Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/45

 KNOCK CASTLE 29 FOURTH PERIOD KNOCK CASTLE, ABERDEENSHIRE, A tower situated on a rocky knoll near the junction of the Muick Water and the Dee, about two miles from Ballater. The four walls are still standing, but internally it is entirely ruined. It belonged to the Gordons, but the date of its erection is unknown. A rectangular keep, 27 feet 6 inches by 22 feet (Fig. 496), with walls about 4 feet thick t FIG. 496. Knock Castle. Plans. and vaulted ground floor, it strongly resembles the pele towers of the Borders. The hall occupied the first floor, and there is a newel staircase close to the entrance door leading to it and to the upper floors. There is also a small private stair from the hall to the cellar. The windows are particularly well defended, each window having three separate shot- holes under the sill one in the centre, and one at each side, set diagonally through the wall, so as to command in all directions (Fig. 497). The shot-holes in the corner turrets are peculiar, each being well pro- tected by a large projecting stone. There are two angle turrets on the north-east and north-west corners, which have the usual key-pattern corbelling of the north. The south-east angle of the building is carried up as a gabled tower higher than the roof, and corbelled out in the special manner peculiar to this period. The skews have flat copes, and there are no crow-steps. The pele is, to judge from these details, rather late work, probably about 1600. It is well situated, and being all built with rough granite has a picturesque effect. The foundations of the enclosing wall of the courtyard may still be traced. The tower and courtyard occupy the top of a rocky conical hill.