228 Kirkcudbright Castle. 



buttress about twenty feet long. Further on a piece of 

 straight wall succeeded the circle, and after being lost for 

 about two yards, a third tower (C), of much smaller dimen- 

 sions, but beautifully constructed, was discovered. It has 

 been suggested, with much plausibility, that this tower con- 

 tained a staircase giving access to the upper storeys of the 

 towers and to the battlements. This tower had originally 

 been connected with the north tower, and later on it was 

 found that it also connected with the curtain wall leading to 

 what is conjectured to have been the largest of the five towers, 

 that facing the river front. Tihs curtain wall (D) has been 

 laid bare for thirty-five feet, and has, in all probability, been 

 about fifty feet in extent before it connected with the river 

 front tower. 



Turning now to the extent of the foundations discovered, 

 it was found that the external walls gave an average height 

 of about two and a half feet, and all were in an excellent state 

 of preservation. Jt was resolved to excavate the inside of 

 the towers, so as to determine the actual dimensions, and the 

 result was to prove conclusively that the castle had been a 

 fortress of first-rate importance. The wall of the east 

 tower was found to be ten feet thick, with a diameter of 

 thirty-six feet, the diameter of the interior being sixteen feet. 

 To the rear was found a portion of the curtain wall, ten and 

 a half feet thick, and here a most interesting discovery was 

 made. This was a secret passage in the thickness of the 

 wall (E), the passage being paved with stones set in lime, and 

 it may have been used for some dungeon, or have led to a 

 staircase in order to reach the battlements. A peculiaritv 

 of this curtain wall is that it is provided with a strong buttress, 

 and, with the exception of Castle Swin in Argyllshire, this 

 is the only known example in Scotland. The buttresses to 

 the round towers, already described, are unique. Dr Ross, 

 Edinburgh, who has an unrivalled experience in such matters, 

 stated that he never came across such an example. The wall 

 of the north tower is in parts twelve feet thick, due to 

 the huge buttress in the centre, and the curtain wall con- 

 necting with the small tower is seven and a half feet thick. 

 All that now remains to be excavated are portions of the 



