Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/404

 FOURTH PERIOD .388 - ROWALLAN CASTLE if it can be assigned to so early a period, and the question arises whether it is not the building referred to in the following passage from the Genealogical Tree of 1597 as having been built by Mungo Muir, the successor of his father, who fell at Flodden in 1513 : "This Moungoii Muire raisit ye hall vpone four vouttis (vaults) and laiche trance and compleitit the samen in his avin tyme ; he deceissit in battell fechtand agains Ingland in pinkie feilde : 154-7;" and again in the Historic it is stated that " he bigged the Hall from the ground and compleated it in his owne time." On the whole however, when we consider the style of the work, together with its very decayed and ancient aspect, and the fact of the site being 011 the highest point of the rock, we are inclined to regard the part of the castle now under consideration as the remains of the ancient keep. Besides, we believe that with a little careful attention, the various accounts of the erection of the different portions of the castle as above quoted, may be shown to contain a clear account of the erection of the different portions of the building. Thus, the Historic states that the hall "vpone" or above four vaults was built by Mungo Mure, who was killed in 1547. This description, we have no doubt, applies to the southern side of the castle, with the exception of the kitchen and rooms above, and that the parts referred to as being built by Mungo Mure are the vaults of the basement, with their loopholes, and the hall or dining-room above. The upper floor and roof were probably also finished by him, so that he may be said to have "compleitit the samen in his avin time." This part of the castle, although subsequently much altered, contains some indications of its earlier date. Thus, the stone seats and wall cupboards of the private room at the south-east angle (although now decorated with later carved work) and the loopholes of the basement are features which point to this part of the building as being older than the " forewark and woman's house." We also give a sketch of a fireplace from the bedroom over the dining-room, which shows an older style of work than that of the east front (Fig. 830). The front or eastern part of the building, with its turrets, was evidently erected by John Mure, from the coats of arms it bears (which have been already described) together with the date 1 562. This is clearly what is designated as the "forewark" in the Historic, and is of a later character than the original southern portion above described. The same John Mure, according to the Historic, also erected the "backwark and woman house." This description applies to the building at the west end of the southern range, and back walls connected therewith. These have un- doubtedly been additions, and appear distinctly from the plan and design to be of later date than the central part or "hall."