Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/498

 THIRD PERIOD 478 STIRLING CASTLE connected with it, and the style both of it and the wall is older than that of the Palace (Fig. 409). When the latter was built the space between the Palace and the wall was covered over so as to form vaults entered from a passage on the ground floor under the Palace, with a handsome terraced platform above, on the level of the top of the wall, suitable for guns, and useful both for defence and enjoyment. We have in this Palace (as in the other Royal palaces at Edinburgh, Linlithgow, and Falkland) early examples of the taste for more extended and luxurious accommodation, which about this time began to be intro- duced, and of which we see so many specimens in the later mansions of the nobility. The north side of the inner ward is occupied with the chapel built by James vi. in 1 594. This presents us with an example of the fully completed Renaissance design of that period. The interior of this build- ing is cut up with modern partitions and floors so as to form stores, and a new roof has recently been substituted for the old one, which was pro- bably of open timber-work, so that the original features of the chapel are now unrecognisable. The west side of the courtyard, where the oldest buildings of the Castle originally stood, is now occupied with comparatively modern and uninteresting buildings. LINLITHGOW PALACE. Conveniently situated about half-way between Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, this was the favourite residence of the Scottish kings, and is thus intimately associated with the private history of the Royal Family, as well as with a long series of important events connected with the history of the country. It is supposed that the site of the castle was occupied by a Roman station, being not far from the eastern termination of the Roman wall. But nothing certain is known of the erection of a castle here till the time of David i., by whose charters it is ascertained that early in the twelfth century there were at Linlithgow a royal domain, with a resi- dence, a church dedicated to St. Michael, and a royal burgh. In 1301-2 Edward i. resided in the castle of Linlithgow for three months during the winter, and in 1302 he seems, from Barbour's account, to have extended the works of the castle, and made it "a Pele mekill and stark." The castle remained in the hands of the English till 1313, when it was taken by the bold and ingenious tactics of William Bunnock. It was then demolished, or at least rendered untenable by Bruce' s orders, in accordance with his usual policy. It seems to have remained in this state till 1350, when David n. caused it to be repaired,