fife-kinross-clackmannan-1933/03-299

Transcription

INVERKEITHING.] HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. [INVERKEITHING.

lower part of the outer wall of the enclosure.
Above the gate are two armorial panels. The
lower, enclosed by a plain moulded border, is
wholly illegible. The upper, more elaborately
framed, contains within a garland, flanked by
the initials M[ARIA] R[EGINA], each below a
crown, the Royal Arms of Scotland ensigned
with a crown, beside which is the date 1561.
Below the garland is a unicorn couchant. At
the level of the panels, beside the old tower,
are the remains of a turret-stair, which rose
from the first to the upper floor, the former
being probably reached by a forestair within

[Plans inserted]
FIG. 297. - Rosyth Castle (No. 277).

the enclosure. In the 17th century a turnpike,
rising from the ground, was built against the
east gable of the south range, but only portions
of its foundations have survived. On the east
side of the entrance is a small chamber and
there are three chambers to the west, all mainly
of the 16th century, but a fourth chamber on
the western side of the courtyard is of 17th-
century date.
The old tower (Fig. 300), standing to a height
of 58 feet, measures 41 feet 6 inches by 48 feet
3 inches over walls which are 10 feet thick,
while a small wing projects southwards from the
south-east angle to give additional room for a
spacious turnpike. The masonry is ashlar of
excellent quality, in contrast to the 16th-century
building, and has weathered well. The windows,
where unaltered, are narrow and are chamfered
at jamb and lintel. The parapet, which has a
slight overhang but no moulded corbel-course,
is returned round the building, except on the
gable and west wall of the wing. On the
walls there still remain traces of the original
barmkin. These are at a higher level on the
western face, where its parapet-walk com-
municated with the second floor of the tower,
than on the southern one where it simply
abutted on the wing.
The entrance is in the angle at the north-east
corner of the courtyard. The doorway has a
chamfered segmental head and is fitted for two
doors, both opening inwards into a small lobby.
On the right of the lobby is the staircase to the
upper floors and immediately in front is the
main apartment of the ground floor, above
which there is an entresol. This apartment has
been ceiled in wood, as is shown by the corbels
for the joists on the side walls, and at first the
only light seems to have come from the door,
as the small window beside the door has been
inserted later. Clearly it must have been a
storeroom. The entresol, which was also used
as a storeroom, was reached originally by a
ladder, but latterly by a service-stair descending
from the hall above it. It is ceiled with a
segmental barrel-vault and is lit from each
gable.
The hall is entered from the main staircase,
and since the 17th century it has been a lofty
chamber with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. Previ-
ously there has been an entresol below the vault.
At that time the windows were small, as can be
seen from an example which remains in the

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