Dunbar by Thomas Learmouth of Ersildown, known for his gift of prophecy as Thomas the Rhymer. Arriv- ing at the castle in the evening, the earl jocu- larly asked him what strange thing would occur on the morrow. The prophet's face immedi- ately became grave, and he replied: " Alas for to-morrow, a day of calamity and misery! Before the twelfth hour shall be heard a blast so vehement that it shall exceed those of any former period, — a blast which shall strike the nations with amazement, — shall humble what is proud, and what is fierce shall level with the ground! The sorest wind and tempest that ever was heard of in Scotland! " Thereafter, refusing all entertainment and conversation, he retired to his apartment. The next fore- 280 Castles and Keeps of Scotland noon, the earl and his friends watched the weather until nearly noon, but without discov- ering anything untoward. Summoning the Rhymer, they upbraided him as an impostor, and prepared to partake of their dinner. As they sat down at the table, and the shadow on the dial reached the noon mark, a messenger on a horse covered with foam dashed up to the door and demanded instant admittance. Brought before the earl and asked as to his message, he replied: " I do indeed bring tid- ings most lamentable, and to be deplored by the whole realm of Scotland. Alas, our re- nowned king has ended his fair life on yonder coast near Kinghorn!" The Rhymer ad- vanced with an air of conscious triumph. His reputation was sustained by the king's fatal fall from his horse. Loudly he exclaimed, " This is the scaithful wind and direful tem- pest which shall be such a calamity and trouble to the whole kingdom of Scotland! " Patrick, the eighth earl, was a partisan of the English. When Edward I entered Scot- land in 1296, the earl, together with the Bruces, joined him, leaving his countess, Mar- jory, daughter of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan, in the Castle of Dunbar. She patri- otically delivered it to the Scotch leaders, who Castles of East Lothian 281 garrisoned it with the flower of the nobihty. Edward despatched Warrenne, Earl of Sur- rey, with twelve thousand men to recover the fortress. Conscious of the impossibility of with- standing such a force, the Scots agreed to sur- render unless relieved in three days. The main army of Scotland, forty thousand men, com- manded by the Earls of Buchan, Lennox, and Mar, advanced to its support. On the third day they took their position on Doon Hill, — in the same spot occupied in 1650 by General Leslie before his defeat by Cromwell, — and waited for an attack. Despite the disparity of the forces, the Earl of Surrey left part of his army to blockade the castle and advanced to meet the Scotch. In order to reach them, the English had to cross a valley, and, in doing so, seemed to waver. The Scotch, believing victory already won, charged from their well- chosen position with shouts and trumpetings. Warrenne faced them undismayed, and the un- disciplined troops broke and fled, being pur- sued with great slaughter to Selkirk forest. Many of the fugitives sought shelter in the castle, but on the next day Edward appeared, and Seward, the governor, surrendered. The Earls of Athole, Ross, and Menteith, four barons, thirty-one knights, one hundred es- 282 Castles and Keeps of Scotland quires, and many men of lesser rank were taken. Later the king gave Earl Patrick two hundred pounds to furnish the castle with military stores and provisions. The ninth earl, also named Patrick, suc- ceeded on the death of his father in 1309. He was also English in his sympathies, and in 1314 sheltered Edward II after the annihila- tion of his army at Bannockburn. The king, with a small body of horsemen, was in flight toward Berwick, but was followed so closely by Sir James Douglas and eighty picked ri- derls, that he was very glad to find refuge in Dunbar. The earl " full gently received him," entertained him hospitably, and caused him to come by boat safely to Berwick, a very hon- ourable proceeding, as he was well aware how advantageously he might make peace with his cousin. King Robert Bruce, by delivering to him the person of the King of England. Shortly after the earl submitted to Bruce, and later demolished his castle to prevent it from falling into the hands of the English. In 1333, however, he submitted to King Ed- ward III and rebuilt the fortress at his own cost, to shelter an English garrison. The next year he was present at Edinburgh at the par- liament at which Baliol ceded all south Scot- Castles of East Lothian 283 land to the English king. Thereafter he changed sides again and retired to the High- lands with the friends of Bruce. His castle was left in charge of his wife, daughter of Randolph, Earl of Moray, and grandniece of King Robert Bruce, called " Black Agnes " from her dark complexion. On January 28, 1337, WiUiam de Monta- gue, Earl of Salisbury, commenced the most famous siege in the history of the castle. The English placed their engines in position and hurled massive stones against the walls. Agnes stood on the battlement, and when a great bullet struck the stones just below her, she scornfully ordered one of her handmaidens to wipe off the marks of the impact with her clean handkerchief, gaily observing that it was scarcely gentlemanly on the part of Salisbury to throw dust in a ladj^'s eyes. The earl, with infinite pains, advanced to the foot of the walls an immense shed covering battering rams, called a sow. The lady taunt- ingly cried out: " Beware, Montagow, For farrow shall thy sow ! and caused to be hurled an immense fragment of rock, which utterly demolished the roof, and 284 Castles and Keeps of Scotland caused the inmates who remained alive to scatter in all directions, thus speedily fulfil- ling the prophecy. Having exhausted his resources in this direc- tion, the earl tried the power of gold, and attempted to bribe the keeper of the gate to open to him in the night. The canny guardian assented and took the purse, but then laid the whole story before the countess. At the ap- pointed time Salisbury and his men ap- proached and found the gate indeed open. The earl pressed forward to enter first, but John Copeland, one of his ofiicers, rushed before him and reached the courtyard. As he did so the portcullis fell, but failed to trap the earl. Agnes was watching from a high tower, and jeeringly exclaimed: " So, Monta- gue! We had hoped to-night to have received the noble Salisbury as our guest, and con- sulted with him on the best means to defend a Scottish fortress against an English army; but as my lord declined the invitation, we will e'en take counsel of ourselves. Farewell, Mon- tague! With truth within, we fear no treason from without! " The earl was disheartened by this failure and sat down to a close blockade of the castle, every avenue to which by sea or land was Castles of East Lothian 285 closely watched. When the garrison was at the last extremity, Alexander Ramsay of Dal- housie determined to succour it. Embarking at midnight with forty determined men, he eluded the English flotilla, and landed at the water postern. The garrison, freed from dan- ger of famine, received him most joyfully, but Ramsay was satisfied with no half -relief . He immediately sallied forth from the main gate, surprised and cut to pieces the enemy's ad- vanced guard, and returned in safety. Salis- bury was so discouraged by this new reverse, and the length of the siege, that he broke camp on June 10th, after nineteen weeks blockade, and retired to England. George, eleventh Earl of Dunbar and March, quarrelled with the Duke of Albany, and fled to England. While he sojourned in the English camp, his castle and titles were sequestrated, and passed nominally to the Crown, actually to Albany, who was created Earl of March. When Earl George made peace with his sovereign it was at the expense of Dunbar, which remained a fief of Al- bany. The Duke of Albany, brother and chief counsellor of James III, is thus depicted by Lindsay of Pitscottie: "He was hardy and 286 Castles and Keeps of Scotland manly, and wise so that they [the barons of Scotland] stood in more awe of him than of the king's grace, for his manhood. This Al- exander was of a mid stature, broad shoul- dered, and well proportioned in all his mem- bers, and specially in his face; that is to say, broad-faced, red-nosed, great-eared, and of very awful countenance, when he pleased to show himself to his unfriends." He was as ambitious as he was bold, and almost as strong in the kingdom as the king himself. In 1475, not for the first time, he became the object of his brother's suspicions, and was cast into Edinburgh Castle, fated to death. His friends helped him to escape, as is else- where more particularly related, and he fled by sea. On the way he stopped at Dunbar, and put his castle in order, then resumed his journey to France, where he married the Duchess of Bouillon, and remained until 1482. Meanwhile the castle was taken, the garrison escaping by sea. On his return at the head of an English force, in 1482, he recovered his estates, but the next year was forced to flee again from Scotland, leaving an English gar- rison in Dunbar, who were able to hold it against all the efforts of the Scotch. On September 21, 1484, a truce of three Castles of East Lothian 287 years between England and Scotland was con- cluded at Nottingham. By a singular clause in the agreement, Dunbar was to have six months truce only, after which, by giving six weeks' notice, the Scottish king was to be at liberty to recover the castle by force, if his strength were sufficient. Although his par- liament repeatedly advised James to give notice, and besiege this castle, he did not feel strong enough to do so until 1486, when he laid siege to it in the depth of winter, and soon recovered it, without causing the English to feel that the truce was broken. In 1488 an Act of Parliament was passed, directing the Castle of Dunbar to be " casten down and utterly destroyed, in such manner as to render repairs utterly impossible," " be- cause it has done great skaith in time bygane, and it were great danger to the realme if it were negligently kepit or reparit again." By bitter experience the Scots had found that the English were far more skilled in sieges than themselves, and their own captured fortresses had more than once been thorns in the flesh. Nevertheless it was not until 1567 that this ordinance was actually put into execution. During the regency of Mary of Guise, Dunbar was garrisoned by her French troops. 288 Castles and Keeps of Scotland This was a source of much annoyance both to Scotch and Enghsh, and in the treaty of 1560, between Queen Elizabeth, and Francis and Mary, it was agreed that all the French gar- risons should be dismissed, except sixty men each in Dunbar and Inchkeith, and that the new works at Dunbar should be demolished. The English army, marching to Berwick, took good care to see that this was done. Dunbar is a name especially associated with the troublous years of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1566, after the murder of Rizzio, Bothwell aided her escape from Holyroodhouse, and after a short sojourn at Seton, she moved to Dunbar. Here she was speedily joined by so many of her friends that she gained a tem- porary ascendance over the authors of her secretary's death. Again, in November of that year, she sojourned six days in Dunbar. In April, 1567, Bothwell, who had been constable of Dunbar, obtained a " ratification " of the " Queen's Castle and Strength of Dunbar " and the " Captaincie " of the fortress, in part recompense of his " great service and exorbi- tant expenses," and also because his friends, kinsmen, tenants and servants for the most part dwelt adjacent to the said castle and strength. Under his guardianship, Mary was Castles of East Lothian 289 twice more here. The last time was when she fled from Borthwick, disguised as a page, and barely escaped Home's troopers by refuge in its walls. Here her proclamation called to- gether the feeble and unwilling army which dissolved in panic at Carberry Hill, leav- ing her a prisoner destined for Lochleven Castle. The Laird of Whitelaw still held Dunbar for Bothwell, but the regent brought cannon from Edinburgh, and the place surrendered on favourable terms. Then came the resur- rection of the act of 1488, and the margin of the record of the Council contains this incom- plete note: " 26th December, 1567. Ordains the Inche and Dunbar to be demolished and taken down, in respect of K. Jas — By this politic move, the regent destroyed Both- well's strength by virtue of an ancient statute, without incurring hostility for his own govern- ment. It stands to-day, the ruins of that wrecking, and was until lately free to all visitors. But it is now used as a rifle range, and in conse- quence much closed to sightseers. Even this year of 1907, great tumult has been caused in the town by further restrictive measures, and it may soon be entirely closed to the public. 290 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Innerwick Castle Innerwick Castle, in the parish of the same name, and five miles from Dunbar, seems to be a ruin of great antiquity and was formerly of considerable extent. The earliest portion was a simple keep, but this was later added to on the east, where originally was an open court. It was a position of considerable strength, standing on a high sandstone cliff, with sheer faces on three sides. On the fourth was a deep ditch cut in the rock. Of its history little is known. It belonged successively to the Stuarts and Hamiltons. Together with Thornton, a keep of Lord Home's, and Dunglas, a tower a few miles off, it was destroyed by Somerset's expedition in 1548. Patten's diary gives an account which, modernized in the spelling, I quote as a good picture of the savage warfare of that period: " Tuesday, the 6th of September. " Our Pioneers were early at their work again about the castle [Dunglas, which had been taken the day before] ; whose walls were so thick and foundation so deep, and thereto set upon so craggy a plot, that it was not an easy matter soon to underdig them. Castles of East Lothian 291 " Our army dislodged and marched on. In the way we should go, a mile and a half from Dunglas northwards, there were two Piles or Holds, Thornton and Anderwick [Innerwick], both set on craggy foundation, and divided, a stone's cast asunder, by a deep gut, wherein ran a little river. " Thornton belonged to the Lord Home, and was kept then by one Tom Trotter. Whereunto, my Lord's Grace, over night, for summons, sent Somerset, his Herald. Towards whom, four or five of this Captain's prickers, with their gads ready charged, did right ha- stily direct their course : but Trotter both hon- estly defended the herald, and sharply rebuked his men ; and said, for the summons, ' he would come and speak with my Lord's Grace him- self.' " Notwithstanding, he came not; but straight locked up sixteen poor soldiers, like the soldiers of Dimglas, fast within the house, took the keys with him, and commanding them they should defend the house and tarry within (as they could not get out) till his return, which should be on the morrow with munition and relief ; he, with his prickers, pricked quite his ways. " Anderwick pertained to the Lord of Ham- 292 Castles and Keeps of Scotland bleton [Hamilton] and was kept by his son and heir (whom, of custom, they call, the Mas- ter of Hambleton), and eight more with him; gentlemen, for the most part, we heard say. " My Lord's Grace, at his coming nigh, sent unto both these Piles; which upon sum- mons, refusing to render, were straight as- sailed. Thornton, by a battery of four of our great pieces of ordnance, and certain of Sir Peter Mewtys's hackbutters to watch the loop- holes and windows on all sides; and Ander- wick, by a sort [company] of these hackbut- ters alone. Who so well bestirred them, that where these keepers had rammed up their outer doors, cloyed and stopped up their stairs within, and kept themselves aloft for defence of their house about the battlements; the hackbutters got in, and fired the underneath, whereby being greatly troubled with smoke and smother, and brought in desperation of defence, they called pitifully, over their walls, to my Lord's Grace, for mercy : who, notwith- standing their great obstinacy and the en- sample others of the enemy might have had by their punishment, of his noble generosity, and by these words, making half excuse for them, * Men may sometimes do that hastily in a gere [business], whereof, after, they may Castles of East Lothian 293 soon repent them,' did take them to grace, and therefore sent one straight to them. But, ere the messenger came, the hackbutters had got up to them, and killed eight of them aloft. One leapt over the walls, and, running more than a furlong after, was slain without, in a water. " All this while, at Thornton, our assault and their defence was stoutly continued: but well perceiving how on the one side they were battered, mined at the other, kept in with hackbutters round about, and some of our men within also occupying all the house under them, for they had likewise shopped [shut] up themselves in the highest of their house, and so to do nothing, inward or outward, neither by shooting of base [small cannon], whereof they had but one or two, nor tumbling of stones, the things of their chief annoyance, whereby they might be able any while to resist our power or save themselves; they plucked in a banner that afore they had set out in defiance, and put out over the walls a white linen clout tied on a stick's end, crying all, with one tune, for 'Mercy!' but having an- swer by the whole voice of the assailers, ' They were traitors ! It was too late ! ' they plucked in their stick, and sticked up the banner of 294 Castles and Keeps of Scotland defiance again, shot off, hurled stones, and did what else they could, with great courage on their side, and little hurt of ours. Yet then, being assured by our earnesty that we had vowed the winning of their hold before our departure, and then that their obstinacy could deserve no less than their death, they plucked in their banner once again, and cried upon * Mercy 1 ' And being generally answered, 'Nay, nay! Look never for it! for ye are arrant traitors ! ' then, made they petition that ' If they should needs die, yet that my Lord's Grace would be so good to them, as they might be hanged: whereby they might somewhat reconcile themselves to God, and not to die in malice, with so great danger of their souls ! ' A policy, sure, in my mind, though but of gross heads, yet of a fine device. Sir Miles Partridge being nigh about this Pile, at the time, and spying one in a red doublet, did guess he should be an Englishman ; and, there- fore, the rather came and furthered this peti- tion to my Lord's Grace. Which then took effect. They came and humbled themselves to his Grace: whereupon, without more hurt, they were but commanded to the Provost Mar- shal. " It is somewhat here to consider, I know Castles of East Lothian 295 not whether the destiny or hap of man's hfe. The more worthy men, the less offenders, and more in the Judge's grace, were slain ; and the beggars, the obstinate rebels that deserved nought by cruelty, were saved. " To say on now. The house was soon after so blown with powder, that more than one half fell straight down to rubbish and dust, the rest stood, all to be shaken with rifts and chinks. Anderwick was burned, and all the houses of office, and stacks of corn about them both. " While this was thus in hand, my Lord's Grace, in turning but about, saw the fall of Dunglas, which likewise was undermined and blown with powder. " This done, about noon, we marched on, passing soon after within gunshot of Dunbar, a town standing long-wise upon the seaside: whereat is a castle, which the Scots count very strong, that sent us divers shots as we passed; but all in vain." Seton Palace Not far from Prestonpans, a mile and a half inland from the fishing village of Cockenzie, stood for centuries Seton Palace, the archi- tectural pride of East Lothian. Not one 296 Castles and Keeps of Scotland stone now remains upon another; the beauti- ful gardens and terraces, a favourite resort of monarchs in the heyday of its owners' pride, are utterly obliterated, and the ruined walls of one of the most magnificent mansions of Scotland have long since been built into other and meaner fabrics. A castle of the Setons occupied the site for centuries, but was destroyed in Hertford's in- vasion in 1544. The famous palace was erected by George, fourth Lord Seton, a zeal- ous supporter of Queen Mary. It was the finest mansion in Scotland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and was a favourite resort of royalty, having been visited by Mary, Queen of Scots, James VI, and Charles I. The spot has many historical associations. Cardinal Beaton was imprisoned there for a while and was released by Maitland of Leth- ington, father of Queen Mary's famous sec- retary. Mary herself often visited here, and Mary Seton, one of her four maids, was con- nected with the house. On the 16th of February, 1566-7, Mary, who had been at Bothwell's castle of Dunbar, arrived at Seton, accompanied by Archbishop Hamilton of