118 Excavations at Kirkcudbright Castle. 



they were equal in magnitude to those of Bothwell Castle^ 

 hitherto believed to have been the largest in Scotland, some 

 idea of its strength may be gathered, and also from the fact 

 that the largest towers at Caerlaverock are only 26 feet in 

 diameter. The next operation was the excavation of the 

 inside face of the west curtain wall, which was exposed the 

 whole way to its junction with the small tower at the rear of 

 the north tower, and some interesting discoveries were made 

 here in the way of pottery, notably two masks. The only 

 remaining portions to excavate were the south tower and the 

 east curtain wall, and a start was made with the former. 

 Several trenches were cut into the mound, but for a consider- 

 able time nothing but masses of small stones and lime could be 

 got, the walls all round having apparently disappeared. At 

 length a small portion, about two feet in length, of the inner 

 wall was laid bare, and was found to correspond with the inner 

 wall of the east tower, thus solving the problem. It was of 

 the same dimensions as those of the east tower, but, unlike it, 

 it had not been provided with buttresses. Working round 

 this small piece of inner face, the entrance to the tower was 

 found, with one of the socket stones lying in position. The 

 only remaining part to put on plan was the east curtain wall, 

 and a considerable length Avas found. At its junction with 

 the south tower another interesting discovery was made. 

 When the workman reached the end of the wall his spade 

 suddenly dipped into a hollow, which, on excavation, proved 

 to be a small chamber four feet square and four feet deep, 

 right in the centre of the tower, and faced with masonry, but 

 what its purpose was I am not competent to say. Only one 

 question remained to solve, and that was the discrepancy in 

 the width of the east curtain wall, which is 11 feet wide at the 

 rear of the east tower and only 7 ft. 6 in. at its junction with 

 the south tower. The explanation was found at the rear of 

 the east tower, where, on the inside, the wall took a bend 

 inwards. 



The net result of the excavations has been that the 

 whole ground plan of one of the most important Scottish 

 mediaeval fortresses has been laid bare. When regard is had 

 to the defences on the outskirts, still to be traced in the deep 



