Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/547

 HERMITAGE CASTLE 527 THIRD PERIOD In 1 540 the castle was in the keeping of Lord Maxwell, who repaired it at a cost of 100, and introduced artillery into it. The castle as seen externally is for the most part probably of the fifteenth century, but there are really few features observable whereby its approximate age may be determined. The exterior is wonderfully per- fect, and presents a very striking contrast to the interior, which has been almost entirely demolished. The external character (Figs. 449 and 450) has considerable affinity with such castles as Doune, part of Dirleton, Tantallon, etc. It has the same massive walls, built with strong partly coursed rubble- work, the same numerous and large apartments ; but it differs from them in not being built round a quadrangle such as would be formed by erecting buildings against a wall of enceinte. Indeed there is difficulty in detecting traces of a regular wall of enceinte. There have, no doubt, been enclosing walls and ditches, but these have been all altered at a later date, in order to adapt them to artillery. To ascertain their true character excavations would be required, as the enclosures and ramparts are now reduced to green mounds, some of them however of considerable size and extent. On entering by the existing doorway (marked "postern" in Fig. 451), which is modern, but in the place of an old one, we find ourselves in a small courtyard, 25 feet 9 inches by 14 feet 2 inches, enclosed with what are evidently very ancient walls (shaded black 011 Plan, Fig. 451), only one story of which now remains (Fig. 452). These are carefully built with red freestone ashlar, and the side walls have each a plain flat buttress in the centre. The doors and windows all open into this courtyard, and have broad splays, the doors having semicircular arches, and the windows square lintels externally (with a central mullion), while the window recess is arched, with splayed ribs (Fig. 453). The lower flight of the newel stair is of the same date, the steps being built into the wall, while the steps of the continuation of the stair to the upper floors, which is more recent, were not built into the wall, and have all been removed. On the inside of the walls opposite the buttresses there are large corbels (Fig. 453) forming the springing of arches which spanned the apartments, and carried a wooden floor (as in the basement of the donjon at Bothwell). This would appear to be a remnant of the original castle erected by Nicholas de Soulis before 1244. What its complete plan was we have now no means of knowing, but it is probable that the castle which next occupied this site, and which incorporated the existing portions of the old walls, was built on the old foundations. This may have been erected by William Douglas, Knight of Liddes- dale, in the middle of the fourteenth century, who would naturally erect a rectangular keep in the style, then prevalent. But having the walls