226 Kirkcudbright Castle. 



James II. shows that he was only confirming- the rights and 

 privileges that the town possessed in the reign of the Bruce. 



Passing over the centuries, nothing whatever is, so far 

 as can be gleaned, related of the castle, the charter by James 

 IV., of date 1509, mentioning the lands by the name of 

 Castlemains. In 1482 several burgesses of Kirkcudbright 

 were prosecuted for having taken forcible possession of the 

 castleward of Kirkcudbright. In a report by an English 

 officer of the year 1566 it is mentioned that the inhabitants 

 stood greatly in fear of the Dukes of Somerset and Northum- 

 berland. In an interesting extract sent to me by a London 

 friend, it is stated that, among others, the lairds of Bombie 

 and Lochinvar were, with their retainers, ordered to pass to 

 Kirkcudbright to defend the town against the English, and, 

 if necessary, to build a fort, which proves that the castle, 

 even if it had not already completely disappeared, was useless 

 for defensive purposes. 



The Excavations. 



During all this period an impenetrable silence surrounds 

 the castle, and all that remained were the mounds and names 

 Castledykes and Castlemains. An examination of the ground 

 showed the vast strength of the site. The castle was sur- 

 rounded by a deep moat, and on three sides of the castle field 

 were deep ditches or dykes — hence the name Castledykes. 

 On the remaining side it was protected by the sea. To 

 the south and east were numerous ditches, which can be 

 traced to the present day, and at the turnstile near the cricket 

 field was a strong outwork, there being traces of similar 

 mounds at the river corner and near the entrance to the foot- 

 ball field. Whether the town fosse was in existence during 

 the time of the War of Independence cannot be known, but 

 in all probability it was, with the further defence of a rude 

 wall of turf and stones. That fosse is still traceable, and is 

 very distinctly marked from the corner of the Academy play- 

 ground on towards the river. A few yards from the point 

 mentioned at the Academy is Castlemains Cottage, in front 

 of which is a large artificial mound, which is conjectured to 

 have formed one of the outworks of the castle. The situation 



