Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/331

 CAIRNBULG CASTLE - 311 - THIRD PKRIOD from east to west 77 feet 2 inches by 29 feet in width, with a round tower about 27 feet in diameter projecting at the south-east corner. This tower has been four stories high, with probably an attic, but it is, like the keep, in a state of great ruin. The whole of the ground floor of the extended buildings, containing the kitchen, is vaulted, with rooms leading off a passage along the north side. The communication between the old and new house has been by a passage at the wheel stair, as shown on the plan. At the west end of the new house there seems to have been an anteroom, with a great window facing the west, inserted into the old curtain (see Fig. 265), and leading off this was the great hall or principal apartment in the house, about 59 feet long by 21 feet 2 inches wide. This room had probably two fireplaces. One is still remaining in the north wall near the east end, and the other in the wall at the west end is, in all likelihood, represented by the splayed recess, of which one side is seen on the plan. Entering from the east end of this grand hall was a private room in the round tower, 16 feet diameter, lighted by four windows, having a fireplace and two square recesses in the walls. The plaster still remain- ing on the walls of this room is covered with painted ornament. From the entrance passage to this room a passage in the thickness of the wall leads to a garde-robe, and also to a narrow service stair leading down to the kitchen. The access to all the upper floors is by the old staircase of the keep, which had steps of a width of about 4 feet 6 inches. The top of the staircase, as usual, contains a room at a great height above the ground. This upper room is possibly an addition, as at a lower level on the south side there are two projecting corbels, probably the remains of the corbels which supported a parapet walk at this level. Similar corbels, indicating a change in design, may be observed at Craigmillar and Glamis, the alteration at the former being almost identical with what took place here. This noble keep is unfortunately in a very rent and torn condition. The parapet, with its open corbelled bartizans and embrasures, is evidently of the end of the fifteenth century. The corbel table of the south-east tower (Fig. 266), which is much later in date, has been executed in imitation of the older one. In the year 1375 Cairnbulg, along with the barony of Philorth, passed into the possession of Sir Alexander Fraser of Corrie, on his marriage with Jean Ross, the youngest daughter and coheiress of the Earl of Ross. There seems to be no information as to when the keep was built, but it must have been at a considerably later period, probably about a hundred years after. Part of the enclosing walls of the courtyard remain along the east side, with a fine arched entrance gateway (Fig. 266). The later additions were built by Sir Alexander Fraser about the year