St. Andrews, the Earls of Both- well, Argyle, and Huntly, Lords Fleming and Castles of East Lothian 297 Livingstone, Secretary Maitland and others, to the number of a hundred. The queen, though her murdered husband was but six days dead, evinced no grief, nor showed any while she remained at Seton. She played with Both well in shooting at the butts against Huntly and Lord Seton. These latter, losing, paid forfeit by furnishing a dinner one day at Tranent. Time fled away pleasantly, and Mary remained at Seton until the 7th of March. On the 8th she was in Edinburgh, but the next night she rode to Seton again and slept there. On the 29th or 30th she came again and stayed a week, entering on the 5th of April into a nuptial contract with Both well, as her enemies allege. The document was written by the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Huntly, to whose sister Bothwell was married; Huntly thus consenting to the divorce of his own sister on pretence of consanguinity. Another frequent visitor to Seton was James VI. As he left Edinburgh, on another 5th of April, in the year 1603, on his way to ascend the throne of England, he passed the palace at the very moment when there issued from the house the funeral procession of the first Earl of Winton, one of his mother's most devoted adherents. The king halted his train 298 Castles and Keeps of Scotland and seated himself on a fragment of masonry still standing, to watch the passage to the tomb. He wept profusely and declared that he had lost a faithful and loyal friend. The king returned to Scotland in 1617, and spent the night at Seton, being greeted most loyally by the third earl and his adherents. His re- ception included the reading of an English poem of four hundred and twenty-two lines by Drummond of Hawthornden, and a Latin one of two hundred and eighty-six lines by John Gilhe of Gillieston. Truly even a prince has trials ! A few years later this same earl entertained Charles I on a progress. The second earl, who, for some unexplained reason, had re- signed title and estates to his younger brother, was still alive, and his second son, twelve years old, welcomed the king in a Latin oration. Charles was so pleased with this that he knighted the boy, and then said, " Now, Sir Alexander, see that this does not spoil your school; by the appearance you will be a scholar." The boy stammered, " No, please your Majesty," and returned to his studies with increased diligence. In 1715 a party of the Adventurers under Brigadier Mcintosh of Borlum, who had oc- Castles of East Lothian 299 cupied Cromwell's citadel at Leith, moved by the threats of the Duke of Argyle, retired from that position and entrenched themselves at Seton. They drove back troops sent from Edinburgh to expel them, and had determined to hold the house permanently. This did not suit the Earl of Mar, who ordered them to march into England. General Wightman thereupon occupied the place and demolished the courtyard walls. The earl had joined the Adventurers, but refused to march into Eng- land with them, urging the folly of leaving the Duke of Argyle in their rear, and desiring them to reduce the duke and thus gain Scot- land. He afterwards reconsidered his decision, entered England and was captured at Preston. He was condemned to be beheaded, and re- mitted to the Tower of London with forfeit of his honours and estates. Refusing to make any application for mercy, he succeeded in cutting the bars of his cell and escaped to Italy, where he died more than thirty years later. This earl and his brother were born several years before the marriage of their parents. He was of a fiery disposition, and quarrelled so bitterly with his father when less than twelve years of age, that he ran away to France and 300 Castles and Keeps of Scotland had no communication with family or friends for many years. During this time he earned his living as a bellows-blower and blacksmith's helper. His brother and then his father died, and he knew nothing of it. A relative took possession of the estates, alleging that the son was illegitimate, and kept them till 1707, when the earl returned and brought an action against the usurper. The Supreme Court finally gave him possession in 1711, but his enjoyment was short, as he was attainted of treason five years later, when only twenty-five years old. The estate was sold to a company of real estate speculators, with many other confiscated estates. Overloaded with mansion-houses for which they could find no outlet, they went bankrupt, and the lands were sold in lots. The ruinous palace was torn down by the purchaser and built into a house of no pretension. We may gain some idea of it from Pinkie house, which was built as a reduced model of Seton Palace. Preston Tower Preston Tower is an L-keep of the fifteenth century. It contains the usual basement vault, connected with the upper floors only by a trap in the roof. The main entrance was on the Castles of East Lothian 301 first floor, guarded by a projecting wooden structure and staircase, the corbels and joist- holes of which still remain. Above this was another wooden projection carried on im- mense corbels, which further protected the door of access. The wing contained private apartments. Under the floor of the lord's room, off the main hall, was a prison, the stair to which was gained through a trap in the floor. Under this prison was a dungeon, reached only by a hatch in the prison floor, and without light, but ventilated by flues in the walls. The present doorway to this dun- geon is of recent date. In the seventeenth century, the house being too small, two stories, smaller in diameter, were added to the top. The castle has for ages belonged to the Hamiltons. It was burned by Hertford in 1544, by Cromwell in 1650, and again accidentally in 1666, when it was abandoned. Hailes Castle Hailes Castle, near East Linton, stands on a rocky point between the Tyne and another small stream which flows into it from the north. The castle dates from the thirteenth century, and is very large, being two hundred 302 Castles and Keeps of Scotland and forty feet long and ninety feet wide. It has a square keep at the point of the promon- tory and a very long quadrangular courtyard, with walls about nine feet thick. The court- yard contains a roofless hall of the sixteenth century. Great portions of the walls have disappeared, and the remains, though impos- ing, are very ruinous. A remarkable feature is a postern staircase leading down to the river. This had a trap in the middle in the shape of a deep pit crossed by a drawbridge. The cas- tle belonged to the Hepburns, and many parts of the building were erected by James, Earl of Bothwell, husband of Queen Mary. Here she was conducted by him, after he had seized her near Linlithgow. Whittingham Tower About two miles from East Linton, and in the immediate vicinity of Hailes Castle, from which it is hidden by Traprain Law, stands Whittingham Tower, a well preserved and rather ornamental L-keep of the fifteenth cen- tury. It is quite small, the main building being only thirty-one by twenty-three and one half feet, and about forty feet high. A square wing for the staircase projects to the east from Castles of East Lothian 303 one of the narrow sides, contrary to the usual custom of placing the wings on the long sides. The doorways, windows, and parapets are all ornamented with moldings similar to many English Tudor structures. The parapets have embrasures, and a complete walk inside. South of the castle are some ruined vaults, per- haps powder magazines, and a long platform for cannon. In the Tower of Whittingham was laid the plot for the murder of Darnley. Here, in January, 1566-7, came the Earl of Morton to visit his cousin, Patrick Douglas, whose arms are still visible on the lintel of the entrance door. From the castles of Hailes and Leth- ington near by came their owners, Bothwell and Secretary Lethington, and the murder was then planned. Tytler says, writing of a later occasion, " It was only a year and a half before that in this fatal house, the conference had been held between Lethington, Bothwell and Morton, in which the king's murder was de- termined. Bothwell was now a fugitive and an outlaw; but his associates in guilt, the same Lethington and Morton, now received Moray at Whittingham, and cordially sympa- thized with him when he expressed his horror for the crime, and his resolution to avenge it." 304 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Stoneypath Tower Stoneypath Tower is two miles from Whit- tingham, on the Papana Burn. It is a very dilapidated structure, but occupies a most pic- turesque location, standing on a high and wooded bank above the brook. The tower is L-shaped, and offers few peculiarities of con- struction. The staircase in the angle is inside the wall instead of being projected into the angle. The fireplace in the hall is about eight by ten feet and served also as the kitchen, being furnished with a window, and a stone sink and drain. The entrance was through the fireplace arch. The building may be early sixteenth century, but there is little to deter- mine this fact. The tower belonged first to the Lyles and later to the Douglases. Elphinstone Castle Two miles south of Tranent, on a hill over- looking Ormiston and the Tyne valley, stands Elphinstone Castle, a simple keep of the fif- teenth century, and one of the most remark- able of its kind. Thanks to a modern roof, it is well preserved and bids fair to remain so. Castles of East Lothian 305 It is an oblong keep, fifty feet by thirty-five, and about sixty feet high. Inside it contains a round vaulted basement which originally had a loft resting on corbels, a hall with a high pointed vault, and two stories above with wooden floors. The walls are about ten feet thick and contain a most remarkable maze of staircases, passages and chambers. To such an extent are the walls honeycombed that they resemble those of the Pictish brochs, and it is probable that this is due to a revival of this architectural tradition. Stairs, kitchen, serv- ants' rooms and guest-rooms, with fireplaces, wall-closets and dressing-rooms, are all to be found in these walls. Alongside the fireplace in the great hall are two private rooms, one above the other. From the upper one a pas- sage leads behind the fireplace flue, and in this is a window into the flue. As there is another window in the front of the flue, this gives a most unusual form of spy-hole into the hall. These spy-holes are common in Scotch castles, and there is another one into this same fireplace from a spiral stair in the wall. The upper part of the fireplace was probably also used for curing hams, etc., and access was gained by the passage mentioned. 306 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Falside Castle ^ Seven miles east of Edinburgh, overlooking a plain which stretches along the shores of the Forth, stands the Castle of Falside. Under its walls, in September, 1547, was fought the battle of Pinkie, between the troops of Somer- set and the Regent Arran. That the castle stands at all to-day is simply due to its solid- ity of construction, for the accounts of the battle state that its total demolition was averted only " through its first floor and roofs being arched over with stone." The castle consists of an original keep about forty feet by thirty, to the south of which an L-shaped structure has been added, making a compact block with a reentrant angle at the southwest. The keep is fourteenth or fifteenth century work, and the additions were made before the battle of Pinkie. The ruins are rather picturesque, with their round staircase tower, and remains of turrets. Tester Castle Yester Castle, on Hopes Water, in the par- ish of Yester, belonged to the Gifford family and was erected, according to Cosmo Innes, in Castles of East Lothian 307 1268. It was originally triangular in shape and stands on a high promontory between two streams. The third side is defended by a ditch fifty feet wide and twenty deep. It has been a lofty structure. The remaining walls are over six feet thick and about forty in height. No traces of the internal arrange- ments can be found. The most remarkable feature of the castle is a subterranean chamber known as " The Goblin Hall," referred to in " Marmion." It is situated under the northern side, the rear of the original castle, and lies mainly outside the walls. It is thirty-seven feet long, thirteen wide, and nineteen high, with a pointed vault as a roof. It is entered from the castle by a staircase defended by three barred doors. At the north end is a sloping vaulted passage thirty-three feet long, at right angles to the hall. This also is defended with three barred doors, one of which had a portcullis. The outer door opens on the steep bank of the stream, half way down the slope. Opposite this passage is another similar one, but it was never completed. Instead the builders cut under it a steep stair, descending forty-four feet into the rock to a well, now filled with stones. Between these two passages in the 308 Castles and Keeps of Scotland main chamber is a fireplace with a sloping flue running upwards. This chamber is un- doubtedly a military post, and may possibly have been intended as a place of last resort, with means for escape into the stream bed. CHAPTER XIII CASTLES OF EAST LOTHIAN (Continued) Tantallon The fortress of Tantallon occupies a bold promontory at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, about three miles east of North Ber- wick. It is, like Doune, a magnificent speci- men of the quadrangular castles built about the end of the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries. By the nature of its site, a precipitous point surrounded on three sides by the German Ocean, it was necessary to defend it artificially only on its fourth or western front. The entrance was over a draw- bridge and through a strong deep gateway leading under a central tower, which formed an independent castle or keep. On each side of this is a huge battlemented curtain wall twelve feet thick and fifty feet high, falling back at an angle and flanked by the project- 309 310 Castles and Keeps of Scotland ing keep. At the north and south extremities are large round towers on the brink of the per- pendicular rocks. The buildings forming the other three sides of the quadrangle have been undermined and fallen into the sea, save at the north, where ruins still remain. The inte- rior is a maze of broken staircases, ruined chambers and dismal subterranean dungeons. Before the west front lies a deep ditch cut in the rock, and in front of this is a large level court five hundred feet long and two hundred wide, protected by an elaborate series of ditches and mounds. The roadway runs for a considerable distance between these outworks and a burn which flows through a rocky ravine to the south. It is thus completely commanded by the outworks, as well as the towers of the castle itself. The entrance archway passed completely through the keep as at Doune. On one side was a guardroom, on the other a straight stair leading to the upper stories. The interior of the keep is entirely gone. The curtain walls make an angle with and are com- manded by the projecting keep, as well as by towers at each end. The staircases and pas- sages in their thickness, which were filled in solid by James V, have now been cleared out. On the north side of the enceinte w^ere the Castles of East Lothian 311 hall and other apartments, with vaults below and bedrooms above. The angle towers also contained numerous rooms. Traces of struc- tures erected against the curtains still remain, and they were probably continued all round the quadrangle. The new work done by James V in 1528 is still visible in some of its details. His object was to make the walls as solid as possible, to prevent them from being breached by artillery. To this end he filled soUd all the stairways and passages in the cur- tains, and they have but recently been cleared out. The entire west front of the centre tower was cased in new masonry of soft green tufa, probably chosen as less liable to splinter under the impact of cannon balls than the original freestone. The fine ancient gateway was blocked up, and only a narrow passage was left in the wall in front of it. Embrasures for guns at each side sweep the ditch and flank the curtains. Other provisions for guns were made at the gateway at the south end of the main outer ditch, where they would sweep the road of approach. The exact date of the erection of Tantallon is unknown. Scott says that it "is beheved to have belonged in more ancient times to the Earls of Fife, the descendants of MacduflP. 312 Castles and Keeps of Scotland It was certainly in the possession of Isabel, the last countess of that renowned line, and was comprehended in the settlement which she made of her honours and estates upon Robert Stuart,' Earl of Menteith, whom she recog- nized by that deed as her lawful and nearest heir in 1371." This Robert, the third son of Robert II, became afterwards Earl of Fife, Duke of Albany and Regent of Scotland. His son Murdoch, second duke, and also re- gent while James I was a prisoner in England, succeeded in 1419. In 1424 he was arrested at Doune with his whole family and all his adherents. His duchess, Isabella, daughter of the Earl of Lennox, was taken as a prisoner from her hall to the dungeon beneath it, and afterwards committed to Tantallon, while he was hurried away to Stirling. With two of his sons and the Earl of Lennox, he was beheaded the next year. Two years later these dungeons became a prison for Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, who had headed a rebellion in the Highlands. Unsuccessful, he submitted to James I, appearing in St. Giles Church in Edinburgh on Easter Day clothed only in his plaid, and delivering up his naked sword in token of unreserved submission. Nevertheless Castles of East Lothian 313 he was incarcerated in Tantallon in charge of George, fourth Earl of Angus, the king's nephew. This nobleman was granted the cas- tle and the adjacent lands, which were consti- tuted a barony in 1452. His son, Archibald " Bell-the-Cat," was confirmed in their pos- session in 1479. Later castle and barony- passed to the younger branch of the family and with the growth of its power became si constant menace to the throne. James V, a youth of fifteen, escaped from the power of the Douglases in June, 1528, as related elsewhere, and began war on the fam- ily. After the passage of a bill of attainder, which forfeited Tantallon, as well as the other possessions of the house of Douglas, twenty thousand men were sent to invest Tantallon. This castle was almost the only one in private possession which was strong enough to resist artillery, and was itself equipped with great guns, the embrasures for which are in striking contrast to the small musketry loopholes of most of the Scotch castles which belonged to private owners. The great strength of the castle, which was indeed impregnable at the time of its erection, is indicated by the old proverb of the district, "Ding doon Tantallon? Big a brig to the 314 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Bass." On this occasion the first half of the saying proved true enough, for after twenty days' siege, the thunders of " thrawin-mouthed Meg and her Marrow," and other great guns, proved unavaihng, and the besiegers withdrew. These guns, including " two great botcards and two moyans, two double falcons and four quarter-falcons," were borrowed from the Duke of Albany, and to ensure their return, three of the king's noblemen were impigno- rated at Dunbar. James withdrew to Edin- burgh, leaving a small detachment to protect his artillery. Earl Archibald had not been present during the siege, for he declined to trust himself within walls in war, holding to the maxim of his ancestors that " it was better to hear the lark sing than the mouse cheep." Emerging from his retirement in Berwick- shire, he crushed the detachment, captured the leader, and then escorted him and his artillery some distance towards Edinburgh, giving him a message to the king that he was loyal to the throne and hostile only to its evil advisers. Despite this magnanimity, war against him was successfully prosecuted and he was forced to flee to England. In December of the same year Tantallon surrendered for lack of sup- plies. James immediately put the castle into Castles of East Lothian 315 a good state of defence. Says Lindsay of Pitscottie: "The King gart garnish it with men of war and artillery, and put in a new captain, to wit, Oliver Sinclair; and caused masons to come and ranforce the walls, which were left waste before, as trances and thorow passages, and made all massey work, to the effect that it should be more able in time com- ing to any enemies that would come to pur- sue it." This work is very evident to-day, as previously stated. After the death of James in 1542, the Earl of Angus was allowed to return from exile and given back his possessions. He made the cas- tle stronger than ever, but never regained his own power, though he lived here till his death in 1558. He was so meagrely furnished with necessities that he was unwilling to receive the English Ambassador, Sir Ralph Sadler, who sought personal safety