LOCHFERGUS. "183 



must have been an oblong building of great dimensions. It 

 stood on the centre of the large island, 1140 feet in circumfer- 

 ence, and was surrounded by a wall, with towers at each of the 

 four corners in true Norman fashion. The southern end of the 

 island seem's to have been intersected by a moat or ditch, divid- 

 ing the building proper from the courtyard. This may have been 

 the stableyard, for it is shown as a separate island on old maps. 

 At that period it must have been a place of great strength, as it 

 was also surrounded by the loch. Near the southern end of 

 the loch there was another little island, partly natural and partly 

 artificial. Tradition says that this island was used for stabling 

 accommodation, and, therefore, it has been called " Stable Isle." 

 To the practical eye of the antiquarian, howevpr, or the archieolo- 

 gist, its form — height, build, and inaccessibility — proves that such 

 a theory is quite untenable, and that it must have been an island 

 fortress prior to the more resplendent palace on its larger neigh- 

 bour, " Palace Isle." 



Fergus. 



So far as I can glean from trustworthy records, Fergus must 

 have taken up his residence on " Palace Isle " a year or so after 

 the Battle of the Standard in 1138. He was born somewhere 

 about the year 1096. Those were troublous times in Galloway. 

 In 1096 the inhabitants were just emerging from the galling yoke 

 of the ruthless Norsemen. Edgar had ascended the Scottish 

 throne, and he was succeeded in 1107 by his brother Alexander, 

 but when Edgar died he divided up the Scottish Kingdom. To 

 his younger brother, David, he left the whole of the district south 

 of the Firth of Forth, except the Lothians. David took up his 

 residence at Carlisle, and assumed the title of Earl. The acces- 

 sion of David as supreme ruler of Galloway is important, because 

 it was during his regime that we find, for the first time, the official 

 name " Galloway " applied to our ancient province. Fergus was 

 one of David's favourite companions and courtiers, which is amply 

 proved by his witnessing many of the King's charters. He was 

 also a "persona grata " at the English Court, so much so that 

 he married the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Henn,' I., and thus 

 became allied to English Royalty. And, as King Henry I. of 

 England married David's sister, Fergus was thus also by marriage 



