Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/100

 FOURTH PERIOD 84 BLAIRFINDY CASTLE it, on an enlarged scale, containing the Gordon initials and the date 1586. Above the entrance, near the roof, a remarkable feature is observ- able in the boldly corbelled and machicolated parapet or turret, which has evidently been erected in this situation for the defence of the doorway. Glenlivet occupies an important position among the passes leading from Banffshire into Aberdeenshire, and this castle was probably erected to strengthen and defend the pass. The site of the battle of Glenlivet is not far distant, in which Argyll, commanding the Protestant army, was defeated by Huntly and the insurgent Catholics in 1594. DRUMCOLTERN, KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE. This keep is situated in the parish of Kirkgunzeon, and about two miles from Kirkgunzeon railway station. The building is in good pre- servation, and is partly inhabited, along with the farmhouse adjoining. It is three stories high, with an attic story in the roof. Of the latter, together with the battlements, a plan is given (Fig. 549), from which it will be seen that the structure is an oblong of 36 feet by 28 feet 7 inches, with a projection at the north-west corner for the stair. The entrance in the re-entering angle leads directly to the vaulted kitchen, which, with its large fireplace, occupies the whole ground floor. The floors above, all of timber construction, contain one apartment on each level, measuring about 24 feet by 17 feet. From the FIG. 549. Drumcoitem. top of the wheel stair, at the attic floor landing, Plan of Battlements. & straight flight of steps Jeads up to the battle- ments, where the parapet walk, about 2 feet 6 inches wide, leads round the top, stopping against the staircase tower on the other side. In the staircase tower, above the landing, there is an additional small room, and the turret seen in the outside view (Fig. 550) forms the passage to this room from the battlements. The arrangement will be under- stood from the plan, where the circle shown on this room represents the staircase beneath. A similarly situated apartment is of frequent occurrence, and was doubtless meant to form a guard-room or watch-turret as occasion required. The angles of the tower are splayed away (Fig. 550), and one would expect them to be constructed with good large corner stones, instead of which they are built (as are the walls generally) of small rubble, with here and there a stone larger than the others. The corbelling of the turret passage is also built with small stones in an irregular way, not at all after the usual manner with the carefully dressed corbelling, of which there are so many examples. Here the