gb0551ms-36-2-130

Transcription

[Page] 130
[Continued from page 128]

about 3/4 mile S.S.E. [South South East] of the church is situated largely
inside a fir plantation overgrown with brackens
and to a small extent outside the wood on the West
side. It has apparently been circular but about 1/3
of the periphery on the S. [South] side has entirely disappeared.
Its defences have consisted of a single rampart
probably of stone on a base of 12 – 14 ft. [feet] and a
ditch about 17 ft. [feet] across from crest of scarp
to that of counterscarp and at bottom about 3 ft. [feet]
below the top of the rampart. On the inner side
the rampart only rises slightly above the level of
the interior. The meas. of O.S. [measurements of Ordnance Survey] given in Notes may
be taken – as it was not possible to make a survey.
Returning to the castle I was hospitably entertained
to milk & whisky, scones & cheese by Miss Purdie
sister of the estate manager & a native of Melrose
or Darnick. The proprietor, I was everywhere in:
:formed was much interested in all antiquities so
I was sorry not to have seen him. Returning I
stopped at Ellemford to see the old church.
Only a small portion of the S. [South] wall still remains
visible and the foundations of the other walls
are barely discernible below the rank grass.
There are two grave slabs with inscriptions of
the end of 17 cent. [century] of no particular interest and
one or two other stones with nothing visible on
them lying about. Bicycling on to

[Continued on page 132]