24 



THE CIVJL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Jamarv, 



are striking instances of the extent to wliicli the Turreted style prevailed 

 through the kingdom; nearly all the old kerps reteiv.ug new tops, some of 

 them heiiig of a highly ornanjcntal character. 



In the early part of the I4th century was introduced another mixed style, 

 in which the licclcsiasticai and Domestic Architeiture were comhined, as at 

 Dunfermline, where the history of domestic architecture is carried hack to 

 the Norman time: for in the windows of the hasement, the hold arches of 

 Malcolm's palace surmount the windows of a later periu i. As the tirst to 

 notice this, Mr. Billings recommended its being preserved jealou>ly, as the 

 only known specimen of Domestic Architecture in Scotland of the Norman 

 period. 



We now pass to the revival of the Italian' styles, which, beginning about 

 the year IbSO, continued for a full century, pro lu' ing luimherless buildings 

 in a style romantically picturesque, and whi-.-h bear slrnuj? evidence of the 

 architectural ability of that period. Indeed this may Le callerl the flowery 

 period of Scotch Architecture. The mansious may be divided into three 

 classes of design ; — 1st, where the chimney-shafts, crow. step-, and open para- 

 pets appear in combination, as at Wintoun House, near Tranent ; 2iidly, 

 where a combination of turrets and square chimney-shafts exists, as at 

 Newark; and 3rdly, where the chimneys become quite secor^dary, the main 

 feature of design being high roofs with dormer windows, crow-steps and 

 turrets. Here the court-yard of Heriot's Hospital may be cited as an 

 example. Dalpersic, in Aberdeenshire, is the link between the castellated 

 and domestic styles. 



The Domestic Architecture of Scotland bears evidence of the great atten- 

 tion paid by the architects to details. Thus the window heads, and other 

 ornaments of lleriot's woik, are a complete school of desigti : for in that 

 building, oidy one case of repetition occurs in the ornaraenls surmounting , 

 tne windows. Indeed this edifice, as a colossal exan^ple of on? date, ii un- 

 equalled. Two sides of Linlithgow court-yard are of a corresponding style 

 uf architecture, the remaiiung two forming an interesting example of the 

 Domestic Architecture of the 15th century. In Scotch houses tin; opposite 

 sides generally present a striking contrast in style; this peculiarity is fu!ly 

 illustrated in an example at Newark-on-Clyde. On the river front of this 

 building, the combination of turrets, jutting staircases, and square chimneys, 

 is prominent: while on the court-yaid side not a turret is to he seen, and 

 the dormer window forms the main feature of the elevation. The fild keep 

 lower, to which these domestic buildings have been attached, alone enables 

 one to recognise the fronts as belonging to the same building. 



There is strong reason to believe that the original comliination of jutting 

 turrets and corbelled staircases is to be awarded to Scotland alone, in spite 

 of what may be called foreiiin types. Their conifltl tops may possibly have i 

 arisen from the staircase or recesses called oratories, which frequently occur 

 in street architecture of the Gothic period on the Continent, and of which 

 there is a specimen or two also in the Cowgate, at Edinburgh. The.-e 

 recesses are invariably supported upon a column, whose capital is bracketed 

 out to the required size ; but the corbelled bases of the Scotch turrets belong 

 to the early period of castellated architecture, the variety and quaiiitness of 

 decoration in their windows and mouldings matking thena unniistakealily as 

 Scotch. The general picturesque appearance of the small round turrets so 

 peculiar to Scotland, is much heightened by their contrast with the opposite 

 forms of square massive chimney-shafts, as may be seen at Newark. 



Whosoever formed the school of design which lasted during the whole 

 of the 17th century, deserves the higbest credit. Schaw, who reliuilt one of 

 the western towers at Dunfermline, died in 1G02; and although the mixture 

 of Italian and Gothic did not predominate until the 17th century, yet many 

 of the Aberdeenshire castles bear evidence of its advent towards the end of 

 the 16th, and Schaw was most undoubtedly practising successfully at this 

 time. The principal baronial buildings were built, however, after Schaw's 

 death, and generally bear their own dates, about lOoO. 



An interesting fact, discovered by Mr. Billings, proves that M'intoun 

 House, Moray House, the Great Hall at Glammis, and Craigievar Casile, are 

 works of the same architects and builders: nearly all the plaster work of 

 these are cut from the same moulds. As an excellent example of the archi- 

 tecture of the middle of the 17th century, when it became the fashion to 

 introduce the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, surmounting one another, 

 the body of llolyrood Palace may be cited. Although Inigo Jones has 

 always had the credit of designing Heriot's Hospital, and his name been 

 identified with Glammis and with one side of Linlithgow Palace, it is singu- 

 lar that his name never appears on the records of the luiihiing, such as con- 

 tracts or bills giving minute particulars, which are still in existence. TI.ere 

 is, however, such a strong affinity between many of that great master's works 

 ill Lmidon and some of the northern buildings, that in the absence of proof 

 positive to the contrary, they may safely be attributed to ids gei.ius. 



The elegance and variety of design in the ornamental porlions of the 

 buildings of this period must nut be passed over in silence ; thi \ evince a 

 bold and vigorous determination to accomplish something orieina!. carrying 

 art as far beyond the meagre Italian types as it was possible. Wintoun 

 House may here be mentioned as standing pre-eminent in the qi.ality of its 

 ■work. The design and execution of all its detail is perfection of the style. 