in the castle during the progress of his unpopular negotiations on be- half of the young Prince Edward and infant Mary. He sent his servant to the castle and received the report that it was " cleanly unfur- nished both of bedding and all manner of household stuff, and none to be bought or hired, nor no manner of provision to be made thereof, nor any kind of victual nearer than 316 Castles and Keeps of Scotland this town, which is twenty miles off." Sadler, however, went there, and observes that though Tantallon is poorly furnished, and " slendour lodging in it, yet, I assure you, it is of such strength as I must not fear the malice of mine enemies, and therefore do I now think myself to be out of danger." In 1572 another English ambassador re- sided there, Killegrew, who came with secret instructions from Queen Elizabeth to cause the execution of the captive Queen Mary in such a manner as not to create a dangerous popular commotion. In 1639 Wilham, eleventh Earl of Angus, first Marquis of Douglas, here made stand for king and church against the Covenanters, and for the first time a hostile force " dang doon Tantallon," and garrisoned it against the king. In 1651 the Captain of the Bass captured an English store-ship bound for Leith and im- mured its crew in Tantallon. General Monk decided to reduce the fortress, with three regi- ments of horse and foot. He planted his ar- tillery on high ground to the southwest and summoned Alexander Seton, commandant of the garrison, to surrender. Seton elected to resist. Two days' bombardment with mortars had no effect, and heavy siege guns were Castles of East Lothian 317 brought into operation. After twelve days continuous battering a breach was made in the curtain, the stones filhng the ditch. The be- siegers entered, only to find the garrison safe in the central tower, which was so impossible of reduction that they were allowed to capit- ulate on favourable terms. This was the last appearance of Tantallon in history. It re- mained habitable until the beginning of the eighteenth century, when it was dismantled by Sir Hew Dalrymple, who bought it of the Duke of Douglas, and left it a ruin for his heirs, who still own it. Scott has admirably described its former condition in " Mar- mion " : — " Tantallon vast, Broad, massive, high, and stretching far, And held impregnable in war. On a projecting rock it rose And round three sides the ocean flows, The fourth did battle walls enclose. And double mound and fosse ; By narrow drawbridge, outworks strong, Through studded gates, and entrance long, To the main court they cross. It was a wide and stately square. Around were lodgings fit and fair. And towers of various form. Which on the coast projected far, And broke its lines quadrangular ; 318 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Here was square keep, there turret high, Or pinnacle that sought the sky, Whence oft the warder could destroy The gathering ocean-storm." Though now long ruinous, there was a period in the last century when the castle was for a short time inhabited. A gang of thieves, under the leadership of a sailor whose vessel had come to grief on the island of Fidra, chose it as a place of refuge. They made entrance and exit by a rope ladder, which was carefully concealed when not in use. Sallying forth under cover of darkness, they obtained neces- sary supplies and provisions by plundering farmhouses, stealing sheep, and similar prac- tices. Notwithstanding the ease of this mode of life, the members of the band deserted one by one, until only the sailor was left. He ob- tained employment in a neighbouring quarry, and might have lived in the castle indefinitely had he not been careless. Some girls working in the fields one evening saw a red cap at one of the upper windows. They thought they had seen a brownie, and told their story broadcast. As other people had seen lights at night, and a gardener engaged in planting ivy about the walls had been pelted by bits of mortar from tCastles of East Lothian 319 above, the idea that the castle was haunted had gained ground. The tenant of the farm, how- ever, beheved in no such nonsense. He led a party of his workmen into the vaults, and soon discovered the offender, who was tried and sentenced to transportation. The Bass Nearly opposite Tantallon, and about two miles off shore, is the Bass, a stupendous in- sulated rock, a mile in circumference and four hundred and twenty feet high. Toward the north it is almost absolutely perpendicular, but on the south side the surface is conical, with steep slopes toward the sea. On the top there are about seven acres of short grass, which once afforded pasturage to twenty or thirty sheep. Under the rock there is a great cavern thirty feet high and five hundred feet long, which passes entirely through it from north- west to southeast. Within the cavern, the en- trance to which is a hundred feet high, is a dark pool which holds water enough to drown an incautious visitor even at the lowest ebb of the tide. The only landing place is on the southeast side, and is commanded by the castle. 320 Castles and Keeps of Scotland which occupies the lowest of three terraces into which the slope of the top is divided. Beague visited this castle during the regency of Mary of Guise and thus describes it in 1607: "Now, the island in which the castle stands is itself an impregnable rock, of a small extent and oval figure, cut out by the hands of nature; it has only one avenue that leads to it, and that is towards the castle, but so very difficult and uneasy, that by reason of the hidden sands that surround the rock, nothing can approach it but one little boat at a time. The island is so exorbitantly uneven, that till one reach the wall of the castle, he cannot have sure footing in any one place; so that — as I have often observed — those that enter it must climb up by the help of a strong cable thrown down for the purpose, and when they have got with much ado to the foot of the wall, they sit down in a wide basket, and in this posture are mounted up by strength of hands. There is no getting into this wonderful for- tress by any other means. Formerly, it had a postern-gate which facilitated the entry, but it is now thrown down, and fortified in such a manner as is incredible." The tale of " hid- den sands " is altogether untrue, as the chan- nels all about the rock are of enormous depth. Castles of East Lothian 321 The landing is now easier, as steps have been cut in the rock, but it is always difficult and often dangerous. The earliest stories of the rock are religious. At the end of the sixth century it is said to have been selected as a refuge by St. Baldred, " Doctor of the Picts " and apostle of East Lothian. He is reputed to have been a pupil of St. Mungo of Glasgow, and his successor. When he retired to the Bass, his parish em- braced wide districts of the mainland and he performed numerous miracles. When he died the representatives of three mainland parishes, Aldhame, Tynninghame and Preston, came to bury his remains. Unable to agree, they were instructed to pray for illumination over night. When morning came, they found three biers in place of one, each with a body decently cov- ered, all so similar that no man could tell the difference. All strife being thus miraculously settled, each party joyfully bore off a body to solemn interment in its own church. How- ever we may regard the stories of St. Baldred, a chapel undoubtedly existed on the rock in very early times. The Bass formed a parish by itself, and the " kirk in the Crag of the Bass " was dedicated to the saint in 1542 by order of Cardinal Beaton. This was the same 322 Castles and Keeps of Scotland one which to-day stands as a ruin midway between the castle and the top of the rock. It stands on the traditional site of St. Bal- dred's cell, and was used for divine service until after the Reformation, falling into disuse because the number of inhabitants became so small as to render it unnecessary. The Bass is now included in the parish of North Ber- wdck, to the incumbent of which is annually due from it a stipend of twelve solan geese " entire with feathers." The Bass has long been famous for these birds. Says Grose, " This rock is more partic- ularly famous for the great flock of sea fowls which resort thither in the months of JNIay and June, the surface of it being almost covered with their nests, eggs and young birds. The most esteemed among these birds is the Solon Goose and the Kittie Waicke, there being only one other place, that is an island in the west of Scotland, called Ailscy, where these geese breed; and from these two places the country is furnished with them during the months of July and August." Of these geese Defoe has given us the following account: "They feed on the herrings, and therefore 'tis ob- served they come just before, or with them, and go away with them also; though 'tis evi- e Castles of East Lothian 323 dent they do not follow them, but go all away to the north, whither none knows but them- selves, and He that guides them. As they live on fish, so they eat like fish, which, to- gether with their being so exceeding fat, makes them, in my opinion, a very coarse dish, rank, and ill-relished, and soon gorging the stcmiach. But as they are looked upon there as a dainty, I have no more to say; all countries have their several gusts and particular palates. Onions and garlick were dainties, it seems, in Egypt, and horse-flesh is so to this day in Tartary, and much more may a solan goose be so in other places. It is a large fowl, rather bigger than an ordinary goose; 'tis duck-footed, and swims as a goose; but the bill is long, thick and pointed like a crane or heron, only the neck much thicker, and not above five inches long. Their laying but one egg, which sticks to the rock, and will not fall off, unless pulled off by force, and then not to be stuck on again, though we thought them fictions, yet, being there at the season, we found true; as also their hatching by holding the egg fast in their foot. What Nature meant by giving these singularities to a crea- ture that has nothing else in it worth notice, we cannot determine." 324 Castles and Keeps of Scotland For at least five centuries this rock belonged to the family of Lauder of the Bass. Part of it was claimed by the Priory of St. Andrews, but in 1316 William Lamberton, Bishop of St. Andrews, deeded this to Robert Lauder, one of the companions of Sir William Wal- lace. The family tenaciously held on to its singular possession, and stubbornly refused to sell it to various Scotch monarchs who desired it. James VI visited it in 1581, at a time when it appears to have been temporarily in his possession, and requested the laird to sell it to him, but the uncompromising answer was, " Your Majesty must e'en resign it to me, for I'll have the auld craig back again." Not until 1671 was the Crown able to purchase it, at the high price of four thousand pounds. For centuries the Bass was a place of the utmost security, used alike as a stronghold and a prison. In 1405, Robert III placed his son, the Earl of Carrick, afterwards James I, on the Bass in order to protect him from the designs of his brother, the Duke of Albany. A vessel being prepared to convey the young prince to France, where he was to receive an education, he embarked together with the Earl of Orkney and a small suite. There was a truce at the time between England and Scot- Castles of East Lothian 325 land, so that no danger was apprehended from the voyage; yet off Flamborough Head an armed merchantman of Wye captured the prince's vessel and bore him off to an incar- ceration which lasted for nineteen years. This misfortmie — the very one the anxious father had wished to avoid — caused his death in Rothesay Castle when informed of it in 1406. James I returned from his long captivity in 1424, when Walter Stuart, eldest son of Mur- doch, Duke of Albany was committed a pris- oner to the Bass. About 1570 the Earl of Morton attempted to secure the rock and his designs were ex- posed to the Regent Moray by Wishart of Pitarrow in the following words: "I hear say my Lord of Morton is trafficking to get the house of the Bass, which, if he does, he will stop some devices your Grace knows, and therefore were I in your Grace's stead, I would go between the cow and the corn. I tell you the auld Crag is a good starting hole, at least it will serve to keep them that you would be sure of." This opinion was later acted on, for when the government obtained the rock a century later, it was constituted a state prison, the chapel becoming the magazine for the garri- 326 Castles and Keeps of Scotland son. In the reigns of Charles II and James II numbers of the turbulent Covenanters were consigned to safe custody here. The names of thirty-nine are preserved, beginning with Robert Gillespie in 1672 and ending with John Spreul, a fanatical apothecary of Glasgow, who entered in July, 1681, and was released in May, 1687. In this month was also released Major Learmouth, a Covenanting officer, who was pardoned on account of faihng health. Other well-known prisoners of this character were Sir Hugh and Sir George Campbell of Cessnock and Alexander Gordon of Earlston, while the best-known of all was John Black- adder, the elder, minister of Troqueer, father of Colonel John Blackadder. He was out- lawed in 1674 and fled to Flanders, but later returned. On April 5th, 1681, he was " made prisoner in his house at Edinburgh " and after a form of examination, sent to the Bass. After four years of rigid imprisonment his health finally gave way. The Privy Council, in hot haste, gave permission to him to leave, on condition of confining himself to Edin- burgh, but it was too late, and he died on the Bass in January, 1686. His grave, with a poetical inscription, is in North Berwick churchyard, while his gloomy cell on the west- Castles of East Lothian 327 ern side of Bass Castle, with three small iron- barred windows, is still shown to curious vis- itors. Other noted Covenanters confined here were James Mitchell, who attempted to assas- sinate Archbishop Sharp of St. Andrews in the High Street of Edinburgh in July, 1667, and Eraser of Brae, a noted preacher. Both were brought here on January 30th, 1677, in charge of a guard of twelve horse and thirty foot. Curious to relate, all these " martyrs of the Bass," as their co-religionists designate them, stayed in prison sometimes for years of their own accord or obstinacy, as all were offered liberty if they would promise not to molest the government. There were prisoners on the Bass who were not Covenanters. A Quaker of Leith was sent here for railing at his parish minister; George Young, a Roman Catholic priest, was immured for an unknown offence. A third was John Philip, Episcopal curate of Queens- ferry, who lost his position for refusing the " Test." On his arraignment before the Privy Council in 1683 he was accused of denouncing the Duke of York as a " great tyrant detest- able to the subjects; " for asserting that the Bishop of Edinburgh and the Lord Advocate 328 Castles and Keeps of Scotland were " bloody and cruel men, and that he hoped to see them suffer for it; " and for say- ing that the Earl of Argyle had been unjustly forfeited. For these heinous offences he was fined two thousand pounds sterling, to be paid within a fortnight, declared infamous and sentenced to life imprisonment on the Bass. The garrison of the Bass refused to submit at the Revolution, and the deputy-governor, Charles Maitland, held out for James II until 1690, when he surrendered. The Stuart garri- son held possession for only a few months, however. The Jacobite prisoners mutinied and gained possession of the rock. By the aid of friends on shore they obtained provisions and fitted out a galley, by means of which they plundered merchant vessels, exacted tribute from every ship which came within reach of their. guns, and maintained themselves against the Crown for four years. In 1694, two ships of war sent by William III, assisted by numerous small vessels, destroyed their galley and blockaded the rock. Although reduced to extremities, they obtained easy terms of sur- render through a stratagem of their leader, David Blair. A deputation having been sent to treat with him, he ranged about the walls all the hats and coats of the garrison, placed Castles of East Lothian 329 on muskets, leading the enemy to believe that the place was well garrisoned. He happened to have a few bottles of excellent French wine and brandy and some biscuits, with which he regaled his visitors. Convinced that the castle was well manned and provisioned, the Privy Council granted him easy terms, and thus ob- tained possession of the last Jacobite strong- hold. The fortifications were dismantled in 1701 and now only one corroded cannon remains. The buildings, though roofless, are externally entire, and may be entered by three flights of steps, formerly guarded by gates, now gone. The garden of the castle still produces some flowers, though the cherry trees mentioned by Fraser of Brae are gone. Visitors were for- merly made " burgesses of the Bass " by drink- ing the disagreeable water of the well and re- ceiving a flower out of the garden. Now its only citizens are the rabbits, the sheep, and the innumerable wild fowl, whose sudden flight when disturbed fills the air like the snow of the wintry storm. In 1902 a lighthouse was erected at the top of the castle ruins, but all damage done at this time was scrupulously repaired, so that the castle, with the exception of the governor's 330 Castles and Keeps of Scotland house, has practically the same appearance as before the Northern Lights Commissioners began their operations. Access to the island is now much easier than formerly, as not only is there a good landing for the supply of the light, but the hotel-keeper at Canty Bay owns a launch, which carries parties to the island at a charge of ten shilhngs per trip, irrespective of the number of passengers. It is therefore quite feasible to visit Dirleton, Tantallon and the Bass in one day from Edinburgh. Dirleton Castle Two miles from North Berwick, and easily reached from there by a service of motor omni- buses, lies the little village of Dirleton, clus- tered at the foot of its castle. The scene is romantic; before the gray and battered ruins, standing in their beautiful gardens, lies the vel- vety village green, and about this, under tall trees and in pleasant little gardens, stand the houses of the feudal village. The date of erection of Dirleton Castle is unknown. It was a strong place in 1297, when Edward I invaded Scotland. It then belonged to the family of De Vaux or De Vallibus, barons powerful in both kingdoms. I Castles of East Lothian 331 In July, 1298, it was besieged by Anthony Beck, the martial Bishop of Durham, on the part of Edward I. It made such an obstinate resistance that the English troops exhausted their supplies, and only escaped starvation by subsisting on the beans and peas which they found growing in the fields: a proof that agri- culture was at that early date in a forward state in southern Scotland. After a long siege the castle surrendered, and was for a while an English stronghold. Many entries regarding its disposal and upkeep are found is the Eng- lish records. The battle of Bannockburn sum- marily cut short their occupation of it. For several centuries afterward, history is silent regarding the castle. The line of De Vallibus became extinct in the fourteenth cen- tury, the castle passing in 1340 to Sir John Haliburton by marriage. In 1440, Sir Walter Haliburton, Lord High Treasurer of Scot- land, was created a peer as Lord Dirleton. A century later the male line again failed, and the castle passed into the line of Ruth- ven. The last Earl of Gowrie here hospitably entertained James VI, a fugitive from the plague, and treated him to a histrionic repre- sentation of Robin Hood's adventures. Then followed the Gowrie conspiracy, when it was J 332 Castles and Keeps of Scotland alleged that a plot was made to seize the per- son of James at Perth on August 5, 1600. The possession of Dirleton was the bribe held out by the unhappy earl to Logan, his principal associate. This person seems to have exceedingly coveted the estate, as he wrote to a friend, " I care not for all the other land I have in the kingdom, if I may grip of Dirleton, for I esteem it the pleasantest dwelling in Scotland." But it never came to him, for it was part of Ruthven's forfeit, and " James VI," says Camden, " gave it to Sir Thomas Erskine, Captain of the English Guard, for his happy valour in preserving him from the traitorous attempts of Gowrie, first creating him Baron Dirleton, afterwards, in 1606, Viscount Fenton, — the first viscount that ever was in Scotland." In the Civil War, Dirleton was occupied by a party of Scottish moss-troopers. Against them in 1650 came Monk with five guns; joined by Lambert, the siege was entered on in form; after a gallant defence, the place fell, and the commandant, Waite, with two officers, were executed under martial law. The English demolished the castle and it was never occupied again. The castle stands on a rock, which, though Castles of East Lothian 333 not high, is well defined in its extent, and gave a firm foundation, proof against mining operations. Aromid this was sunk a deep moat at least fifty feet wide. This strength may account for the scanty records of siege, as only a great army, well equipped, could hope for success against so strong a place. Of the thirteenth-century castle destroyed by Beck, there remain only a square and two round towers at the southwest and a founda- tion at the southeast. These were lighted only by small loops, and the rooms in the great round tower are polygonal vaults, with enor- mously thick walls. The fifteenth-century castle was reached by a bridge on piers across the moat. The last eleven feet were spanned by a drawbridge, and when this was raised it left no doorsill visible on the castle front. Besides this, the entrance had gates and a portcullis, with machicolations above and a defensive opening in the floor of the portcullis room. On the east side of the castle there is a great range of ruinous buildings. The great hall was enormous, seventy-two feet by twenty-five, but one wall has fallen out. The cellar has the usual storerooms, and a prison. Beneath 334 Castles and Keeps of Scotland this, entered only by a hole in the floor, is a dungeon for the most important prisoners. The north wing is entirely gone. On the southwest are buildings intended as private apartments, built in the sixteenth century. At some distance to the northeast, fronting on the village green, are a fine circular dovecot and an arched gateway, with some parts of the old outer wall. These are in the line of the boundary walls of the present estate. The castle is shown to visitors, but the at- tendant is not always to be found, and I was unable to obtain any reliable information as to the times at which admission could be gained. CHAPTER XIV CASTLES OF THE BORDER Fast Castle The insignificant ruii;is of this once im- pregnable fortress, the prototype of Scott's Wolf's Craig, stand on a bold peninsulated crag some seventy feet above the German Ocean, near St. Abb's Head in Berwickshire. The platform on which the castle stands is about two hundred and fifty feet long and a hundred wide, and absolutely inaccessible cliffs descend to the ocean level throughout its en- tire periphery, except on the west, where a deep chasm separates it from the mainland. This was twenty-four feet wide, and crossed by a drawbridge. While Fast Castle was im- pregnable to early weapons, it became un- tenable on the introduction of artillery, as the whole platform is commanded by the cliffs of the mainland, which tower high above it. The remains of the castle are very small, as it was destroyed by lightning in 1871. 