Notes on Branxholme. By W. Eliott Lockhart. 465 



together with, the "Nebsie" Tower after their destruction in 

 1570, and at that time they would no doubt all be pierced with 

 shot holes. According to tradition, there were four towers ; of 

 these only two now remain — " Nebsie " and " Tentifute." 



Nebsie stands at the S.W. angle, and is entire, consisting of 

 five stories, with one room on each floor. It is of a very peculiar 

 and irregular form of plan, which in Mr McGibbon's opinion, may 

 arise either from its having been rebuilt on old foundations, or 

 from the form of the rock on which it is founded. The tradi- 

 tional name for the basement of this tower is "the dungeon," 

 but on the occasion of Mr McGibbon's visit, and after a careful 

 inspection, we were able to make out the old shot holes very 

 distinctly, of the form common at the end of the 16 th century, 

 except that in these, the external openings, instead of being 

 rounded at the ends, as was usual, were cut square. From the 

 first floor a turnpike stair in the angle between the nniin building 

 and the tower, which Mr McGibbon states invariably happened 

 in buildings on the Z plan, runs up to the top. The steps are now 

 covered with wood, but Mr Ogilvie tells me that before this was 

 done in 1836, he remembers the old stone steps, which were 

 much worn, but on which the masons' private marks were plainly 

 visible. The parapet of this tower shews the small stjde of 

 corballing common at that time. The top storey now forms a 

 very pleasant room, which goes by the name of "Lady Mar- 

 garet's Bower;" but Mr McGibbon considers that when first 

 erected, the tower head would be open. 



The other tower, Tentifute, stands at the N.E. angle, and Mr 

 McGibbon has no doubt that it formed the strengthening tower 

 of the enceinte at that point. It is now only of one storey in 

 height, but the walls are very thick, and the shotholes still exist 

 on the inside, of the same form as those already described. The 

 eastern wall of the enclosure, joining the main building with 

 this tower, would run very much in the line of the inner wall of 

 the modern buildings. 



There is still a small portion of wall on the west side of this 

 tower, which gives the direction of the north wall of the court- 

 yard, in which would probably be the entrance gateway, with 

 very possibly a drawbridge across the burn or moat. There is 

 now no sign of the wall on the west side, but it would probably 

 run more or less parallel to that on the east side. In all pro- 

 bability, and especially as there is no natural defence on that 

 2a 



