Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/188

 FOURTH PERIOD 1?2 - COLLARNIE CASTLE but still bears the panel with the date of its erection, in 1622, by Sir William Bruce, second son of Sir Alexander Bruce of Airth (Fig. 631). COLLARNIE CASTLE, FIFESHIRE. Collarnie is situated in the north of Fifeshire, about four miles east- wards from Collessie railway station. The castle, of which only a fragment remains, is incorporated in the buildings of a farm-steading. It seems to have been of the L form, the smaller wing being five stories high, and the larger four stories. The castle formed the north-west corner of a courtyard, with buildings inside against the curtains, which now in part form the walls of the farm buildings. In Swan's History of the County of Fife, the drawings of which were taken "expressly for the work" by James Stewart, a view of Collarnie is given before the farm-steading was erected, looking towards the circular staircase, or from the south-east, and showing the courtyard, with two round towers in the south wall, with the entrance gateway between. The principal entrance to the house, of which an enlarged sketch is given (Fig. 632), is in the wall of the wing adjoining the circular stair- case turret. It opened into a passage leading to the main building, from which a door opened into the staircase. This turning and winding in comparatively dark passages must have had a confusing effect on a visitor. There is another and inferior entrance in the turret itself, at the foot of the staircase. The smaller wing or tower portion of the building contains a room on each floor. The second and third floors have painted ceilings emblazoned with arms (a list of which occurs in Swan's History of Fife), and containing inscriptions after the manner of the ceilings at Earl's Hall, Pinkie, and other places. They are in a very neglected state, and will doubtless soon disappear. The tower roof is modern, and in reconstructing it the conical roofs of the turrets (which are restored in the view) have been kept off. The principal entrance is surrounded with an embattled line up both jambs and along the lintel, and with a large bead and hollow moulding on the edge. On the lintel is the date of erection, 1581, and the initials D.B.M.W., doubtless those of the proprietor, David Barclay, and his wife. Above this is a moulded panel with the late dog-tooth ornament. This panel has been filled in during some repair with a miscellaneous collection of objects shown in the sketch. These comprise the Barclay arms, with the date 1607, and the initials of Hugh Barclay, the then proprietor. Within the panel, and enclosing the above fragments, are the raking mouldings of what was probably the top of a dormer window. On one side of the door there is a good specimen of the quatrefoil-shaped shot-hole, so frequent in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.