3S5 336 Castles and Keeps of Scotland The castle was a government fortress in 1333, but changed hands often, as was the case with Border holds in general. In 1410 it was in the hands of the English, under command of Thomas Holden, and was a scourge to the whole surrounding country by reason of the pillaging excursions which they made. Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, with a hun- dred men, surprised and captured the place. In 1548, being again in English possession, it was captured by the following stratagem: " The captain of Fast Castle had commanded the husbandmen adjoining to bring thither, at a certain day, great store of victuals. The young men thereabouts having that occasion, assembled thither at the day appointed, who taking their burdens from their horses, and laying them on their shoulders, were allowed to pass the bridge, which joined two high rocks, into the castle; where laying down that which they brought, they suddenly, by a sign given, set upon the keepers of the gate, slew them, and before the other Englishmen could be assembled, possessed the other places, weapons, and artillery of the castle, and then receiving the rest of the company into the same, through the same great and open gate, they wholly kept and enjoyed the castle for Castles of the Border 337 their countrymen." Sir Nicholas Throgmor- ton, writing in 1567, characterizes it as a place " fitter to lodge prisoners than folks at liberty." In 1570, Sir Wilham Drury, Marshall of Berwick, after taking Home Castle, besieged Fast Castle with two thousand men, and after capturing it, passed on to besiege Edinburgh, " leaving in it a garrison of ten, or, accord- ing to some, fourteen men — a force which was considered adequate for holding it out against all Scotland." The castle belonged at that time to the Homes, but passed by mar- riage in 1580 to Logan of Restalrig. " In the reign of James VI," says Scott, in his " Provincial Antiquities," " Fast Castle became the appropriate stronghold of one of the darkest characters of that dark age, the celebrated Logan of Restalrig. There is a contract existing in the charter-chest of Lord Napier, betwixt Logan and a very opposite character, the celebrated inventor of the loga- rithms, the terms of which are extremely sin- gular. The paper is dated July, 1694, and sets forth, * Forasmuch as there were old reports and appearances that a sum of money was hid within John Logan's house of Fast Castle, John Napier should do his utmost 338 Castles and Keeps of Scotland diligence to search and seek out, and by all craft and ingine to find out the same, and, by the grace of God, shall either find out the same, or make it sure that no such thing has been there.' For his reward he was to have the exact third of what was found, and to be safely guarded by Logan back to Edinburgh. And in case he should find nothing, after all trial and diligence taken, he refers the satis- faction of his travel and pains to the discre- tion of Logan." Logan was afterwards a par- ticipant in the mysterious plot known as the Gowrie conspiracy. It was proposed to ab- duct the king in a boat from the garden of Gowrie House and carry him by sea to Fast Castle, which has a water gate. In this stronghold he was to be held at the disposal of Elizabeth or the plotters. That Logan was implicated in this affair was not known until he had been buried nine years, when his correspondence with the Earl of Gowrie was discovered in the hands of Sprott, a notary, who had stolen it from John Bour, its cus- todian. Sprott was executed, and the bones of Logan were disinterred and brought into court for trial on the charge of high treason, of which they were duly convicted. As at- tainder of treason implied confiscation of Castles of the Border 339 property, this process was not as foolish as it might appear. Home Castle Home or Hume Castle, one of the oldest fortresses of the Border, stands on the summit of a hill nine hundred feet above the level of the sea, near Kelso, in the valley of the Tweed. The walls which are now visible merely serve to show the extent of the an- cient structure, having been built on the old foundations in the last century. The plan proves, however, that castles of enceinte were built in the Lowlands as well as the west, for the castle dates from the thirteenth century. The Homes, first barons, and later earls, played a very prominent part in Scottish his- tory. They were in all times powerful in the Border, and occupied great offices in court and council, enjoying at times almost regal power. More than one of them was guilty of treason, and one was executed for this crime. The fifth Lord Home signed the or- der for imprisoning Mary in Lochleven Cas- tle, and when she escaped, his six hundred troops turned the fortune of the battle of Langside against her. He died under con- viction of treason for this. 340 Castles and Keeps of Scotland The Castle of Home sustained many mem- orable sieges. More than once taken in civil war, it first fell to a foreign foe when Som- erset captured it in 1547 after a stout resist- ance by Lady Home. Two years later its owner regained it. Again in 1569 it was re- duced by the Earl of Sussex, and its last capture was in the Civil War. In 1650, Cromwell, after he had captured Edinburgh, sent two regiments under Colonel Fenwick to reduce Home. The colonel sent in to Cockburn, the governor of the castle, a peremptory message to surrender. He got back the following communications: "Right Honourable, I have received a trumpeter of yours, as he tells me, without a pass, to sur- render Hume Castle to the Lord General Cromwell. Please you, I never saw your general. As for Home Castle, it stands upon a rock. Given at Home Castle, this day, before 7 o'clock. So resteth, without preju- dice to my native country, your most humble servant, T. Cockburn." This was accom- panied by the following doggerel verse; " I, Willie Wastle, Stand firm in my castle ; And a' the dogs o' yonr town Will no pull Willie Wastle down.'' Castles of the Border 341 The roar of cannon, and the sight of Fen- wick's troops drawn up ready to assault the breach, changed Cockburn's spirit, and he was very glad to be allowed to march out, leav- ing the castle to the ruin from which it never rose. Cessford Castle Plan of Cessford Castle 342 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Cessford Castle, a Border fort of massive construction and great strength, stands be- tween Kelso and Jedburgh on the Kale Water. It formerly belonged to the Kers, ancestors of the Duke of Roxburgh, and was built in the fourteenth century. It was be- sieged by Surrey in May, 1523, and he wrote thus to Henry VIII after its surrender, " I was very glad of the same appointment (capitulation) for in maner I sawe not howe it wolde have been won if they within wold have contynued their deffending." Jeffrey gives this account of the siege: " In the month of May, 1523, the castle was besieged by Surrey, in the absence of its owner, with a numerous army, well provided with powerful ordnance, with which he bat- tered the donjon with little effect. While the guns were playing against the castle, the Lord Leonard, Sir Arthur Darcy, Sir Will- iam Parr, and others, by means of scaling ladders, entered the barnkin, where they suf- fered severely from the iron guns of the cas- tle and stones cast down upon them. They then attempted to scale the donjon, while the archers and ordnance kept the besieged en- gaged; but notwithstanding all the efforts of the besiegers, they could not prevail against Castles of the Border 343 the castle, which was gallantly defended. At last, when Surrey was despairing of success, the warden came within a mile of the castle, and not knowing how matters stood within the castle, but fearing the worst, offered to give up the place on his men being allowed to leave with their bag and baggage, to which Surrey was but too glad to accede, as he could not have taken the castle by force of arms. On the castle being delivered up, it was thrown down by the ordnance, and, while the destruc- tion of its walls was going on, another party went on to Whitton Fort and cast it down." In 1545 it was again taken by Hertford. It ceased to be a dwelling house in 1650, but was used as a prison for Covenanters in 1666. Smailholm Tower Plans of Smailholm Tower On the north side of the Tweed, in the par- ish of Smailholm, not far from Melrose, 344 Castles and Keeps of Scotland stands the Border keep known as Smailholm Tower. This is on the farm of Sandyknowe, which was the property of the paternal grand- father of Sir Walter Scott, and one of the homes of the poet's boyhood. Hence this plain keep, of no importance in itself, has thrown over it the glamour of the poet's de- scription in "Marmion:" — " It was a barren scene, and wild, Where naked cliffs were rudely piled ; But ever and anon, between, Lay velvet tufts of loveliest green. And well the lonely infant knew Recesses where the wall-flower grew, And honeysuckle loved to crawl Up the low crag and ruined wall. I deemed such nooks the sweetest shade The sun in all its round surveyed ; And still I thought that shattered tower The mightiest work of human power, And marvelled as the aged hind With some strange tale bewitched my mind, Of forayers who, with headlong force, Down from that strength had spurred their horse, Their southern rapine to renew, Far in the distant Cheviots blue, And home returning filled the hall With revel, wassel-rout, and brawl.*' The tower stands on a rocky knoll which well protects all sides save the west, where is Castles of the Border 345 the entrance door, and remains of a barmkin or fore-court. The tower is absolutely plain externally, with a gabled roof, which has bat- tlements on the sides and not on the ends, a late arrangement. Internally there are four stories, two of which are vaulted. For two hundred years after the beginning of the fifteenth century, the tower belonged to the Prestons of Whytbank, from whom it passed to Scott of Harden. It now belongs to Lord Polwarth, his descendant. Sir Wal- ter Scott, in a note prefixed to " The Eve of St. John," says that he wrote that poem about Smailholm Tower and its vicinity. Darnick Tower The visitor to Abbotsford by coach from Melrose, a very common way, will see be- tween the two places, at a turn in the road, a very good example of the Border peel in Darnick Tower. This is a four-story struc- ture erected in 1569, to which has been added for more room an ell of later date. The tower is about thirty feet by twenty-two, with walls about four feet thick. On the south front is a square turret which carries a wheel stair to i the battlements, and is then continued a story I 346 Castles and Keeps of Scotland higher than the main tower to form a watch- tower. The entrance door is in the base of this tower, and seems to have been well guarded by double doors. It gives into the kitchen, formerly a vaulted apartment, but now with a square ceiling. Above this is the hall, occupying the whole of the first floor. On the floor above are bedrooms, and in the roof, with an entrance from the battlements, which run almost around the roof, is an ar- moury. The battlements are carried on cor- bels, as is the watch-tower. Embrasures and numerous gargoyles add to the picturesque- ness of the roof. Darnick has continuously belonged to and been inhabited by the Heitons. It is built on the site of an older tower, which was des- troyed by Hertford, in 1545. The present building was erected by virtue of a charter given by Mary and Darnley in 1566. BranxJiolm Castle Three miles from Hawick, on a bold bank overhanging the river Teviot, still stands Branxholm Castle, now no more a feudal fortress, but a noble mansion of the sixteenth century, with few relics of its earlier strength. Castles of the Border 347 The lands of Branxholm were acquired by the Scotts in 1420 by exchange for their own estate in Lanarkshire. " One-half of the barony of Branxholm belonged to Sir Thomas Inglis. This gentleman was a lover of peace, ill able to bear the excitements and conflicts and perils of the Border warfare; and, hap- pening one day to meet Sir William Scott of Buccleuch, who was then proprietor of the estate of Murdiestone in Lanarkshire, he strongly expressed to him his disgust at being obliged to sleep every night in boots and shirt of mail, and to hold himself in constant readi- ness for action with English freebooters, and his envy of the quiet and security and con- tinual ease which the lairds of Clydesdale en- joyed at a distance from the Border, and behind the ramparts of the Leadshill moun- tains. Scott loved frolicking and feud as much as Inglis hated them; and he abruptly answered, * What say you to an exchange of estates? I like that dry land of yours much better than this stretch of wet clay.' ' Are you serious? ' replied Inglis. * If you be, take the dry land with all my heart, and let me have the clay.' They made short work of the bargain; and Scott soon found himself laird of Branxholm, and significantly re- 348 Castles and Keeps of Scotland marked as he got possession of it that the cattle of Cumberland were as good as those of Teviotdale. He promptly gathered around him a strong body of hardy, active, resolute, unscrupulous, well-mounted retainers, and rode so often and vigorously at their head across the Border, and made such smart re- prisals upon the English for any occasional injury they did him, that he soon and per- manently made the balance of account between Cumberland and Teviotdale very much in his own favour; and his successors, for several generations, rivalled his energy and closely followed his example, — so that they rendered all the country round them resonant with the clang of arms, and rich with well-defended or rapidly augmented flocks." In 1463, Sir Walter Scott and his son, who had by now acquired the whole of the lands of Branxholm, surrendered them to the king and received them back as a barony, to be held on rent of a red rose. The castle now became the chief seat of the Buccleuch family, was enlarged and strengthened, and became one of the strong posts of the Border. Sir Walter thus sings its pride : — " Nine-and-twenty knights of fame Hung their shields in Branxholm Hall; Castles of the Border 349 Nine-and-twenty squires of name Brought them their steeds to bower from stall; Nine-and-twenty yeomen tall Waited duteous on them all ; They were all knights of mettle true, Kinsmen to the bold Buccleuch. " Ten of them were sheathed in steel, With belted sword, and spur on heel ; They quitted not their harness bright Neither by day, nor yet by night ; They lay down to rest With corselet laced. Pillowed on buckler, cold and hard ; They carved at the meal With gloves of steel And they drank the red wine through the helmet barred. " Ten squires, ten yeomen, mail-clad men, Waited the beck of the wardours ten ; Thirty steeds, both fleet and wight, Stood saddled in stable day and night, Barbed with frontlet of steel, I trow. And with Jed wood-axe at saddle bow ; A hundred more fed free in stall ; Such was the custom of Branxholm Hall." Branxholm Hall was such a thorn in the flesh of the English that it was burned by the Earl of Northumberland in 1532, and in 1570 a force under the Earl of Sussex and Lord 350 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Hounsdon was sent to completely destroy it. When they arrived, they found that the Scotts had burnt their own tower. This did not satisfy the English troops, who " cawysed powder to be sett, and so blew up the on halfe from the uther." Rebuilding was im- mediately undertaken by Scott, and finished by his wife in 1576, after his death. These buildings still stand. Goldielands Goldielands, a Border peel, famed in Border balladry, stands above the Teviot, a mile or so above Hawick. It is a typical keep of late date, and offers nothing of especial in- terest to the visitor, aside from its associa- tions. It was owned by a branch of the Scotts of Branxholm, the last of whom was hanged over his own doorway for his maraudings and plunderings. Dryhope Tower The home of Mary Scott, the " Flower of Yarrow," is a dismantled and ruinous keep overlooking St. Mary's Loch. It is arranged much as all other simple keeps in Scotland, but is in extremely dilapidated condition. It Castles of the Border 351 was destroyed in 1592 by Scott of Goldie- lands, because the owner had been " art and part in the late treasonable attempt against the king at Falkland." The chief interest of the castle lies in the legends and ballads of the " Flower of Yarrow," famous for her beauty, and the heroine of a tragic corhbat when seven Scott brothers and seven Douglas brothers fought for her and perished to the last man. She was eventually married to Scott of Harden, as famous for his freeboot- ing as she was for her beauty, and in this career she heartily encouraged him. The story is that when the larder of their home was empty, the laird and his sons got nought for dinner but a pair of spurs instead of a roast; upon the uncovering of this significant but unsatisfying dish, they were accustomed to quit the table and ride across the Border, soon driving back their dinner before them. Newark on Yarrow Four miles from Selkirk stands the strong and ancient pile of Newark Castle, once a royal hunting seat in Ettrick Forest and later the hold of the Scotts of Buccleuch. It is the scene of the " Lay of the Last Minstrel: " 352 Castles and Keeps of Scotland " He paused where Newark's stately tower Looks out from Yarrow's birchen bower: The Minstrel gazed with wishful eye — No humbler resting-place was nigh. With hesitating step, at last, The embattled portal-arch he passed, Whose ponderous gate and massy bar Had oft rolled back the tide of war, But never closed the iron door. Against the desolate and poor. The Duchess marked his weary pace, His timid mien, and reverend face, And bade the page the menials tell That they should tend the old man well : For she had known adversity. Though born in such a high degree ; In pride of power, in beauty's bloom, Had wept o'er Monmouth's bloody tomb ! " The keep is quite large, sixty-five feet by forty, with walls ten feet thick, and is sur- rounded by a barmkin or courtyard. It was built in the fifteenth century. In 1548 it was captured by the English. In 1645 a hundred prisoners from the battlefield of Philiphaugh were executed in the courtyard. In 1650 it was occupied by Cromwell. Anna, Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch, resided here after the execution of her husband, the Duke of Monmouth, under James VII, and is the duchess of Scott's poem. Castles of the Border 353 Hermitage Castle Plan