Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/520

 FOURTH PERIOD 504 MIDHOPE This house is an oblong on plan (Fig. 93 1), 82 feet by 29 feet, with a courtyard in front, to the south, 115 feet by 6l feet. The courtyard is entered by a fine arched gateway on the east (Fig. 932). On the outside of the courtyard wall, and near the entrance, is the stone, of which a sketch is given (Fig. 932), with the inscription, "AD 1582 MB." carved on it. This stone seems not to be in its proper position. The gateway, with cornice above, as will be seen from the sketch, is evidently an insertion. The masonry around is of fine polished work inserted into a more roughly built wall. Possibly the above stone was connected with an older gateway, which the present one has superseded. .flRST FLOOR FIG. 931. Midhope. Plan. The oldest part of the existing house is the lofty block at the west end, six stories high (Fig. 932). The vaulted ground floor, which extends along the whole range of the building, is not seen in the view, being concealed by the courtyard wall. There seems to have been, besides the six floors now visible, an attic in the very lofty roof. The plan shows that this western block has all the appearance of a simple square keep, with turrets at the angles, and probably belongs to the latter half of the sixteenth century.