 'I he artistic window-heads, quite distinct from the Italian style ; the elabo- 

 rate geometric foliated ceilings, the chimneys and their stacks, are all equally 

 admiratile ; presenting together, perhaps, the most impressive specimen of 

 Scutch Domestic Architecture. It should be mentioned as beiug unique 



among Scotch houses in not possessing corbelled turrets. In Craigiev.ir 

 Castle, in Aberdeenshire, the ceilings throughout are very similar to those at 

 Wintoun, but infinitely more varied among themselves; and even the furni- 

 ture partakes of the architectural character of the building : it offers a fine 

 example of its time (1620). 



Having shown how prominent the details stood in most of the buildings 

 mentioned, it must be observed that one of the great causes of success in the 

 Domestic or Baronial Architecture of Scotland was the comprehensive study 

 of situation, and the composition of designs to suit these. The jutting tur- 

 rets, gables, broken forms of detached roofs and surmounting towers, and, 

 in short, all the playfully-pieluresqne forms of Scotch architecture, essentially 

 agree with its landscape, and the fitful forms of its ever-changing clouds ; 

 and is as completely in harmony with the country, as are the stately un- 

 broken forms of Greek and Roman temples with the cloudless skies of the 

 countries to which they belong. 



After the relinquishment of regular fortification, the Scotch did not give 

 up its external appearances, for stone canuon in hundreds of forms, as gur- 

 goyles, water-spouts, and more often as ruere ornaments, are to be seen upon 

 the more modern castles. In some of the old castles the formidable looking 

 port-holes are on inspection found incapable of being used for working 

 cannon, from the narrow dimensions of the walled recesses behind, there 

 being barely room to make use of a carbine. The picturesque gateway at 

 Linlithgow may be instanced as an example, being almost a sham armament. 

 This innate love for fighting, which the Scotch at all times possessed, induced 

 them to carry out their emblems of strife beyond the buildings in which 

 they secured themselves ; even the flower gardens beiug made to partake of 

 a military character, as at Stirling. After the reformation had shaken the 

 foundations of ecclesiastical domination in Scotland, it was to castles aud 

 houses that the ability of the architects were turned; aHd here is the golden 

 age of Scotland's building fame. In other countries, the invention of gun- 

 powder put an end to Castellated Architecture. It is scarcely to be doubted, 

 that architecture in Scotland would have become more interesting, but for 

 well-defined causes; the divided power of the monarch and the great feudal 

 lords, and, the still more disastrous one, the English interference beginning 

 with Edward the First. 



The variety of Triforia in Scotland forms a curious feature, differing from 

 those of England in the varied dimensions of the columns, in which must be 

 recognised a spirit of determination to produce new etTects. 



The profusion of niches, also, and their elaborate details, must be consi- 

 dered also as a distinct feature in Scotch architecture. Bishop Kennedy's 

 Monument, at St. Andrew's, is one of the most elaborate examides of monu- 

 mental art in the world. 



With regard to the Arch in Scotland, it cannot, with the exception of a 

 few instances, be considered, as in other countries, any index to the style or 

 date of buildings. The circular arch, only used iu Norman architecture 

 elsewhere, vvas always in general use north of the Tweed. A doorway of a 

 later date than 1400, in the High-street, Edinburgh, the western door and 

 the tower windows of Haddington, the doorway inserted in the semi-Norman 

 wall of Holyrood Chapel, are all cases in point; their details proving them 

 to be of a date later than their first appearance would imply. All kind of 

 arches are common to Scotland, excepting the four-centered, peculiar to the 

 English perpendicular; the only approach to this style out of England is to 

 he seen in the east end of Stirling Church. It is rather then to tiieir foliated 

 detail of capital, bases, and mouldings, that we must look for the type 

 of the time in which Scotch buildings were erected, and by these means 

 the difficulty of distinction ceases. This is a remarkable feature in the 

 Scotch architecture, a tenacity of retaining forms of styles while detail was 

 degenerated. Thus, in Fifeshire, Dairsie Church and Michael Kiik have all 

 the main features of early decorated buildings, and at a distance would be 

 mistaken as belonging to that style, but the detail is decidedly debased ia 

 character, and the date upon each confirms the style from 1620 to 1630. 



In the same manner that Scotch Arcldtects mingled styles, Scotch Poetical 

 epitaph makers adapted mixed languages ; thus — 

 Here lies ttie Laird of Lundie 

 Sic Irausil gloria muudi. 



Hie jacet Joliiinnes Spends. 

 Qliua biggit this KirJt Vaird Dyke at his ain expences. 



England undoubtedly adopted the classical styles more readily than Scot- 

 land, and when the orders of architecture once had a hold they retained it, 

 and our own styles became a dead letter. Scotland, on the contrary — ever 

 cautious — adopted the orders very charily, and it was not until a compara- 

 tively recent date (1660) that the three orders were seen surmounting one 

 another in llidyrood Palace. It is to this position that the Scotch castles 

 and houses owe much of their interest, for the architects of the time only 

 adopted so much of the detail of Italian architecture as left the spirit of 

 their buildings entirely Gothic. 



A cordial vote of thanks was immediately passed to Mr. Billings, for his 

 graphic sketch of the history of Scotch architecture, and for the brilliant 

 drawings by which bis remarks were illustrated. 



Dec. 17. — Sydxet Smirke, Esq , V.P., in the Chair. 



"On the Manufacture of G/ass, and its application to Architectural Pur- 

 poses." By Professor Donaldson. 



After a few observations on the original introduction into Great Britain of 