of Hermitage Castle Hermitage Castle in Liddesdale, four miles from Riccarton Junction, was one of the largest and strongest on the Border, and re- mains in an exceptionally good state of repair. It stands on the Hermitage Water, between two other small streams, which gave plenty of water for filling the ditches. It was built in the thirteenth century by Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith, and its erection was one of I 354 Castles and Keeps of Scotland the causes given by Henry III, in 1243, for the assembling of an army to invade Scotland. He claimed that the fortress was too near the Liddel Water, the boundary between Eng- land and Scotland, and that it was a standing menace to the English frontier. The castle was intended as a royal possession, but passed into the hands of the lords of the district. From the family of de Soulis, who acquired it from Comyn, it was forfeited to the Crown, and was granted by David II to William of Douglas, Knight of Liddesdale. From him it passed to the Earls of Angus, and by them was enlarged about the beginning of the fif- teenth century. In 1492, Archibald, sixth Earl of Angus, exchanged Hermitage Castle and Liddesdale for Both well Castle on the Clyde, which had belonged to Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. While in the possession of the Douglases, the valiant Sir Alexander Ram- say of Dalhousie was confined in its dungeon without food or water; and although he man- aged to subsist for a time on the grains of corn which fell through the floor from the granary above, he eventually starved to death in his prison. The most famous episode in the history of Hermitage is the visit made by Queen Mary Castles of the Border 355 to the Earl of Bothwell. He had been se- verely wounded in an attempt to capture a desperate freebooter called ElUott of the Parke, and lay seriously ill in the castle. When the news was conveyed to Mary, she made the journey to Hermitage and back to Jedburgh, forty-eight miles over roadless wastes and barren hills, in drenching rain, in a single day, nearly paying with her life for her foolhardiness. When the Hepburn titles and lands were forfeited by Francis Stuart, the castle passed to the Buccleuchs, who still hold it. The earliest portion of the castle is the wall surrounding the small central court. Only one story of this remains, but it is evident that this keep originally had wooden floors. What the plan of this oldest castle was cannot now be told, as all other traces of it have disap- peared. When the castle was enlarged, prob- ably by William Douglas, Knight of Liddes- dale, in the beginning of the fourteenth cen- tury, a keep on the prevalent rectangular plan was built, with the unusual result of produc- ing a double tower with a central courtyard. The final change took place in the fifteenth century. This was the time when keeps were enlarged into courtyard castles, but Hermit- 356 Castles and Keeps of Scotland age was extended by building on a tower at each angle. Thus the extra accommodation was provided while the towers furnished ad- ditional security by flanking all sides of the keep. The castle was now extremely strong, both in situation and artificial defences. It was surrounded by ditches and a mound, and access was gained only by very small gate- ways, the most important of which was de- fended by a portcullis. The two eastern and the two western tow- ers were mutually united many feet above the ground by pointed arches. These resemble the arched gateway at Dirleton, but were not intended for that purpose, as there is no door- way in either arch. The probable reason for this construction is that the castle was de- fended at the top by wooden hoardings out- side the ramparts, and these arches enabled them to be carried entirely around the castle, while the spaces between the towers would otherwise have been too narrow to allow them to be conveniently carried into the recess. The holes for the beams are still to be seen, and also doorways from which the hoardings could be reached. There is also provision for two or three levels of wooden defensive plat- forms in the recesses under the great arches. Castles of the Border 357 with more doorways. The castle was altered for artillery by Lord Maxwell in 1540, when a number of windows and doorways were built up to form embrasures for guns. Neidpath Castle Neidpath Castle, near Peebles, is more fa- miliar because of the facility with which it can be photographed, and its picturesqueness of situation, than for its history. It stands on a high bank, overlooking a bend in the Tweed, and is a most conspicuous object in the landscape. It is a keep built on the L-plan, and probably dates back to the four- teenth century, although the time of its erec- tion is difficult to determine. It is built with a very peculiar hard mortar, which has caused the assertion that it is of Norman construc- tion, like the Tower of London. So hard is the cement, that a staircase was dug out of the thickness of the wall in the seventeenth century, without injuring the structure. The walls of the tower are about eleven feet thick. The original door was on the basement floor, on the side facing the river. Access was had to the upper floors by a spiral stair in the wall. The tower was divided vertically into 358 Castles and Keeps of Scotland three vaults, each of the lower two being sub- divided by a wooden floor. It thus contained five floors. The corners are all rounded, and the parapets had no projecting bartizans. In the seventeenth century it was altered somewhat by placing the principal entrance on the eastern front and adding a forecourt, in which were a number of domestic buildings. The castle was for centuries the property of the Hays of Tester. In 1686 it was sold to the Duke of Queensberry, and given by him to his son, the first Earl of March. The new proprietors beautified the estate by lay- ing out gardens and planting trees until it became the most beautiful estate in Peebles- shire. The third earl, who became Duke of Queensberry, despoiled the estate by cutting all the ornamental trees, and allowed the gar- dens to become a grassy sward. Wordsworth condemned this act in one of his sonnets, " Composed at Castle: " " Degenerate Douglas ! Oh, the unworthy lord ! Whom mere despite of heart could so far please, And love of havoc (for with such disease Fame taxes him), that he could send forth word To level with the dust a noble horde, A brotherhood of venerable trees, Leaving an ancient dome, and towers like these Castles of the Border 359 Beggared and outraged ! Many hearts deplored The fate of those old trees ; and oft with pain The traveller, at this day, will stop and gaze On wrongs which Nature scarcely seems to heed : For sheltered places, bosoms, nooks, and bays. And the pure mountains, and the gentle Tweed, And the green silent pastures, yet remain.'^ Of history, Neidpath Castle has little. Al- most its only historical event was its capture by Cromwell after a short defence. It seems to have been visited at various times by sev- eral Scotch monarchs. A touching legend of the castle is told by Scott as follows: — " There is a tradition that when Neidpath Castle was inhabited by the Earls of March, a mutual passion subsisted between a daughter of that noble family and a son of the Laird of Tushielaw, in Ettrick Forest. As the alliance was thought unsuit- able by her parents, the young man went abroad. During his absence the lady fell into a consumption; and at length, as the only means of saving her hfe, her father consented that her lover should be recalled. On the day he was expected to pass through Peebles on the road to Tushielaw, the young lady, though much exhausted, caused herself to be carried to the balcony of a house in Peebles belonging 360 Castles and Keeps of Scotland. to her family, that she might see him as he rode past. Her anxiety and eagerness gave such force to her organs that she is said to have distinguished his horse's footsteps at an incredible distance. But Tushielaw, unpre- pared for the change in her appearance, and not expecting to see her in that place, rode on without recognizing her or even slackening his pace. The lady was unable to support the shock, and, after a short struggle, died in the arms of her attendants.'^ This account is quoted from the introduction to Scott's poem, " The Maid of Neidpath," of which the last verse is as follows: — <^ He came — he pass'd — a heedless gaze, As o'er some stranger glancing ; Her welcome, spoke in faltering phrase, Lost in his courser's prancing — The castle arch, whose hollow tone Returns each whisper spoken. Could scarcely catch the feeble moan Which told her heart was broken." CHAPTER XV SOUTHWESTERN SCOTLAND Johnny Armstrong's Tower In the valley of the Esk, between Canonbie 'and Langholm, stands the most famous of all the Border keeps, Hollows or Gilnockie Tower. It is exactly like many other peels internally and externally, except that it has a beacon lantern on the top of the gable. These were frequent along the Border, but existing examples are very rare. The law of raising the countryside by fire was well understood, and continually practised. In 1570 the Earl of Sussex promulgated an or- der to the English wardens of the Border as follows: — " Everie man that hath a castle or a tower of stone shall upon everie fray raysed in thie night, give warning to the countrie by fire in the topps of the castle or towre in such sort as he shall be directed from his warning castle." The Armstrongs first appeared in this part 361 362 Castles and Keeps of Scotland of Scotland early in the sixteenth century, when the redoubtable Johnny built himself this tower against the laws, which stringently forbade the erection of any strength in the debatable lands without license from the Crown. They soon became one of the most powerful clans on the Scottish side, and built themselves numerous keeps, the ruins of which are scattered all through Liddesdale. " The habitual depredations of this Border race had rendered them so active and daring, and at the same time so cautious and circum- spect, that they seldom failed either in their attacks or in securing their prey. Even when assailed by superior numbers, they baffled every assault by abandoning their dwellings, and retiring with their families into thick woods and deep morasses, accessible by paths only known to themselves. One of their most noted places of refuge was the Terras-moss, a frightful and desolate marsh, so deep that two spears tied together could not reach the bottom." Several of the Scottish monarchs tried in vain to end their raids, but it remained for James V, after escaping from the power of the Earls of Angus, to break the power of the Border raiders. Knowing that to curb Southwestern Scotland 363 the followers, he must overawe the chief- tains, he forfeited or imprisoned the whole of them, except Cockburn of Henderland and Scott of Tushielaw, commonly called the " King of the Border," who were publicly exe- cuted. In June, 1529, the king at the head of his army marched from Edinburgh through Et- trick Forest, and into the southern border. During this expedition, Johnny Armstrong presented himself to the king, with thirty-six followers, in the hope of being pardoned. Pitscottie says that he " was the most re- doubted chieftain that had been for a long time on the borders either of Scotland or England. He ever rode with twenty-four able gentlemen, well-horsed ; yet he never mo- lested any Scottish man." It was said that from the Border to Newcastle, every English- man, of whatever state, paid him tribute. He " came before the king with his fore- said number (thirty-six), richly apparelled, trusting that, in respect of this free offer of his person, he should obtain the king's favour. But the king, seeing him and his men so gor- geous in their apparel, frowardly turned him- self about and bade them take the tyrant out of his sight, saying, * What wants that knave 364 Castles and Keeps of Scotland that a king should have? ' John Armstrong made great offers to the king, that he should sustain himself with forty gentlemen ever ready at his service, on their own cost, with- out wronging any Scottish man. Secondly, that there was not a subject in England, duke, earl, or baron, but, within a certain day, he should bring him to his majesty, either quick or dead. At length he, seeing no hope of favom*, said very proudly, ' It is folly to seek grace at a graceless face: but, had I known this, I should have lived on the borders in despite of King Heniy and you both; for I know that King Harry would down-weigh my best horse with gold to know that I were condemned to die this day.' " In spite of his entreaties, he and all his fol- lowers were hanged on trees and buried at Ceanlarig chapel. The rest of the family con- tinued in their high-handed life, and were never suppressed until James VI made a cam- paign against them in which their leaders were brought to the scaffold, their houses razed, and their estates conferred on strangers, so thoroughly that the very name of Armstrong was exterminated from the whole district where they had held sway. Southwestern Scotland 365 Lochmaben Castle Lochmaben, the hereditary home of the Bruces, which, with its outworks, covered six- teen acres, was the most powerful castle on the Border, and was, before the invention of gunpowder, all but impregnable. By its loca- tion it was the key to southwestern Scotland, and the scene of many conflicts. It stands on a flat peninsula which juts into Loch Maben. Across the isthmus are the remains of a deep ditch, through which flowed the waters of the loch, converting the site into an island. Within this ditch are a second, third and fourth, all of which except the last were crossed by movable drawbridges. The fourth ditch, about twenty feet wide, flowed under the two side walls of a forecourt through arched openings which were presumably de- fended by bars or gates. Thus access to the castle was had only by boats, and the main gate, opening on the ditch, was commanded by all the four walls of the court. Within the courtyard of the castle proper there are a few remains of buildings, probably of late date, but so ruinous that nothing can certainly be said about them The castle itself is wholly in ruins, having long been used as a quarry. 366 Oastles and Keeps of Scotland It was a square courtyard of typical thir- teenth-century plan, and originally had walls which were very thick and high. The present building is not the original castle of the Bruces, which stood on an emi- nence called the Castlehill on the other side of the loch. Robert de Brus was the son of a noble knight of Normandy who came into England with William the Conqueror, and was given the manor of SkeJton. Having become a friend of David I before that king came to the throne, he was granted by him in 1124 the lordship of Annandale, with right to enjoy his castle there, with all the customs appertaining to it. A charter of William the Lion of about 1170, dated at Lochmaben, confirms to the third Lord of Annandale all the property possessed by his father. The Bruce who was competitor for the throne and grandfather of Robert I died at Lochmaben in 1295. He was the builder of the present castle. Edward I took possession of the castle in July, 1298, strengthened and pro- visioned it, and placed a garrison there. When Bruce left London in 1304, he directed his course toward Lochmaben. Near the west marches he met a foot traveller, whom he Southwestern Scotland 367 questioned and found to be a bearer of mes- sages from Comyn to the English king. He seized and read the letters, which urged his imprisonment or death. After beheading the messenger, he went on to Lochmaben, where he found shelter. Later he proceeded to Dumfries to see Comyn, and the result was the death of the latter. When Bruce obtained the throne he gave the castle of Lochmaben to Randolph, Earl of Moray. The English conferred it on the Bohuns, Earls of Hereford, and when Ran- dolph returned from captivity in France in 1335, he " found William Bohun in his own castle of Lochmaben, and bearing sway over all his own lands of Annandale." In 1342 the Scots made a vigorous attempt to capture the castle from the garrison placed there by Edward III, but their efforts were unsuccess- ful. The next year David II imprudently led his forces into England, and was severely harassed by the garrison of the castle. In 1346 he besieged and took it, and executed the governor. After the Battle of the Stand- ard, the castle again opened its gates to an English garrison, who held it for years, though continually at war with the surround- ing population. The garrison's sallies and 368 Castles and Keeps of Scotland, forages led to frequent reprisals by raids into England, particularly one into Westmoreland in 1380, when the fair of Penrith was plun- dered with great booty. In 1384 the Earl of Douglas and Archibald Douglas, Lord of Galloway, raised a formidable force to take vengeance on the garrison, who had wasted their lands, and, capturing it, drove the Eng- lish out of Annandale. In 1409 the Earl of March resigned the castle to the Regent Albany, who gave it, with the lordship of Annandale, to the Earl of Douglas. The Douglases defied the king's authority in 1450, and James II besieged and took Lochmaben, which was confiscated five years later, at the attainder of the Earl of Douglas. Thereafter, until the Union, it re- mained a Crown possession. James IV built a great hall in the castle, and visited it during a royal progress. In 1511 he appointed Lauder of the Bass gov- ernor for seven years. In the minority of James V, Robert, Lord Maxwell, was ap- pointed governor for nineteen years. Queen Mary visited it in 1565, when pursuing rebels in Dumfriesshire. In 1588, James VI be- sieged the castle and took it from Lord Max- Southwestern Scotland 369 well, and thereafter the governorship was con- ferred on the Earl of Annandale. The governor of the castle had a salary of three hundred pounds Scots, and the right of fishing in the lochs with boats and nets. For the support of the garrison, he had from every parish of Annandale, the fattest cow that could be produced, thirty-nine meadow geese, and " Fasten's e'en hens." The priv- ileges were claimed long after the castle was dismantled, and anger for these exactions had much to do with the stripping of the castle of all its cut stone by the people of the vicin- ity. Torthorwald Castle Torthorwald Castle, the wreck of a massive keep of the fourteenth century, stands four miles east of Dumfries, on a ridge between Nithsdale and Annandale. It stands on a mound surrounded by ancient earthworks, probably the defences of a primitive fortifi- cation of an era before castles were built of stone. The tower, one end of which has fallen out, much resembles Dundonald Castle on a smaller scale. The castle belonged to the Carlyles, long inhabitants of this district. 