Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/49

 KINNAIRD HEAD CASTLE FOURTH PERIOD contains a shield with the arms of the Erasers of Saltoun timbred, with the motto "In God is all." The shield is held in the claws of an eagle having a key in its beak, and on an entwined ribbon is the inscription THE GLORY OF THE HONORABLE is TO FEIR GOD. The third pendant is an angel supporting a shield, and pointing with one finger to the emblems of the Crucifixion which it contains, viz., the pierced hands and feet, the heart, the nail, hammer, and the scourge. On the window pendants are the Fraser, Erskine, Douglas, and other arms. PIG. 501. Kinnaird Head. Plan and Views of Tower. UPPER FLOOP. From this floor, in/ the south-west corner, a narrow corkscrew leads to what is now the roof. In all probability the tower was at one time higher ; at all events it would have a parapet round the top, with pro- bably an attic floor. The room on the intermediate floor is only lighted by a small window towards the east, so insignificant that one scarcely takes notice of it, so that this apartment would be very suitable for a hiding-room. Most visitors probably go away without observing the existence of such a place. No satisfactory object has been assigned for the existence of this tower. It is clearly a work of the sixteenth century, and built by the Frasers. Now all local historians inform us that, as we have already stated, Sir Alexander Fraser built the large tower in 1570, the year after he succeeded, and that at the same time he began his town and harbour. We find that his predecessor (also a Sir Alexander Fraser of Philorth) had begun to further the interests of Faithlie (so the hamlet out of which Fraserburgh arose was called), and got it created in 1564 into a free VOL. II. C