Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/558

 THIRD PERIOD 538 CROOKSTON CASTLE A small stair in the wall of the north-east tower, already referred to in connection with the bar of the entrance doorway, leads to a guard- room in the tower, under which, entering from a trap in the floor, is the vaulted dungeon, with the usual small aperture to the exterior for ventilation. In the basement of the south-east tower is a cellar, vaulted with ribs similar to the hall of the basement. The access to the upper floors of the south-east and north-east towers is by a newel staircase entering at the south-east corner of the great hall, from which passages run in the thickness of the east wall to the north-east tower. This stair has also conducted to the apartments over the great hall, where remains of a moulded fireplace and mullioned window may be traced. The upper part of the north-east tower is new, having been restored, as above mentioned, by Sir J. Maxwell. A portion of this tower near the base is also new, having been cut out when it was at one time intended to blow up the tower ! Amongst the most interesting features connected with this castle are the great ditch and mound surrounding it, which are in a wonderfully good state of preservation. The ditch is about 12 or 13 feet deep, and the mound on the outside of it is still raised several feet (varying from 2 feet to 10 feet) above the level of the surrounding ground. Being on the top of the hill, the ground beyond the ditch slopes pretty steeply away from it, so that the mound when covered with a formidable palisade, as it no doubt was, would afford a secure defence. A very old hedge now grows on the top of the mound. The entrance has been at the south-west angle, and would be defended with gates and drawbridge. The ground enclosed within the mound extends to about two acres. There are no outbuildings remaining, but traces of foundations are visible at the south-east corner of the enclosure, as shown in Fig. 455. RAVENSCRAIG CASTLE, FIFESHIRE. Ravenscraig Castle, situated between the towns of Kirkcaldy and Dysart, stands on a rocky promontory running out into the Firth of Forth. On three sides it is protected by the sea, from which the rock rises sheer up about 100 feet, while on the north or land side the pro- montory is isolated by a wide ditch, now partly filled up. The building (Fig. 460) belongs to the middle of the fifteenth century, and is all of one age. It consists of a keep at the north-west angle (Fig. 46l), pre- senting a rounded front towards the mainland. A curtain extends east- wards from the keep for 53 feet, where it joins a projecting round tower 44 feet in diameter, forming the north-east angle of the castle. This tower is similar in outline to the keep, but not so high. It rises, how- ever, from a lower level, and contains the same number ot floors, two