370 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Thomas Carlyle was of this stock, and says, " What illustrious genealogies we have ; a whole regiment of Thomas Carlyles, wide possessions, all over Annandale, Cumberland, Durham, gone all now into the uttermost wreck, — absorbed into Douglasdom, Drum- lanrigdom, and the devil knows what." Caerlaverock Castle Seven miles south of Dumfries, where the river Nith flows into the Solway Firth, stands the magnificent and ancient Castle of Caer- laverock. It occupies a situation which must have been very strong, being placed at the edge of an extensive marsh, which surrounds the castle on all sides except the north. About the base of the castle walls runs a wide and deep moat which is still full of water. Out- side of this is a great earthen mound seventy feet wide. The approach to the castle is from the north, where it is joined by a drawbridge to firm ground. The castle as it stands to-day shows the work of several generations of builders. The triangular walls of enceinte belong to a very early period, and were probably standing when Edward I besieged the castle in 1300. g Southwestern Scotland 371 The castle at this period was like all the early castles, a simple enceinte, probably provided with towers similar to those now standing. The description written at this time by Wal- ter of Exeter would serve fairly well to-day. The castle was finally taken and the towers demolished. It was soon rebuilt, and the front erected at this time, identified by the shape of an Edwardian splayed loophole, is about ten feet behind the present front. The round towers were rebuilt at a later period on the stumps of those destroyed by Edward, and at the same time the round towers at the southern corners were erected. The buildings of the courtyard were built at two or three different times, first those on the west, and last of all, about 1620, the fine Renaissance structures on the east and south sides. The entrance to the castle is admirably de- fended. The entrance passage passes between the two great towers, with a guard room on each side, and is considerably contracted be- fore its opening into the courtyard. At the outer end was a portcullis, worked by very elaborate machinery in a room overhead. The twin front towers are twenty-six feet in diam- eter and provided with gun-holes. As these 372 Castles and Keeps of Scotland were built with the towers, their date is thus fixed as not earlier than the fifteenth cen- tury. They contain three stories, the lower vaulted, and the upper one domed at the top. They are finished with corbelled para- pets. The west range was probably built in the first half of the sixteenth century. The orig- inal wall of enceinte was raised to give suf- ficient height to the rooms within, and the masonry is much inferior to the original stone- work. One external window only was made to light these rooms. In this building there were a hall and retiring room on the ground floor, and the library and a smaller apartment on the floor above. Later a circular stairway was built between this block and the entrance doorway, and the high archway inside the entrance was erected. The last building at Caerlaverock was the fine Renaissance range on the east and south sides. This still stands in its full height, three stories, on the east, and is highly ornamented. The windows have shafts at the sides, with Ionic caps, and the pediments are filled with sculpture portraying classic myths and heraldic emblems. The rooms are lighted by windows on both sides, as the necessity for serious defence had passed Southwestern Scotland 373 away, and so it was deemed safe to cut up the curtain wall to any desired extent. This side of the court contains service rooms on the ground floor and chambers above. The fireplaces are richly carved. On the south side was the banqueting hall, a most mag- nificent apartment, now entirely ruined, and with its walls fallen in many places. The doorway by which it was entered is a splendid and finely decorated arch. The chapel is said to have been over the hall. The Romans possessed a station here, and the remains of one of their camps may be seen a little to the west of the castle. The barony of Caerlaverock belonged to the fam- ily of Maxwell as early as the time of Mal- colm Canmore. Herbert, the eleventh baron of the line, fell under the banner of Bruce at Bannockburn. In his time the castle was besieged and taken by Edward I in person, after a protracted siege. This was prosecuted with all the knowledge of the period, but so inadequate were the means of attack as com- pared with the defensive powers of the mas- sive walls, that it was discovered, on the sur- render, that the garrison had consisted of only sixty men. Edward demolished the towers, but seems to have put the castle into a state 374 Castles and Keeps of Scotland of defence again, for it was held against the Scots, and being later taken by them, was again besieged and captured. In 1355, Roger Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, faithful to the Scottish Crown, captured this castle and Dalswinton from the English, and by his firm loyalty kept the whole of Niths- dale for Scotland. Two years later he was atrociously murdered in his own castle by Sir James Lindsay, because Kirkpatrick had won the lady whom Lindsay desired for his wife. The murderer was executed for his crime by order of David II. The castle was given back to the Maxwells, who have been its owners through all of recorded his- tory. In 1425 Murdoch, Duke of Albany, con- victed of high treason, was brought here and confined in Murdoch's Tower, until the time came for him to be taken back to Stirling, where he died on the Heading Hill. Lord Maxwell had been arrested with him, but was liberated, to be later one of the conservators of the truce concluded with England in 1438. Robert, the next Lord Maxwell, was slain near Bannockburn with James III in 1488. Another Maxwell, Robert, " made a road into England, and spoiled all Cumberland," in Southwestern Scotland 375 1526. With his two brothers, he was made a prisoner at the rout of Solway Moss, in No- vember, 1542. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and ransomed a year later for one thousand merks. King James was at this time residing in Caerlaverock, and he was so mortified at the defeat of the Scots, that he retired to Falkland Palace and died of grief within a month. Henry VIII was desirous at this time of obtaining the mastery of the castles of Caerlaverock, Lochmaben, and Langholm, and ordered Lord Wharton, his envoy, to examine them, " and knowe their strength and scituations ; " if he found them tenable, he was " ernestly to travaile with Robert Maxwell for the delyverie of the same into his majestie's hands, if with money and reward, or other large offers, the same may be obtayned." Sir John Maxwell, son of Robert, known as Lord Herries, was a faithful follower of Queen Mary, and fled with her from Lang- side. He afterward wrote a history of her reign. He was forfeited in parliament, but died a natural death in 1594. His son was placed in possession of his estates in 1569. In 1570 the Earl of Surrey led fifteen thou- sand men into Scotland by command of 376 Castles and Keeps of Scotland. Queen Elizabeth to support James VI after the death of the Regent Moray. His army " took and cast down the castles of Caerlave- rock, Hoddam, Dumfries, Tinwald, Cowhill, and sundry other gentlemen's houses, depend- ers on the house of Maxwell; and having burnt the town of Dumfries, they returned with great spoil into England." The castle does not seem to have been seri- ously injured, and was fully restored by Rob- ert, first Earl of Nithsdale, after his acces- sion in 1620. During the civil war, he ex- pended his whole fortune in behalf of the cause of Charles I. In 1640 Lieutenant-Colo- nel Home attacked the castle and besieged it for thirteen weeks. The owner refused to surrender until he had received letters from the king, authorizing him to deliver up Caer- laverock and Threave on the best terms he could obtain. This was the end of the castle as a place of defence or habitation, the Max- wells removing to another house. Threave Castle Threave Castle, a fourteenth-century keep of the Douglases, stands on an island in the River Dee, about two miles from the town of Southwestern Scotland 377 Castle-Douglas. The only access to the island is by fording the river at the south end. The castle consists of a tower, about forty feet by sixty, surrounded by portions of a wall which formerly had round turrets at each corner. The entrance was by a gate tower, from the top of which a drawbridge gave access to the second floor of the keep. There is also a doorway at the ground level. The basement was vaulted, and above this were three wooden floors, and a wooden flat roof, supported by strut beams, the recesses for which in the walls may still be seen. The main defence of the castle was by wooden hoardings which were supported on projecting beams all around the castle. The double row of holes for the re- ception of these beams may still be seen, and all around the walls there is a tunnel just large enough to crawl through, intended to give access to the inner ends of the beams to fasten them in place. This is the best pre- served example of this kind of defence to be seen in Scotland. Threave Castle was built by Archibald Douglas, an illegitimate son of the good Sir James Douglas, about the end of the four- teenth century. In spite of the fact that he was a bastard he was created Lord of Gallo- 378 'Castles and Keeps of Scotland way, and later succeeded to the earldom of Douglas. He sensed in both home and for- eign wars, taking part in the battles of Hali- don in 1333 and Poitiers in 1356. His cruel and hard-hearted oppression of his tenants and peasants in Galloway earned him uni- versal execration and the title of " Archibald the Grim." He died at Threave in 1401. In 1455 the castle was forfeited to the Crown by Earl James Douglas, and was afterwards transferred to the custody of the ^lax^vells. In 1640 the Earl of Xithsdale held this castle for Charles I, as well as Caerlaverock, and armed,, paid and fed a garrison of eighty men; nor did he siurender except on written orders from the king. Thereafter the War Council " ordaines the hows of Threave to be plighted," " the sklait roofe of the hows and battlement thairof be taken downe, with the lofting thairof, dores and ^^^indows of the samen, and to tak out the haile iron worke of the samen." Power is further given the Laird of Bal- maghie " to work his will with the castle, and to put sex musqueteires and ane sergand thairin, to be enterteanit upon the public." Since that time the elements have had full sway in the ruined tower. Southwestern Scotland 379 Dunskey Castle Dunskey Castle, on the high and rocky sea- board in the town of Portpatrick, is an an- cient seat of the Blairs. The present build- ing was erected in the sixteenth century, and is now very ruinous. It occupies a strong site, cutting off with its eastern front a rocky neck, which is further cut across by a deep moat. The building is an L-shaped keep, with a long wing stretching northward. It does not figure in history to any extent, but makes an attractive addition to a desolate landscape. Ayrshire is full of castles, numbered by hundreds, a single parish on the west coast being able to enumerate fifteen. In spite of this multiplicity, few of them possess any particular interest except as picturesque ad- juncts to the landscape. The western prov- inces were far removed from the capital, and all the great families had their seats in more convenient parts of the country. Far from the Border, foreign war scarcely disturbed the peaceful current of agricultural life in the west, and Ayrshire is happy in that it has no history. Our survey of these castles is there- fore limited to a bare half-dozen. 380 Castles and Keeps of Scotland Turnberry Castle This famous fortress, situated at the end of a promontory, six miles north of Girvan, is reduced to a few insignificant fragments, but possesses great historic interest. It is one of the oldest castles of Scotland, and was the seat of the Celtic Lords of Galloway. Later it became the seat of the Earls of Carrick. In 1274, Margaret, Countess of Carrick, was married here to Robert Bruce of Annandale, and the castle later became the property of King Robert the Bruce. On September 20th, 1286, there was held here the first recorded association or assembly of the nobles of Scot- land, the object of which was to lay plans to support the claim of Robert Bruce, com- petitor for the Scottish Crown. In 1306 it was held for the English by Earl Percy, while King Robert Bruce lay in exile in the Isle of Arran. His friends were to give him sig- nal by fire when the hour was propitious for him to return and attack the English, and he was brought over prematurely by an acci- dental fire, referred to in " The Lord of the Isles:" " Wide o'er tlie sky the splendour glows, As that portentous meteor rose, Southwestern Scotland 381 Helm, axe, and falchion glitter'd bright j And in the red and dusky light, His comrade's face each warrior saw, Nor marvell'd it was pale with awe. Then high in air the beams were lost, And darkness sank upon the coast." Returning, Bruce stormed the castle, drove out the English garrison, and obliged them to retire to Ayr. This incident gave him determination to keep up the struggle, and proved the turning point of his fortunes. Never after was the castle inhabited; its owner had passed to greater things. Dunure Castle Dunure Castle, the original residence of the Kennedies, Earls of Cassilis, stands on a high rock on the coast of Maybole, a town of which it has been said, " No fewer than twenty- eight baronial mansions, stately, turreted and strong, are said to have stood within its lim- its." Little is left of Dunure, except frag- ments of the keep, and vaults of the court- yard structures. " The description of the means by which, in Queen Mary's disturbed reign, Gilbert, Earl of Cassilis, increased his domain is in- 382 Castles and Keeps of Scotland teresting," say MacGibbon and Ross, " as a specimen of the mode in which the church lands were too often dealt with by the nobles and lairds about the time of the Reforma- tion. The earl's proceedings are thus de- scribed: * Gilbertt was ane particuler manne, and ane werry greidy manne, and cairitt nocht how he gatt land, sa that he culd cum be the samin.' This earl schemed with one of the monks of Glenluce Abbey to counter- feit the necessary signatures to a deed convey- ing to him the lands of the abbey. Fearing that the monk would reveal the forgery, he employed a ' cairill ' to ' stik ' him ; and then in order to silence the latter, the earl per- suaded his uncle, the laird of Bargany, to accuse the * cairill ' of theft and hang him. ' And sa the landis of Glenluse wes conqueist.' The action of the same Earl Gilbert, for the purpose of acquiring the lands of the Abbey of Crosraguel, was even more horrible. * At the alteratioune of the religioun, my Lord deltt with the abbott,' but the feu, not having been confirmed by the Crown, was disputed by Allan Stuart, the succeeding abbot or commendator. The earl then carried him off to his castle of Dunure, and ' Quhane he fand him obstinatt, at last tuik him and band him Southwestern Scotland 383 to ane furme, and sett his bair legis to ane gritt fyr, and extreymly brunt him that he was ewer thairefter onabill of his leggis.' The laird of Bargany, hearing of this atroc- ity, sent to rescue the abbot. His men con- cealed themselves at night in a chapel close to the gate ' at the drawbrig-end,' and when the gate was opened in the morning they rushed in and took possession. The earl was absent, but soon returned, and endeavoured to retake the castle. His followers entered the chapel above mentioned, and attempted to mine the wall of the ' dungeone ' which adjoined it. * Bot the Lairdis menne, that was within, keist gritt staneis doune of the heiche battelling of the dungeone: and sa brak the ruiff of the chapell, in sik maner, that thay war forssitt to leiff the samin.' Bargany soon appeared on the scene with a strong force, and removed the abbot to Ayr, and after a time, and with some negotiation, ' all agreyitt. Me Lord gaiff the Abott sum mony to leiff wpone, quhilk contentit him all his dayis. And this way wes my lordis con- queise of Corsragall; quhilk wes bot ane bad forme.' " The feud which arose from this event was the cause later of a very tragical happening, 384 Castles and Keeps of Scotland thus told by an anonymous writer: " In De- cember, 1601, the Earl of Cassilis rode out from Maybole Castle at the head of two hun- dred armed followers to waylay the Laird of Bargany on a ride from Ayr to his house on Girvan-water ; and on the farm of West Enoch, about half a mile north of the town, he forced on the Laird an utterly unequal conflict, and speedily brought him and several faithful adherents gorily to the ground. The Laird, mortally wounded, was carried from the scene of the onset to Maybole, that he might there, if he should evince any symp- tom of recovery, be despatched by the Earl as * Judge Ordinar ' of the country ; and thence he was removed to Ayr, where he died in a few hours. Flagrant though the deed was, it not only — through manoeuvring and state influence highly characteristic of the period — passed with impunity, but was formally noted by an act of council as good service to the King. The Laird of Auchen- drane, son-in-law of the slain baron, was one of the few adherents who bravely but vainly attempted to parry the onslaught, and he received some severe wounds in the encounter. Thirsting for vengeance, and learning that Sir Thomas Kennedy of Colzean intended to Southwestern Scotland 385 make a journey to Edinburgh, he so secretly instigated a party to waylay and kill him, that no witness existed of his connexion with them except a poor student of the name of Dalrymple, who had been the bearer of the intelligence which suggested and guided the crime. Dalrymple now became the object of his fears; and, after having been confined at Auchendrane, and in the island of Arran, and expatriated for five or six years a sol- dier, he returned home and was doomed to destruction. Mure, the Laird, having got a vassal, called James Bannatyne, to entice him to his house, situated at Chapel-Donan, a lonely place on the coast, murdered him there at midnight, and buried his body in the sand. The corpse, speedily unearthed by the tide, was carried out by the assassin to the sea at a time when a strong wind blew from the shore, but was very soon brought back by the waves, and lodged on the very scene of the murder. Mure, and his son who aided him in the horrid transactions, fell under gen- eral suspicion and now endeavoured to des- troy Bannatyne, the witness and accomplice of their guilt; but the unhappy peasant mak- ing full confession to the civil authorities, they were brought up from an imprisonment 386 Castles and Keeps of Scotland into which the King, roused by general in- dignation, had already thrown them, and were placed at the bar, pronounced guilty, and sum- marily and ignominiously put to death." Another of the fifteen castles of which the town of Maybole boasts is Greenan, a tall gaunt keep which occupies a picturesque position in the bay of Ayr, about three miles south of that town. Dundonald Castle Dundonald Castle, which stands in a most conspicuous position on an isolated hill eight miles north of Ayr, is a royal castle of the fourteenth century. It was originally a very extensive structure, as is evident from the size of the keep, about eighty feet long and forty feet wide, and the remains of the wall of enceinte, which cover a large part of the hilltop. The present castle, old as it is, is built on the ruins of one still older, as ap- pears from the base of an old round tower which has been built into the west wall of the keep. The interior of the keep contains only two lofty pointed vaults. There was cer- tainly at least one more floor, but its walls have fallen out. Southwestern Scotland 387 The castle has never been the scene of any historical events. Its sole claim to fame is that it was a favourite residence of some of the kings of Scotland. " The manor of Dun-, donald," says Chalmers, " belonged to Walter the son of Alan, the first Stuart, who held the whole of the northern half of Kyle, in the beginning of the reign of William the Lion; and it might have been granted to him by David I, or his successor Malcolm IV. Per- haps the castle of Dundonald was built by the first Walter, who had no appropriate house or castle when he settled in Scotland. It seems to have been the only castle which the Stuarts had in their extensive barony of Kyle Stuart; but several of their vassals had small castles in that district." Robert II, after he ascended the throne, lived much in Dundonald, and died there in 1390. His son Robert III also resided here occasionally. Dean Castle Dean Castle stands some little distance northeast of the town of Kilmarnock, and is an excellent specimen of an early keep ex- tended into a courtyard castle. It belonged 388 Castles and Keeps of Scotland to the once powerful family of the Boyds. Lord Boyd was created a peer by James II, and his brother Alexander was tutor in horse- manship to the boy James III. Becoming favourites, the Boyds became masters of the king's person in 1466, and Lord Boyd re- ceived the highest offices of the kingdom. His son was created Earl of Arran and mar- ried the Princess Mary, sister of the king. Their fall was as rapid as their rise. Found guilty of treason in 1469, Sir Alexander was beheaded, and the Earl of Arran fled to Den- mark. His wife was confined in Dean Castle as long as he lived. The castle was ruined by fire in 1735. It consists of a massive keep, another tower, and some buildings between. The castle is similar to Doune. A traditional rhyme of the district thus alludes to the last Earl of Kilmarnock, who lost his title and estates by joining in the Rebellion of 1745, and whose crest was a " loupen hand," that is, one with two fingers folded in on the palm: — " The water of Garth runs by the Dean, That ance was Lord BoycVs lodgin' : The lord wi' the loupen han', He lost his title and his lan\" THE END. INDEX Abbey Craig, 27. Abbot of Unreason, 257, 258, 259- Abbotsford, 174, 345. Aberdeen, 175. Aberdeenshire, 9, 104. Abernethy, 83. Achaius, King, 75. Achanduin Castle, 70. Achencass Castle, 10. Ackergill Castle, 86. Acropolis of Athens, 132. Ada, niece of Malcolm IV, 167. Adventurers, 298, 299. Agatha, Queen of England, 177. Agnes, Countess of Dunbar, 283. Agricola, 140. Ailsa Craig, 27, 322. Airlie Castle, 128-130. Airlie, Ogilvies, Earls of, 128, 129. Aitherny, House of, 124. Aitherny, Watson of, 123. Albany, Alexander, Duke of, 39, 214, 215, 216, 217, 285, 286. Albany, Duke of, 252, 314, 324. Albany, Isabella, Duchess of, 146, 152, 312. Albany, Murdoch, Duke of, 138, 146, 147, 152, 153, 160, 168, 209, 256, 312, 325, 368, 374. Albany, Robert Stuart, Duke of. Regent of Scotland, 147, 152, 167, 168, 312. Alcluyd, 26. Alcuin, 198. Aldhame, 321. Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan, 280, 281. Alexander, Duke of Albany, 39, 214, 215, 216, 217, 285, 286. Alexander, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles, 81, 312. Alexander II, King of Scot- land, II, 38, 141, 200, 252. Alexander III, King of Scotland, 11, 12, 41, 56, 85, 200, 201, 279. Alexander of Argyle, 56, 62, 63. Alexander Seton, Earl of Dunfermline, 106. Alexander, Sir William, 226. A] ford, 108. Allan River, 136. Alloa, 183. Almond River, 157. Alnwick Castle, 196. Alyth, 128. Angles, 195. Angus, 64, 117, 163. Angus, Archibald, Earl of, 216, 313, 314, 31S, 354- Angus, Earls of, 39, 161, 354, 362. Angus, George, Earl of, 313. Angus, Kitchen of, 120, 390 Index Angus, Lord of the Isles, 53. Angus Og, Lord of the Isles, 69. Angus, William, Marquis of Douglas, Earl of, 316. Anna, Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch, 352. Annandale, 366, 367, 368, 369, 370. Annandale, Earl of, 369. Annandale, Robert Bruce of, 380. Anne, Queen of England, 133- Antoninus, Wall of, 26, 189. Appin, 70. Appin, Duncan Stuart of, 70. Archibald, Earl of Angus, 216, 313, 314, 315, 354- Archibald the Grim, Earl of Douglas, 39, 377. Ardchonnel Castle, 52-54. Ardnamurchan, 68. Ardoch River, 145, 152. Ardtornish or Artornish Cas- tle, 55, 66-67. Ardvreck Castle, 86. Argyle, 41, 48, 50, 56, 66, 98. Argyle, Alexander of, 56, 62, 63. Argyle, Bishop of, 70. Argyle, Colin Campbell, first Earl of, 56. Argyle, Countess of, 245. Argyle, Dugal, Thane of, 56. Argyle, Duke of, 50, 299. Argyle, Earl of, 53, 129, 130, 161, 183, 228, 229, 232, 296, 328. Argyle, Marquis of, 69, 70, 75, 76, 228, 232. Argyle, Reginald, Thane of, 56. Argyle, Somerled, Thane of, 56. Argyle Highlanders, 121. Argyles, 52, 63, 183. Argyllshire, 33, 46-71, 75- Armada, 60. Armstrong, John, 361-364. Aros Castle, 17, 67-68. Arran, 66, 380, 384. Arran, Earl of, 158, 306, 388. Arran, Sir Patrick Hamilton of, 238. Arthur, King of England, 193. Arthur's Seat, 136, 193. Artillery, 19, 20. Athens, 132. Athole, Duke of, 53, 104, 158. Athole, Earl of, 279, 281. Attica, 136, Auchendrane Castle, 384. Auchendrane, Mure, Laird of, 384, 385. Auchinbreck, 76. Auchinbreck, Campbell of, 76, 97- Auchindown Castle, 70. Auchmull Castle, 124. Augustinian friars, 240. Aviemore, 84. Ayr, 381, 383, 384, 386. Ayrshire, 379. Badenoch, 9, 53, 81, 82, 84, 103, 104. Badenoch, Wolf of, 83, 84, 104. Balcarres, Lady Sophia Lind- say of, 232. Balcarres, Lord, 233. Balclutha, 27. Balfour, Gilbert, of Westray, QT. Balfour, Lord, of Burleigh, 174. Balfours, 174. Baliol, Edward, 28, 41, 46, 48, 62, 63, 104, 171, 202, 205, 241, 282. Baliol, John, 141. Ballangleich, Laird of, 138, 143. Ballencrieff, 62. Index 391 Ballone Castle, 85. Balmaghie, Laird of, 378. Balnakiel Castle, 86. Banchory, 116. Bannatyne, James, 385. Bannockbiirn, 12, 16, 139, 282, 331, 373, 374. Banquo, 75. Bar, 277. Barcaldine Castle, 70. Bargany, Laird of, 382, 383, 384. Barrow, Thomas, 155. Bass, Lauder of the, 324, 368. Bass Rock, 27, 314, 316, 319- 330. Battle of the Standard, 367. Beague, 320. Beaton, Archbishop of St. Andrews, and Cardinal, 161, 165, 296, 321. Beaton, James, Archbishop of Glasgow, 259, 260. Beaton, servant to Queen Mary, 173. Beck, Anthony, Bishop of Durham, 331, 332. Bede, Venerable. 26. " Bell - the - Cat," Archibald, Earl of Angus, 216, 313, 314, 315. Ben Cruachan, 51. Benedict, Pope, iii. Berriedale Castle, 86. Berwick, 133, 282, 288, 337. Berwick Castle, 141, 278. Berwickshire, 314, 335. Bethel, 60. Billings, vi, 106, 107. Binny, William, 189. Birsay Palace, 88-90. Bisset, Walter, 279. Bissets, 279. Bjorn Brynulfson, 94. Black Bull's Head, 212, 237. Black Rood of Scotland, 196. Blackadder, Colonel John, 326. Blackadder, John, Minister of Troqueer, 326. Blackness Castle, 154. Blair, David, 328. Blairs, 379. Blanc, 227. Blantyre, 204, 205. Blind Harry the Minstrel, 157, 159. Bloody Bay, 53. Bocharm Castle, 9. Boece, 198. Bohun, William, Earl of Hereford, 367. Bois, Alexander. 79. Borlum, Brigadier Mcintosh of, 298. Borough Moor, 206. Borthwick Castle, 253-263, 289. Borthwick, David, 262. Borthwick, John, Lord, 257, 259. Borthwick, Lord, 260, 262, 268. Borthwick, Robert, 262. Borthwick, Sir James, 262. Borthwick, Sir William, 253, 256. Bosphorus, 136. Bothwell, Adam, Bishop of Orkney, 91. Bothwell, Andrew Moray, Lord, 38. Bothwell Castle, vii, 10, 11, 37-40, 354. Bothwell, Francis Stuart, Earl of, 39, 264. Bothwell. James Hepburn, Earl of, 39, 91, 243, 245, 247, 248, 253, 259, 260, 264, 288, 289, 296, 297, 302, 303, 355- Bothwell, Patrick Hepburn, Earl of, 39, 264, 354. Bothwellhaugh, Hamilton of, 187. Bouillon, Duchess of, 286. 392 Index Bour, John, 338. Boyd, Lord, 388. Boyd, Sir Alexander, 388. Braal Castle, 86. Brae, Fraser of, 327, 329. Bran, 55. Brand, John, 248. Brander, Pass of, 54. Branxholm Castle, 346-350. Branxholm, Sir Walter Scott of, 348, 350. Breadalbane, John, Earl of, 52 Breadalbanes, 52, 156. Brechin Castle, 9. Breze, Monsieur de, 29. Brins Castle, 86. Britons, 28, 193, 194, 195. Brochs, 3, 72, 93-95, 305. Brooch of Lorn, 58, 62. Broomhill, 83. Bruce, Laurance, 93, Bruce, Mrs., 184. Bruce, Robert, cousin of David II, 183. Bruce, Robert, King of Scot- land, 2, 12, 28, 29, 38, 41, 46, 48, 49, 54, 56, 62, 63, 79. 81, 109, 116, 143, 178, 183, 184, 189, 190, 201, 202, 205, 231, 233, 241, 268, 270, 274, 282, 283, 366, 367, 373, 380, 381. Bruce, Robert, of Annandale, 380. Bruce, Sir William, 243. Bruces, 109, 184, 280, 365, 366. Brudi, King of the Picts, 194. Brus, Robert de, 366. Buccleuch, Anna, Duchess of Monmouth and, 352. Buccleuch, Laird of, 39. Buccleuch, Scotts of, 351. Buccleuch, Sir William Scott of, 347. Buccleuchs, 348, 355. Buchan, Alexander Comyn, Earl of, 280, 281. Bucholie Castle, 86. Bullock, William, 206. Bunnock, William, 189. Burleigh Castle, 174-176, Burleigh, Lord Balfour of, 174- Burleigh, Ships of, 175. Burnet, 230. Burnetts of Lys, 116. Burn of Care, 181. Burn of Sorrow, 181. Bute, 40, 42, 209. Bute, Kyles of, 46, 47. Byres, Lord Lindsay of the, III, 120, 172, 246, 259. Caerlaverock Castle, 10, 370- 376, 378. Cairtoun, 42. Caithness, 72, 86, 108, 268. Caithness, Gilbert de Mora- via, Bishop of, 108. Cakemuir Castle, 260. Calder, 97, 98. Calder, Muriella, 97, 98. Calder, Sandilands, Laird of, 269. Calder Castle, see Cawdor Castle. Calders of Calder, 97. Caledonian Canal, 9, 72, 73, 74, 77, 80, 96. Camden, 332. Campbell, Arthur, 63. Campbell, Colin, Earl of Ar- gyle, 56. Campbell of Auchinbreck, 76, 97. Campbell of Inverliver, 97. Campbell, Sir Colin, of Lochow, 63. Campbell, Sir Duncan, of Glenorchy, 70. Campbell, Sir George, of Cessnock, 326. Campbell, Sir Hugh, of Cess- nock, 326. Campbell, Sir James, of Glen- orchy, 52. Index 393 Campbells, 47, 48, 53, 76, 97, 98. Canada, 226. Canonbie, 361. Cant, Andrew, 113. Canty Bay, 330. Canute, King of England, 195- Capella, Sir John de, 252. Carberry Hill, 172, 289. Carham, 195. Carlingwark, 230. Carlisle, 5. Carlyle, Thomas, 370. Carlyles, 369. Carrick, 42. Carrick, David, Earl of, 42. Carrick, Earl of, 324, 380. Carrick, John Stuart, Earl of, see Robert III. Carrick, Margaret, Countess of, 380. Car th Water, 388. Cassilis, Gilbert, Earl of, 381, 382, 384. Cassilis, Kennedies, Earls of, 381. Castelh-Mynyd-Agned, 193. Castle Building in Scotland. First Period, 8-1 1. Second Period, 11-17. Third Period, 17-20. Fourth Period, 20-25. Castle Campbell, vii, 17, 180- 184. Castle Craig, 85. Castle-Douglas, 377. Castle of Gloom, 181. Castle of the Maidens, 194. Castle Leod, 85. Castle Roy, 10, 83-84. Castle Stalcaire or Stalker, 70. Castle Swin, 10. Castrum Puellarum, 194. Caterans, 120, 126. Cawdor, 06. Cawdor Castle, 96-101, 104. Cawdor, Thane of, 104. Ceanlarig, 364. Cecil, 259. Celts, 72, 194. Cessford Castle, 341-343. Cessnock, Sir George Camp- bell of, 326. Cessnock, Sir Hugh Camp- bell of, 326. Chalmers, 387. Chapel-Donan, 385. Charlemagne, 75. Charles I, King of England, 76, 169, 178, 220, 226, ^33, 237, 242, 244, 296, 298, 376, 378. Charles II, King of Eng- land, 115, 169, 178, 243, 326. Charles VI , King of France, 209. Charles Edward Stuart, Prince, 77, 82, 137, 144, 154, 190, 221, 244. Chastelard, 244. Cheviots, 344. Christian, sister of Edgar Atheling, 177. Christian, sister of King Robert Bruce, 38. Civil War, 332, 340. Clach-na-cau, 55. Clackmannan Tower, 183- 184. Clanranald, 69. Claverhouse, 83, 233. Cleopatra, 133. Closeburn, Roger Kirkpat- rick of, 374. Clyde River and Firth, 26, 27, 33, 34, 37, 46, 354- Clydesdale, 347. Cochbevis, Sir John, 238. Cockburn of Henderland, 363- Cockburn, Thomas, 340, 341. Cockenzie, 29^^;. Colin Campbell, Earl of Ar- gyle, 56. 394 Index Colkitto, Allaster Macdonald of, 67, 69. Colzean, Sir Thomas Ken- nedy of, 384. Commonwealth, 113, 233. Comyn, Alexander, Earl of Biichan, 280, 281. Comyn, The Red, 62. Comyn, Walter, Earl of Menteith, 353, 354. Comyns, 74, 75, 79, 81, 82, 84, 103, 367. Conference of Craigmillar, 253- Congal, King of the Picts, 171. Congleton Castle, 10. Constantinople, 136. Copeland, John, 284. Corstorphine, Forrester of, 264. Cospatrick, Earl of Dunbar and March, 277, 278. Courtyard Castles, 17, 22. Covenant, 113, 129. Covenanters, 69, 113, 115, 220, 316, 326, 327, 343. Cowal, 42. Cowhill Castle, 376. Craigmillar Castle, vii, 17, 214, 249-253, 269. Craigmillar, Conference of, 253- Craignethan Castle, vii, 33-37. Craill Castle, 9. Crathes Castle, 109, 115-117, 127. Crawford, Earl of, 118, 125, 126, 135. Crawford of Jordanhill, Cap- tain, 30, 32. Creich, Laird of, 245. Crichton Castle, 17, 212, 256, 259, 263-266. Crichton, Lord. 39. Crichton, Sir William, Chan- cellor to James I, 39, 210, 211, 212, 213, 237, 264. Croc, Robert, of Crookston, 44- Cromarty, 84. Cromwell, Oliver, 33, 91, 92, 109, 190, 220, 233, 237, 243, 255, 261, 262, 281, 299, 301, 340, 352, 359. Crookston Castle, 44-45. Crookston, Robert Croc of, 44. Crookston Tree, 44. Crosraguel Abbey, 382. Crossford, 33, 34. Crusades, 7, 12, 52. Cullen, 277. Culloden, 83. Cumberland, 348, 370, 374. Cumberland, Duke of, 77, 144, 244. Cunningham, Laird of Drum- whassel, 30, 31, Cymry, 193. Dalhousie, Sir Alexander Ramsay of, 274, 277, 285. Dalmally, 50, 53. Dairy, 42, 62. Dalrymple, 384. Dalrymple, Sir Hew, 317. Dalswinton Castle, 10, 374. Damietta, 279. Danes, 75, 140, 277. Darcy, Sir Arthur, 342. Darnick Tower, 345-346. Darnley, Henry, King-Con- sort of Scotland, 30, 33, 39, 44, 217, 218, 236, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 253, 303, 346. Dauphin, Francis, husband of Queen Mary, 217, 231, 288. David, Duke of Rothesay, 160, 167, 208, 209. David. Earl of Carrick, 42. David I, King of Scotland, 9, 189, 198, 200, 227, 240, 366. 387. David II, King of Scotland, Index 395 63, 171, 183, 190, 207, 274, 354, 367, 374- Dean Castle, 387-388. Dee, River, 109, 116, 376. Defoe, Daniel, 322. Denmark, 224, 388. Desmond, Earl of, 85. Dirleton, 330. Dirleton, Baron, 332. Dirleton Castle, 11, 18, 330- 334, 356. Dirleton, Lord, 268, 331. Dirlot Castle, 86. Dog's Pillar, 55. Dollar, 184. Don, River, 108. Donalbain, 197. Donald Dubh, Lord of the Isles, 53. Donald, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles, 64. Dongart, King of the Picts, 171. Donibristle, 153. Doon Hill, 281. Doric order, 87. Douglas, Archibald, Lord of Galloway, 368, 377. Douglas, Archibald the Grim, Earl of, 39, 377. Douglas Castle, 10. Douglas, David, 212. Douglas, Duke of, 317, Douglas, Earl of, 135, 143, 210, 211, 368. Douglas, George, 173, 245. Douglas, James, Earl of, 64, 378. Douglas, James the Gross, Earl of. 213. Douglas, Lady Jane, 223. Douglas, Lord James, 268. Douglas, Margaret, Countess of St. Clair, 269. Douglas, Patrick, 303. Douglas, Sir James, 282, 377. Douglas, Sir Robert, of Lochleven, 172. Doliglas, William, 173. Douglas, William, Earl of Angus, Marquis of, 316. Douglas, William, Knight of Liddesdale, 206, 207, 354, 355- Douglases, 2, 40, 104, 237, 304, 313, 351, 376. Doune, 145. Doune Castle, vii, 18, 20, 137, 144-155, 256, 263, 309, 310, 312. 388. Downreay Castle, 86. Draffane, 36. Drumcall, 42. Drum Castle, 17, 109. Drumerline, Tweedie, Laird of, 269. Drumlanrig, Stuart, Laird of, 269. Drummond, William, 274, 298. Drumwhassel, Cunningham, Laird of, 30, 31. Drury, Sir William, 219, 337. Dryden, 272. Dryhope Tower, 350-351. Duart Castle, 10, 64-66, 68. Dublin, 57. Duffus Castle, 9. Dugal, Thane of Argyle, 56. Dumbarton Castle, 10, 20, 26- 33, 131, 139, 231. Dumbuck, 27, 31. Dumfries, 367, 369, 370, 376. Dumfries Castle, 376. Dumfriesshire, 368. Dunbar, Agnes, Countess of, 283. Dunbar, Battle of, 201, 261. Dunbar Castle, 10, 20, 216, 260, 276-289, 295, 296, 314. Dunbar, Cospatrick, Earl of, 277, 278. Dunbar, Family of, 277. Dunbar, George, Earl of, 285. Dunbar, Marjory, Countess of, 280. 396 Index Dunbar, Patrick, Earl of, 200, 278, 279, 280, 282, 336. Diinbriton, 26. Duncan, Earl of Fife, 167. Duncan, Earl of Lennox, 137. Duncan, Geilie, 223, 224. Duncan, King of Scotland, 80, 127. Dundee, 229, 233. Dundonald Castle, 16, 42, 369, 386-387. Dun-Edin, 194. Dunfermline, 172, 176, 179. Dunfermline Abbey, 196, 197. Dunfermline, Alexander Se- ton. Earl of, 106. Dunfermline Palace, 176-179. Dunglas Castle, 290-295. Dunibeath Castle, 86. Dunkeld, 129. Dunnottar Castle, vii, iio- 115. 117, 234. Dunolly Castle, 54-57, 63. Dunoon, 42, 46. Dunrobin Castle, 85. Dunskey Castle, 379. Dunstaffnage Castle, 9, 48, 55, 56, 57, 58-64. Duntreath, Edmonstones of, 153- Dunure Castle, 381-386. Durham. 331, 370. Durham, Anthony Beck, Bishop of. 331, 332. Durie, Family of, 121. Duriehill, 121. Durwards, 79. Eagle's Loup, 126. Earlston. Alexander Gordon of, 326. East Linton, 301, 302. East Lothian, 276-334. East Wemvss, 166. Edderchalder Castle, 86. Edgar Atheling, 177, 195, 277. Edgnr, King of Scotland, 197. Edinburgh, 33, 125, 168, 176, 184, 186, 241, 249, 252, 260, 261, 266, 269, 274, 282, 289, 297, 299, 306, 312, 314, 326, 327, 330, 337, 338, 340, 363, 384. BIyth Close, 236. Canongate, 214, 248. Grassmarket, 238. Guise Palace, 236. Kirk o' Field, 248, 249. IMound, 222. Nor' Loch, 214, 222, 227. Princes Street, 222. Ro\'al Exchange, 225. St. Giles Church, 208, 211, 239, 312. Waverley Street Bridge, 2 ^2 West Bow. 202. Edinburgh, Bishop of, 327. Edinburgh Castle, vi, 10, 20, 53, 131, 139, 141, 143, 191- 239, 286. Arg3'le Battery, 196, 229. Arg}le Tower, 199, 227, 229. 232. Castlehill, 132, 192, 193, 222, 223, 225, 226. 227. Crown Room, 233, 234, 235. David's Tower, 207, 214, 227. Dogs' Cemeter>% 239. Esplanade, 222, 225. Half Moon Battery, 227, 233- Mons Meg, 230, 231. Outer Port, 227. Palace Yard, 233. Parliament Hall, 237. Portcullis Gate, 227. St. Margaret's Chapel, 196, 231. Wellhouse Tower, 214, 239. Edinburghshire, 205, 240- 275- Edm.onstones of Duntreath, 153- Index 397 Edmund Ironsides, King of England, 177. Edward I, King of England, 28. 38, 48, 61, 75, 79, 81, 103, 109, 141, 157, 160, 189, 201, 232, 280, 281, 330, 331, 366, 370, 371, 373- Edward II, King of Eng- land, 142, 201, 205, 282. Edward III, King of Eng- land, 113, 139, 157, 160, 171, 200, 205, 206, 207, 242, 282, 367. Edward IV, King of Eng- land, 67, 216. Edward, Prince of England, 315. Edward the Confessor, King of England, 195. Edwin of Deira, 194. Edwin's-burgh, 194. Edzell, 117, 125, 126. Edzell Castle, 1 17-125. Edzell, Lindsays of, 118, 120, 125, 126. Egbert of Northumberland, 28. Egfrith of Northumbria, 194. Egill's Saga, 94. Egypt, 279. Elcho Castle, 159. Elchoch, 159. Elgin, 102. Elgin, Earl of, 184. Elizabeth, Countess of Mo- ray, 153. Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, 178. Elizabeth, Queen of England, 174, 219, 220, 248, 288, 316, 338, 376. Ellendonan, 84. Elliott of the Parke, 355. Elphinstone Castle, 304-305. Ere, 61. Erlend Yunga, Jarl, 95. Ermengarde, wife of Will- iam the Lion, 200. Ersildown, Thomas Lear- mouth of, 201, 279, 280. Erskin, Arthur, 245. Erskine, Lord, 252. Erskine, Sir Thomas, 332. Esk River, 273, 274, 361, Ethelfrith of Northumbria, 194- Ettrick Forest, 351, 359, 363. Exchequer Rolls, 49, 156, 230. Executions, 15. Exeter, Walter of, 371. Fairburn Tower, 85. Faldonside, Ker of, 245. Falkirk, 142, 154, 189. Falkland Palace, 160, 167- 169, 351, 375. Falside Castle, 306. Fast Castle, 335-338. Fenton, Viscount, 332. Fenwick, Colonel, 340, 341. Fergus, 61. Fian, John, 223, 224. Fidra, 318. Fife, Duncan, Earl of, 167. Fife, Earls of, 311. Fife, Isabel, Countess of, 167, 312. Fife, Macduff, Maormor of, 166, 311. Fife, Robert Stuart, Earl of, 147, 152, 167, 168, 312. Fifeshire, iii, 160, 163, 176, 201, 271. Fingal, 55. Finlarig Castle, 155-156. Finnart, Sir James Hamilton of, 36. Fitzgerald, Colin, 85. Flamborough Head, 325. Flanders, 230, 326. Fleming, Lady, 33, Fleming, Lord, 30, 32, 268, 296. Flodden, 29, 189, 256, 262. Fordun, 176. Forfar Castle, 9. 398 Index Forfar, Loch of, 128. Forfarshire, 117, 120. Forrester of Corstorphine, 264. Forse Castle, 86. Forth, River and Firth, 131, 132, 133, 136, 140, 167, 176, 196, 206, 271, 306, 309. Fort William, 74. Francis, Dauphin of France, 217, 231, 288. Francis Stuart, Earl of Bothwell, 39, 264. Francis, William, 202, 203, 204. Franks, 4, 5. Frarynzan, 42. Fraser of Brae, 327, 329. Frasers, 81. Frazer, Sir Simon, 142. Freuchie, Grants of, 79, 80, 82. Froissart, Sir John, 207. Fyvie, Alexander Seton, Earl of Dunfermline, Lord, 106. Fyvie Castle, 9, 91, 104-108, 127. Gaelic, 277. Galata Tower, 136. Galloway, 378. Galloway, Archibald Douglas, Lord of, 368, 377- Galloway, Lords of, 380. Garter, Order of the, 187, 233. Gaul, 4. George, Earl of Angus, 313. George, • Earl of Dunbar, 285. George IV, King of Eng- land, 233. German Ocean, 85, 86, no, 309, 355. Gifford family, 306. Gilbert, Earl of Cassilis, 381, 382, 384. Gillespie, Robert, 326. Gillie, John, of Gillieston, 298. Gilnockie Tower, 361-364, Girnigoe Castle, 86. Girvan, 380. Girvan Water, 384. Glamis Castle, 9, 91, 126-128. Glamis, John, Earl of, 223. Glasgow, 30, 34, 46, 184, 321, 326. Glasgow, James Beaton, Archbishop of, 259, 260. Glen Aray, 50. Glenesk, 125. Glengarry, 77. Glengyle, Gregor Macgregor of, 154- Glenluce Abbey, 382. Glenorchy, Sir Duncan Camp- bell of, 70. Glenorchy, Sir James Camp- bell of, 52. Gloucester, Duke of, 216. Goblin Hall, 307. Golden Fleece, Order of the, 187. Goldielands, Scott of, 351. Goldielands Tower, 350, 351. Gordon, 130. Gordon, Alexander, of Earls- ton, 326. Gordon, Duke of, 221, 229. Goths, 4. Go u rock, 46. Gowlan Hill, 137. Gowrie Conspiracy, 169, 331, 338. Gowrie, Earl of, 158, 331, 332,, 338. Gowrie House, 338. Graeme, 277. Graham, Sir Robert, 138. Grampians, 117, 120, 129. Grange, Kirkcaldy of, 161, 219, 220, 227, 239. Granger, Mrs., 114. Grant, John of Freuchie, 79, 80, 82. Index 399 Grant of Rothiemurchus, 82. Grantown, 82, 103. Gray, Sir Andrew, 204, 205. Great Glen, 75. Greenan Castle, 386. Gregory IX, Pope, 200. Greenock, 46. Grose, 276, 322. Guise, Cardinal de, 218. Guise, Dowager de, 219. Guv, Count of Namur, 205. Gylen Castle, 57-58. Haddington, 279. Hailes Castle, 301-302, 303- Haliburton, Sir John, 331. Haliburton, Sir William, 33i- Halidon, 378. Hamilton, Archibald, Arch- bishop of St. Andrews, 33, 164, 165, 296. Hamilton, James, of Orbies- ton, 174. Hamilton, Lord, 292. Hamilton, Lord James, 36. Hamilton, Marquis of, 39. Hamilton, Master of, 292. Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, 187. Hamilton Palace, 174, i85- Hamilton, Sir James, of Finnart, 36. Hamilton, Sir Patrick, of Arran, 238. Hamiltons, 290, 301. Harden, Scott of, 345, 35i- Harold, Jarl, 95. Haroun al Raschid, 138. Hawick, 346, 350, Hawley's Dragoons, 190. Hawthornden, 272, 273-275, 298. Hay, Andrew, 35. Hay, Father, 267, 269. Hay, George, de Minzeane, 257. Hay, William, of Locherwart, 255, 256. Hays of Yester, 358. Heitons, 346. Helmsdale Castle, 86. Help and Hold, 270, 271. Henderland, Cockburn of, 363. Henri H, King of France, 29. Henry II, King of England, 141. Henry III, King of Eng- land, 278, 354. Henry IV, King of Eng- land, 208, 209. Henry VIII, King of Eng- land, 53, 161, 342, 375. Henry, Prince of England, 134- Hepburn, Adam, 39. Hepburn, James, Earl of Bothwell, 39, 91, 243, 245, 247, 248, 253, 259, 260, 264, 288, 289, 296, 297, 302, 303, 305. Hepburn, Patrick, Earl of Bothwell, 39, 264, 354. • Hepburns, 302. Hereford, William Bohun, Earl of, 367. Heregaidel, see Argyle, 56. Hermitage Castle, vii, 39, 353-357- Hermitage Water, 353. Herries, Sir John Maxwell, Lord, 375. Hertford, 217, 242, 243, 251, 296, 301, 343, 346. Highland Railway, 83. Highlands, 49, 54, 75, 131, 132, 136, 193, 283, 312. Hoddam Castle, 376. Holden, Thomas, 336. Holland, 232. Hollows Tower, 361-364. Holy Land, 60. Holyrood Abbey and Palace, 199, 205, 208, 210, 219, 220, 236, 239, 240-249, 259, 288. 400 Index Holyrood, Abbot of, 232. Holyrood, Robert Stuart, Earl of Orkney, Abbot of, 89, 93- Home Castle, 10, 337, 339- 341- Home, Countess of, 40. Home, John, 155. Home, Lady, 340. Home, Lieutenant - Colonel, 289, 376. Home, Lord, 290, 291, 339. Homes, 337, 339- Hopes Water, 306. Hounsdon, Lord, 350. House of Commons, 228. Hume, Captain, 31. Hume Castle, see Home Castle. Hume, Lord, 259. Hungary, 177. Huntingtower, 157-158. Huntly, Earl of, 81, 102, 153, 247, 296, 297. Huntly Rebellion, 119. Hurley-Haaky, 138. Husbac, 41. Ian, 69. Icolmkill, 61. Inchkeith, 288, 289. Inchmahone, 29. Inchmurran Castle, 152, Inglis, Sir Thomas, 347. Innerwick Castle, 290-295. Innes, Cosmo, 9, 306. Innischonnel, 52. Inveraray, 49, 50. Inveraray Castle, 50, Invergarry Castle, 77. Inverliver, Campbell of, 97. Inverlochy Castle, 9, 10, 73- 77. Invermark Castle, 124-125. Inverness, 75, 80, 81. Inverness Castle, 80-82. Inverness-shire, 74, 83. Inverurie Castle, 9. lona, 61, 66. Ionic order, 372. Ireland, 53, 61, 153. Irvine, William de, 109. Isabel, Countess of Fife, 167, 312. Isabel of Lorn, 56. Isabella, Duchess of Albany, 146, 152, 312. Isla River, 128, 156. I slay, 56, 66. Italy, 299. Jacob, 60. Jacobites, 75, 122, 328, 329. James, Earl of Douglas, 64, 378. James, Earl of Moray, 172. James, Earl of Morton, 172, 246, 253, 259, 303, 325. James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, 39, 91, 243, 245, 247, 248, 253, 259, 260, 264, 288, 289, 296, 297, 302, 303, 355. James I, King of Scotland. 