Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/349

 DDNDAS CASTLE - 329 THIRD PERIOD sents the appearance of being all of one age. It is only after making a plan, and carefully studying the building, that it is found to be of two periods. The original building is on the L plan (Fig. 280), with two rooms, one in each compartment, on the various floors. It is four stories in height, all the floors in the wing being vaulted, while in the main building the base- ment and top floors only are vaulted (section, Fig. 281). In the addition THIRD FLOOR PIG. 281. Dundas Castle. Plan of Third Floor and Section. (to be afterwards described) three of the four floors are vaulted. The entrance door, which is round arched, is in the re-entering angle. In order to increase the head-room, the haunches of the arch have in recent times been cut out to the square, and the width of the passage to the stair has been increased to the extent of cutting away the masonry containing the rest or mortice for the sliding bar. The original strong iron yett still hangs in the doorway. A circular stair in the angle leads to the first floor, and terminates there. This stair has been altered from a corkscrew to a straight flight for the upper ten or twelve steps, in the manner shown on plan. The hall on the first floor is 28 feet 8 inches long by 19 feet 9 inches wide. The fireplace (Fig. 282) is of an unusual design, with its putt-stones for resisting the arch thrusts. This feature was not uncommon in earlier