Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/460

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

THIRD PERIOD 440 SPVNIE CASTLE Iii the thickness of the eastern wall there was a series of five vaulted chambers, 6 feet 8 inches wide, placed over one another, one on each floor, but these have now disappeared. Although the exterior walls are well preserved, the interior building, including these vaulted chambers, is entirely demolished. The basement floor, however, is in fair preserva- tion. There are two entrances on this level, one inside the western FIG. 384. Spynie Castle. Plan of Ground Floor. wall of enceinte giving access to the basement, and the other outside the wall, and leading by a stair to the hall on the first floor. The latter would thus serve as a means of escape in case of need, or as a passage for private ingress or egress. The basement is divided into two com- partments, with a separate passage conducting to each, the south one being evidently the wine-cellar, as it is provided with a hatch at the