41, 42, 81, 138, 146, 152, 168, 190, 209, 241, 253, 312, 324, 325. James II, King of Scotland, 39, 64, 104, 134, 135, 143, 153, 210, 230. 237, 241, 326, 328, 368, 388. James III, King of Scotland, 39, 81, 133, 134, 143, 153, 161, 168, 190, 214, 216, 217, 252, 285, 287, 289, 374, 388. James IV, King of Scotland, 18, 39, 49, 64, 69, 70, 80, 81, 134, 143, 153, 168, 178, 189, 190, 233, 238, 241, 262, 368. James V, King of Scotland, 18, 20, 39, 89, 93, 133, 138, 143, 153, 168, 178, 187, 190, 217, 233, 242, 252, 310, 311, 313, 314, 315, 362, 368, 375- James VI, King of Scotland, 21, 61, 65, 68, 134, 143, 154, Index 401 158, 169, 173, 175, 178, 179, 190, 199, 218, 219, 220, 223, 224, 225, 226, 233, 236, 264, 296, 297, 324, 331, 332, 337» 364, 368, 376. James VII, King of Scot- land, 127, 221, 230, 352. James the Gross, Earl of Douglas, 213. Jedburgh, 342, 355- Jedburgh Castle, 10. Jeffrey, 342. John de Yle, Earl of Ross, 66. John, Earl of Breadalbane, 52. John, Earl of Glamis, 223. John, Earl of Mar, 214, 252. John, Lord of the Isles, 53, .81. John Stuart, Earl of Carrick, see Robert III. Jointure, Lady Burleigh's, 175. Jonson, Ben, 274. Jordanhill, Captain Craw- ford of, 30, 32. Julius II, Pope, 233. Kale Water, 342. Keiss Castle, 86. Keith, 223. Keith, Sir John, no, in. Keith, Sir William, no, in. Keiths, Earls Marischal, 113. Kelso, 339, 342. Kennedies, Earls of Cassilis, 381. Kennedy, Sir Thomas, of Col- zean, 384, Kenneth I, King of Scotland, 277. Kenneth II, King of Scot- land, 277. Kenneth III, King of Scot- land, 140. Kenneth Macalpine, King of Scotland, 61, 62, 195. Ker of Faldonside, 245. Kerrera, Island of, 57. Kerrera, Sound of, 54. Kers, 342. Kilbryde, 42. Kilchurn Castle, vii, 51-52. Kilcoy Castle, 85. Kildrummie Castle, 9, 11, 108- 109. Killegrew, 316. Killiecrankie, 233. Killin, 155. Kilmarnock, 42, 387. Kilmarnock, Earl of, 388. Kilsyth, 175. Kim of Mollance, 230. Kincardine Castle, 9. Kinclaven Castle, 156-157. Kinghorn, 201, 280. Kingussie, 82. Kinkell Castle, 85. Kinlochaline Castle, 67. Kinneff, 114. Kinross, 170, 171. Kintail, Mackenzies of, 85. Kintyre, 48, 56. Kirkcaldy of Grange, 161, 219, 220, 227, 239. Kirkcudbrightshire, 230. Kirkpatrick, Roger, of Close- burn, 374. Kirkwall, 88. Kirkwall Palace, 86-88, 92, 93. Knockinnan Castle, 86. Knox, John, 220, 244, 245. Kyle Stuart, 387. L'AIeran, Cardinal, 200. Lambert, General, 114, 332. Lamberton Castle, 10. Lamberton, William, Bishop of St. Andrews, 324. Lamont, Sir James, 47. Laments, 47. Lanarkshire, 37, 347. Lancaster, 208. Langholm, 361. Langholm Castle, 375. 402 Index Langlands, William, 257, 258. Langside, 30, 44, 174, 339, 375- Largs, 41, 85. Lauder of the Bass, 324, 368. Lauder, Robert, 324. Leadshill mountains, 347. Learmouth, 326. Learmoutli Thomas, of Er- sildown, 201, 279, 280. Ledes, Alexander de, 29. Leicester, Robert, Earl of, 160. Leith, 211, 215, 216, 217, 299, 316, 327. Lennox, 161. Lennox, Duke of, 158. Lennox, Duncan, Earl of, 138. Lennox, Earl of, 30, 281, 312. Lennox Hills, 136. Lennox, Maldwyn, Earl of, 28. Leonard, Lord, 342. Lesley, John, 161. Lesley, Norman, Master of Rothes, 161. Leslie, General David, 58, 167, 220, 281. Lethington Castle, 303. Lethington, Maitland of, 30, 120, 220, 244, 253, 296, 297, 303- Leuchars Castle, 9. Leven, Earl of, 237. Leven, River, 27, 171. Liberton, 249. Liddel Water, 354. Liddesdale, 39, 206, 259, 353, 354, 355, 362. Liddesdale, William Douglas, Knight of, 206, 207, 354, 355. Limoisne, Richard de, 206. Lindsay, Janet, 123. Lindsay, Lady Sophia, of Balcarres, 232. Lindsay, Lord, 122. Lindsay, Lord, of the Byres, III, 120, 172, 246, 259. Lindsay, Margaret, 123, 124, Lindsay of Pitscottie, 163, 238, 285, 315- Lindsay, Sir David, of the Mount, 162. Lindsay, Sir James, 374. Lindsays of Edzell, 118, 120, 125, 126. Linlithgow, 184, 230, 302. Linlithgow Palace, 10, 17, 18, 169, 186-191. Lismore, 70. Livingstone, Lord, 296. Livingstone, Regent, 210, 211, 212, 213, 237, 264. Lochaber, 75. Loch Aline, 67. Loch Alsh, 85. Loch-an-Eilan Castle, 84. Loch Awe, 51, 52, 53, 98. Loch Doon Castle, 10. Loch Duich, 85. Locherwart, Mote of, 253. Locherwart, William Hay of, 255, 256. Loch Etive, 54, 55, 58. Loch Fyne, 46, 47, 48, 49. Lochindorb Castle, 9, 10, 84, 103-104. Lochlee, 125. Loch Leven. 174, 175. Lochleven Castle, vii, 17, 120, 169-174, 185, 289, 339- Lochleven, Sir Robert Doug- las of, 172. Loch Lomond, 152. Loch Long, 85. Lochmaben Castle, vii, 10, 365. 369, 375. Loch Ness, 78. Lochow, Sir Colin Campbell of, 63. Loch Sunart, 69. Loch Tay, 155. Lochy, River, 74. Index 403 Lockhart, 235. Logan, John, of Restalrig, 332, 337, 338. London, 29, 61, 228, 275, 366. London, Tower of, 7, 142, 144, 231, 299, 357, 375- Lord of Misrule, 257. Lords of the Isles, 42, 53, 55, 64, 66, 67, 69, 80, 81, 312. Lorn, Brooch of, 58, 62. Lorn, Isabel of, 56. Lorn, John Macdougall, Lord of, 62. Lorn, John of, 97, 98. Lorn, Lords of, 55, 63. Lorn, Macdougalls of, 56. Lorn, Stuart, Lord of, 56, 63- . Lorraine, Duke of, 175. Lothian, 136, 194, 195, 268, 271, 276-334. Lovat, Lord, 99, 100. Low Countries, 106, 238. Lowlands, 68, 131, 193, 242, 277, 339- Lubanach, 65. Lumphanan Castle, 8, Luncarty, 141. L-plan, 15, 19, 22. Lycabettos, 136. Lyles, 304, Ma caul ay, 228. Macbeth, 8, 80, 97, 127. Macculloch, 137. Macdonald, Allaster, of Col- kitto, 67, 69. Macdonalds, 56, 69, 77. Macdougall, John, Lord of Lorn, 62. Macdougalls, 48, 62, 63. Macdougalls of Lorn, 56. Macduff, Maormor of Fife, 166, 311. Macduff's Castle, 166. MacGibbon and Ross, vi, 74, 106, 382. Macgregor, Gregor, of Glen- gyle, 154. Macgregor, Rob Roy, 169. Maclans, 69. Maclnnes, 67. Mackenzies of Kintail, 85. Mackintoshes, 81. MacLeans, 183. Magdalen, Queen of Scot- land, 242. Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway, 41. Maid of Lorn, 66. Maid of Norway, 12, 201. Maiden's Leap, 158. Mainland of Shetland, 73, 88, 91. Maitland, Charles, 328. Maitland of Lethington, 30, 120, 220, 244, 253, 296, 297, 303. Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland, 8, 80, 166, 176, 177, 178, 19s, 373- Malcolm II, King of Scot- land. 127, 195;. Malcolm IV, King of Scot- land, 167, 387. Maldwyn, Earl of Lennox, 28. Man, Olave, King of, 41, 56, 57. Mar, Earl of, 154, 281, 299. Mar, House of, 109. Mar, John, Earl of, 214, 252. Mar, Lord, 259. March, 278. March Burn, 270. March, Earl of, 277, 278, 358, 359, 368. Margaret, Countess of Car- rick, 380. Margaret, Countess of Men- teith, 152. Margaret Douglas, Countess of St. Clair, 269. Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland 153. 404 Index Margaret of England, Queen of Scotland, 153. Margaret, St., Queen of Scot- land, 8, 177, 195, 196, 229, 278. Margaret, wife of Alexander III, 200. Margaret, wife of James IV, 189. Margaret, wife of Lauclan McLean, 65. Maries, The Four, 244. Marischal, Dowager Count- ess, 114. Marischal, Earls, 113, 114. Marjory, Countess of Dun- bar, 280. Mark Burn, 125. Mary of Gueldres, Queen of Scotland, 153, 214. Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland, 81, 169, 186, 190, 217, 236, 287, 320. Mary of Lorraine, 133, 178. Mary, Princess, 388. Mary, Queen of Scots, 2, 20. 29, 30, 44, 45, 81, 89, 91, 119, 133, 139, 143, 144, 154, 169, 171. 172, 173, 174, 185, 188, 217, 219, 227, 231, 236, 237, 239, 240, 243, 244, 245, 247, 248, 249, 252, 253, 259, 260, 288, 296, 297, 302, 315, 316, 339, 346, 354, 355, 368, Maxwell, Herbert, Lord, 373. Maxwell, Lord, 357. Maxwell, Robert, Lord, 368, 374, 375- Maxwell, Sir John, Lord Herries, 375. Maxwells, 373, 374, 376, 378. Maybole, 381, 384, 386. May-poles, 259. McKenzie, Bishop, 87. McLean, Hector, 65. McLean, Lauclan, 65. Mcintosh, Brigadier, of Bor- lum, 298. McLellans, 230. Mearns, 117. Melgum Burn, 128. Melrose, Abbot of, 278. Melrose, 343, 346. Melville, Sir Robert, 172. Menteith, 144, 147, 154. Menteith, Earls of, 147, 152, 281. Menteith, Lake, 29. Menteith, Margaret, Count- ess of, 152. Menteith, Robert Stuart, Earl of, 147, 152, 167, 168, 312. Menteith, Sir John, 29. Menteith, Walter Comyn, Earl of, 353, 354- Mercer, 176. Mewtys, Sir Peter, 292. Middleton, 228. Midlothian, 268, 275. Milnathort, 174. Mingarry Castle, 10, 68-70. Minzeane, George Hay de, 257- Mitchell, James, 327. Moidart, John of, 69. Mollance, Kim of, 230. Monipenny, Lord, 39. Monk, General, 144, 269, 316, 332. Monmouth and Buccleuch, Anna, Duchess of, 352. Monmouth, Duke of, 352. Monroes, 81. Mons, 230. Montague, William de, Earl of Salisbury, 283, 284, 28s. Montrose, 154. Montrose, Earl of, 130. Montrose, Marquis of, 69, 75, 76, 91, 113. 175, 183. Moravia, Gilbert de. Bishop of Caithness, 108. Moray, 9, 102. Index 405 Moray, Andrew, Lord Both- well, 38. Moray, Earl of, 81, 153, 154, 206, Moray, Elizabeth, Countess of, 153. Moray, James, Earl of, 172. Moray, Lord, 120. Moray or de Moravia, family of, 38. Moray, Randolph, Earl of, 85, 201, 204, 283, 367. Moray, Sir Andrew, Regent of Scotland, 30, 104, 113, 153, 160, 187, 303, 325, 376. Morton Castle, 10. Morton, James, Earl of, 172, 246, 253, 259, 303, 325. Morton, Regent of Scotland, 33. Morven, 66. Moubray, 139. Mount, Sir David Lindsay of the, 162. Mousa, 73, 93-95- Muckrach Castle, 82. Mull, 56. Mull, Sound of, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70. Muness Castle, 92-93. Murdiestone, 347. Murdoch, Duke of Albany, 138, 146, 147, 152, 153, 160, 168, 209, 256, 312, 325, 368, 374. Mure, Laird of Auchendrane, 384, 385. Nairn, 96. 97. Namur, Guy, Count of, 205. Napier, John, Lord, 337, 338. Narristoun, 42. Nectansmere, 194. Neidpath Castle, 17, 357-359. Nelson, William, 237. Nethan, River, 33, 34. Newark Castle, St. Monance, 166-167. Newark Castle, Yarrow, 351- 352. Newcastle, 363. New Jersey, 115 Niddrie Castle, 174, 184-185. Nisbet, 56. Nith River, 370. Nithsdale, 369, 374. Nithsdale, Robert, Earl of, 376, 378. Nodisdale, 42. Norderies, 68. Norham, 5. Norman Conquest, 5, 8, 277. Norman keep, 5, 6, 7, 13. Normans, 5, 8, 9. Norsemen, 41, 57. North Berwick, 223, 309, 322, 326, 330. Northern Lights Commis- sioners, 330. North Esk River, 266. North Queensferry, 178. North Sea, 165. Northumberland, 277. Northumberland, Earl of, 174, 349. Northumberland, U t h r e d, Prince of, 277. Northumbria, 194, 195. Northumbrians, 140, 193, 194, 195. Norway, 94. Norwegians, 62, 72. Notland Castle, 90-91. Nottingham, 287. Nova Scotia baronets, 66, 226, 227. Oban, 46, 53, 54, 57, 58, 70, 71, 72, 73- Ochil Hills, 136, 184. Ochiltree, Lord, 68. Ogilvies, Earls of Airlie, 128, 129. Ogilvy, Mrs., 114. Ogilvy, Lieutenant-governor of Dunnottar Castle, 115. 406 Index Olave, King of Man, 41, 56, 57. Oldenburg, Dukes of, 268. Old Man of Wick Castle, 86. Olifard, Walter, justiciary of Lothian, 38. Oliphant, Sir William, 142. Oliver, a carpenter, 29. Orbieston, James Hamilton of, 174- Orkney, 12, 72, 86, 87, 95. Orkney, Adam B o t h w e 11 , Bishop of, 91. Orkney, Earls of, 89, 268, 324. Orkney, Patrick Stuart, Earl of, 87, 89, 92. Orkney, Robert Stuart, Earl of, 89, 93. Orkneyinga Saga, 95. Ormiston, 304. Ornamentation of Castles, 15, 19, 23. Ossian, 27. Ottadini, 192. Owen, King of Cumbria, 195. Paisley, 44. Palestine, 268. Papana Burn, 304. Paris, 114, 233. Parke, Elliott of the, 355. Parr, Sir William, 342. Partridge, Sir Miles, 294, Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, 200, 278, 279, 280, 282, 336. Patrick Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, 39, 264, 354. Patrick Stuart, Earl of Ork- ney, 87, 89, 92. Patten, 290. Peebles, 357, 359. Peebles-shire, 358. Pembroke, Aymer de Val- ance, Earl of, 38. Pennant, 56, 64, 276. Penrith, 368. Pentland Firth, 86. Pentlands, 270. Percy, Earl, 380. Perth, 156, 157, 159, 206, 209. Perthshire, 29, 62, 93, Petit France, 252. Philip, John, 327. Philiphaugh, 352. Picts, 60, 75, 171, 192, 194, 195, 277, 305, 321. Picts, Congal, King of the, 171. Pinkie, 29, 242, 306. Pinkie House, 300. Pit, 15. Pitarrow, George Wishart of, 161, 165, 325. Pitlochy, Scott of, 115. Pitscottie, Lindsay of, 163, 238, 28s, 315. Poitiers, 378. Polwarth, Lord, 345. Portpatrick, 379. Preston, 299, 321. Preston, Sir Henry, 106. Preston, Sir Simon, 252. Preston Tower, 300-301. Prestonpans, 295. Prestons, 252. Prestons of Whytbank, 345. Queensberry, Duke of, 358. Queen's Ferry, 196, 197, 327. Rachel Castle, 70. Ramsay, Alexander, 32. Ramsay, John, 39. Ramsay, Sir Alexander, of Dalhousie, 274, 277, 285, 354- Randolph, Earl of Moray, 85, 201, 204, 283, 367. Rattray, 129. Rebellion of 1715, 64, 83, 85, 121, 144, 221. Rebellion of 1745, 52, 64, 83, 121, 137, 144, 154, 190, 221, 388. Redcastle, 9, 83, 85. Index 407 Reformation, 21, 258, 322, 382. Regalia of England, 233. Regalia of Scotland, 62, 114, 115, 221, 233-236. Reginald, Thane of Argyle, 56. Renaissance, 21, 133, 37i> 372. Renfrew, 42. Restalrig, John Logan of, 332, 337, 338. Restoration, 234. Revolution, 220, 242, 272, 328. Rhodes, 52, 163. Riccarton Junction, 353. Richard Coeur de Lion, King of England, 141. Richard II, King of England, 12, 208, 24^. Rizzio, David, 158, 217, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 249, 288. Robert, Earl of Leicester, 160. Robert, Earl of Nithsdale, 376, 378. Robert I, King of Scotland, see Bruce. Robert II, King of Scotland, 16, 41, 79, 104, 152, 208, 387. Robert III, King of Scotland, 41, 42, 167, 172, 207, 209, 241, 324, 387. Robert Stuart, Earl of Men- teith and Fife, Duke of Albany, Regent of Scot- land, 147, 152, 167, 168, 312. Robertson, 30. Robin Hood, 331. Rob Roy Macgregor, 169. Roger, Bishop of St. An- drews, 160. Roman house, 4, 5. Romans, 4, 26, 28, 140, 189, 192, 193, 373- Rome, 3, III. Rosabelle St. Clair, 271, 272, 273. Roslin Castle, 266-273. Roslin Chapel, 266, 268, 269, 272, 273. Roslin, William St. Clair of, 268, 270, 271. Ross, 66, 84, 85. Ross, Alexander, Earl of, 81, 312. Ross, Donald, Earl of, 64. Ross, Earl of, 80, 135, 281. Ross, John de Yle, Earl of, 66. Ross-shire Highlanders, 226. Rothes, Norman Lesley, Master of, 161. Rothesay Castle, 10, 16, 40-44, 46, 47, 325. Rothesay, David, Duke of, 160, 167, 208, 209. Rothiemurchus, Grants of, 82. Roxburgh Castle, 10, 14T. Roxburgh, Duke of, 342. Roxburgh, Laird of, 39. Ruthven Castle, 9, 82-83, 157- 158. Ruthven, Lord, 158, 172, 245, 246, 247. Ruthven, Patrick, Lord, 158. Ruthven, Raid of, 158. Ruthvens, 331. Sadler, Sir Ralph, 315, 316. St. Abb's Head, 163, 335- St. Andrews, iii, 142, 240, 257, 258, 296, 324. St. Andrews, Archbishop and Cardinal Beaton of, 161, 165, 296, 321. St. Andrews, Archbishop Sharp of, 327. St. Andrews, Archibald Hamilton, Archbishop of, 33, 164, 165, 296. St. Andrews, Bishop Trail of, 160. 408 Index St. Andrews Castle, lo, i6o- i66. St. Andrews, Roger, Bishop of, 1 60. St. Andrews, William Lam- berton, Bishop of, 324, St. Baldred, 321, 322. St. Clair, Margaret Douglas, Countess of, 269. St. Clair, Rosabelle, 271, 272, 273. St. Clair, Waldernus, Comte de, 268. St. Clair, William de, 268. St. Clair, William, Earl of, 268. St. Clair, William, of Ros- lin, 268, 270, 271. St. Columba, 61. St. Margaret's Hope, 177. St. Mary's Loch, 350. St. Michael, Order of, 187. St. Monance, 166. St. Mungo, 321. Salisbury, William de Mon- tague, Earl of, 283, 284, 285. Sampson, Agnes, 223. Sandilands, Laird of Calder, 269. Sandyknowe, 344. Sauchie, 143. Sauchieburn, 217. Saxons, 140, 193, 194, 195, 277. Scalloway Castle, 91-92, 93. Scone, 42, 6r, 200. Scone, Stone of, 60. Scoon, 277. Scott, Mary, The Flower of Yarrow, 350, 35 1- Scott of Goldielands, 351. Scott of Harden, 345, 351. Scott of Pitlochy, 115. Scott of Tushielaw, 363. Scott, Sir Walter, 34, 44, 54, 57, 61, 63, 66, 173, 186, 203, 221, 230, 231, 234, 235, 257, 264, 269, 272, 311, 317, 335, 337, 344, 345, 348, 352, 359, 360. Scott, Sir Walter, of Branx- holm, 348, 350. Scott, Sir William, of Buc- cleuch, 347. Scottish keep, 13. Scotts of Buccleuch, 351. Selkirk, 351, Selkirk Forest, 281. Senechalus, Alexander, 80. Senechalus, David, Earl of Strathearn, 79. Seton, Alexander, 316. Seton, Alexander, Lord Fy- vie. Earl of Dunfermline, 106. Seton, Earl of, 299, 300. Seton, George, Lord, 174, 296, 297. Seton, Mary, 296. Seton Palace, 288, 295-300. Seton, Sir Alexander, 298. Seven Sisters, 262. Seward, Governor of Dun- bar, 281. Shakespeare, 127, 274. Sharp, Archbishop of St. Andrews, 327. Sheriffmuir, 169. Shetland, 72, 73, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95. Shuna Castle, 70. Sicily, 136. Sinclair, Oliver, 315. Skelton, 366. Skipness Castle, 10, 47-48. Smailholm, 343. Smailholm Tower, 343-345- Solan geese, 322. Solway Firth, 370. Solway Moss, 169, 375. Somerled, Thane of Argyle, 56. Somerset, 217, 242, 295, 306, 340. Soulis family, 354. Index 409 Spain, 60. Spanish, 75. Spey, 83. Spreul, John, 326. Sprott, a notary, 338. Spynie, Lord, 125. Spynie Palace, 102-103. Stewarton, 42. Stirling, 137, 142, 147, 168, 183, 186, 211, 256, 312, 374. Stirling Castle, vi, 10, 17, 18, 20, 27, 33, 131-144, 154, 169. Stirling, Earl of, 226. Stonehaven, no. Stoneypath Tower, 304. Strathbolgie Castle, 9. Strathclyde, 26. Strathearn, 163. Strathearn, David Senecha- lus. Earl of, 79. Strathtay, 129. Strivilin, John de, 171. Strozzi, Leo, Prior of Capua, 163. Struthers, in. Stuart, Alan, 387. Stuart, Alexander, 138. Stuart, Allan, Abbot of Crosraguel, 382, 383. Stuart, District of, 70. Stuart, Duncan, of Appin, 70. Stuart, Francis, 355. Stuart, Francis, Earl of Bothwell, 39, 264. Stuart, James, 153. Stuart, John, Earl of Carrick, see Robert III. Stuart, Laird of Drumlanrig, 269. Stuart, Lord of Lorn, 56, 63. Stuart, Patrick, Earl of Ork- ney, 87. 89, 92. Stuart, Prince Charles Ed- ward, 77, 82, 137, 144, 154, 190, 221, 244. Stuart, Robert, Abbot of Holyrood and Earl of Orkney, 89, 93. Stuart, Robert, Earl of Men- teith and Fife, Duke of Al- bany, Regent of Scotland, 147, 152, 167, 168, 312. Stuart, Walter, 138, 325, 387. Stuarts, 44, 75, 121, 122, 143, 168, 208, 233, 238, 290, 328. Suderies, 68. Surrey, 342, 343. Surrey, Earl of, 375. Surrey, Warrenne, Earl of, 281. Sussex, Earl of, 340, 349, 361. Sutherland, 72, 85. Sutherland, Duke of, 85. Sutherland, William, Earl of, 79. Tanistry, 196. Tantallon Castle, vii, 18, 19, 20, 146, 152, 263, 309-319, 330. , Taormina, 136. Tarbert, 48. Tarbert Castle, 48-51. Tay River, 156, 159. Teith River, 136, 145. Terras-moss, 362. Test, 327. Testament, David Borth- wick's, 262. Teviot, 350. Teviotdale, 348. Teviot River, 346. Theodosia, 26. Thistle, Order of the, 187, 233. Thomas the Rhymer, 201, 279, 280. Thora Ronaldsdatter, 94. Thornton Castle, 290-295. Threave Castle, 17, 230, 376- 378. Throgmorton, Sir Nicholas, 337. Tillietudlem, see Craignethan Castle. 410 Index Tinwald Castle, 376. Tirafour Castle, 70. Torthorwald Castle, 369-370. Touraine, Duchy of, 210, 212. Toward Castle, 46, 47. Toward Point, 46. T-plan, 22. Trail, Bishop of St. Andrews, 160. Tranent, 297, 304. Traprain Law, 302. Trebrauch, 42. Troqueer, 326. Trossachs, vii. Trotter, Tom, 291. Tiillibardine family, 158. Turgot, 197. Turnberry Castle, 10, 380. Tuscany, Duke of, 175. Tushielaw, Laird of, 359, 360. Tushielaw, Scott of, 363. Tweed, 3, 195, 208, 339, 343. 357, 359- Tweedie, Laird of Drumer- line, 269. Tyndrum, 62. Tyne, 264, 266, 301, 304. Tynninghame, 321. Tytler, 30, 99, 303. Ulster, Annals of, 57. Union, 21, 27, 234, 368. United States, 226. Unst, 92, 93. Urquhart Bay, 78. Urquhart Castle, 9, 10, 78-80. Uthred, Prince of Northum- berland, 277. Uxb ridge, 77. Valance, Aymer de, Earl of Pembroke, 38. Valentia, 192. Vallibus family, 330, 331. Vaux or Vallibus family, 330, 331- Vipont, Allen de, 171, 172. Waite, 332. Wales, 193. Wall of Antoninus, 26, 189. Wallace, Sir William, 2, 12, 29, 33, 54, 113, 142, 157, 159, 324. Walter Comyn, Earl of Men- teith, 353, 354. Walter of Exeter, 371. Warrenne, Earl of Surrey, 281. Watson of Aithemy, 123. Weirdie Moor, 231. Wemyss, Earl of, 159. Wemyss family, 166. West Enoch, 384. Westminster Abbey, 60. Westmoreland, 368. Westray, 90, 91. Westray, Gilbert Balfour of, 91. Wharton, Lord, 375. Whitekirk, 210. Whitelaw, Laird of, 289. Whittingham Tower, 302-303, 304. Whitton Fort, 343. Whytbank, Prestons of, 345. Wick, Old Man of, 86. Wightman, General, 299. William Bohun, Earl of Hereford. 367. William, Earl of Angus, Marquis of Douglas, 316. William, Earl of Douglas, 211, 213, 230. William, Earl of St. Qair, 268. William, Earl of Sutherland, 79. William III, King of Eng- land, 328. William the Conqueror, King of England, 177, 268, 366. William the Lion, King of Scotland, 79, 141, 200, 366, 387. Index 411 Wilton, Sir John, 201, 205. Winton, Earl of, 185, 297. Wirren, Hill of, 121. Wishart, George, of Pitai> row, 161, 165, 325. Wishop, Burn of, 121. Witchcraft, 222-225. Wolf of Badenoch, 83, 84, 104. Wolf's Craig, 335. Wordsworth, 358. Wye, 325. Yarrow, 351, 352. Yarrow, Mary Scott, the ■ Flower of, 350, 351. Yester, 306. Yester Castle, 10, 306-308. Yester, Hays of, 358. York and Albany, Duke of, 225. York, Cardinal, 233. York, Duke of, 231, 321. Ythan, River, 104. Young, George, 327. Z-plan, 22, go, 155. 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