Page:Medieval Military Architecture in England (volume 1).djvu/268

 248 MedicEval Military A7^chitecttii^e, tower is itself the fortress, and was obviously the residence of the lord and his family, not only during a siege, but at all times. Such fortresses as Lochleven and Urquhart on Loch Ness, though far inferior to Borthwick in strength of masonry and grandeur, are nevertheless castles, whereas Borthwick is a Peel. Though a ruin, and deserted probably for a couple of centuries, Borthwick is still in tolerable order, having been preserved by the unusual thickness of its walls and the excellence of their masonry, SECTION A B, LOOKING WESTWARD. and the fact that both its basement and uppermost story are vaulted, and the upper vaults protected by stone roofing of a very substan- tial character. The intermediate timber floors are all gone, and the vast cavities are inhabited by a numerous colony of jackdaws, whose heaps of guano might be removed with advantage. No care has been or is bestowed upon the place, which until recently needed but little ; now, however, the rank vegetation on the roof is displac- ing the tile stones, and the water penetrates the vaults. The grand fireplaces have fallen, and some of the lesser ones are about to fall.