Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/317

 BOYNE CASTLE 301 FOURTH PERIOD are now greatly ruined. Beyond this enclosure there was a moat, which, however, included sufficient ground for the formation of pleasure gardens, some traces of which may still be seen. In the south-west wall of the fore court, and on the side next the garden, there are recesses for flowers FIG. 755. Tolquhan Castle. Plan of Fore Court. somewhat similar to the well-known ones in the garden walls at Edzell Castle. The grounds also still abound in rows of fine trees, which evi- dently formerly bordered the pleasure walks. Tolquhan now belongs to the Earl of Aberdeen. BOYNE CASTLE, BANFFSHIRE. This castle is of considerable interest, from the fact that at first sight it appears to differ essentially in plan from all the other castles of the period in the north of Scotland. It occupies a strong and picturesque site, about two miles east from Portsoy, on the top of a precipitous promontory on the south side of the Boyne Water, at a point where the river makes a sudden bend in the deep and rocky dell through which it flows. The castle is thus well defended by the nature of the ground on the north, east, and west sides, while on the south side it is artificially protected by a dry moat nearly 60 feet wide. The castle itself is evidently of one design, and has been built at one time. It consists of a courtyard, forming a parallelogram measuring 89 feet from north to south and 104 feet from east to west, with a project- ing round tower 22 feet in diameter at each angle (Fig. 756). The walls of enceinte vary, but average about 5 feet in thickness. There have been ranges of buildings on the east, west, and south sides of the