INTRODUCTORY 523 THIRD PERIOD THIRD PERIOD EXCEPTIONAL MODIFICATIONS OF THE KEEP PLAN. The important castles of Hermitage and Crookston belong chiefly to the fifteenth century. These are exceptional examples of the applica- tion of the " keep " plan, and their peculiarities will be explained under the description of each. There are also a few castles of this period which form an intermediate Jink between the ordinary keeps and the castles built round courtyards. Such are the castles of Rave,nscraig, Morton, Tullyallan, and Rait. These are all buildings of a superior class to the ordinary keeps, and rather resemble the enlarged and commodious keeps of castles like Tantallon and Doune ; but although, like the latter, they have courtyards attached to them, there do not appear to have been buildings of import- ance surrounding the enceinte. They are really enlarged and improved keeps, with extended accommodation, and for the most part with the defences carefully considered. The design and details are also of a better description than those of the ordinary keeps, and have more affinity with those of the Royal castles already described. But these castles, although they have a certain resemblance to one another, and may be regarded as a class by themselves, still vary considerably in the details of their arrangements, as will be pointed out in the descriptions. HERMITAGE CASTLE, ROXBURGHSHIRE. Hermitage Castle is situated about four miles from Riccarton Junction, amongst the wild uplands and morasses of Liddesdale, on a platform of ground on the left side of the Hermitage Water. The reason for the selection of this site has apparently been the fact that two streams join the Hermitage Water at this point, one on each side of the castle. These would give an ample supply of water for filling the numerous ditches which surrounded the castle, the outline of which is still traceable (Fig. 448). In the thirteenth century the country of Liddesdale was in the pos- session of the De Soulis family. Mr. Armstrong, in his History of Liddesdale, points out that the original castle of the Lords of Liddesdale was built by Randolph de Soulis, about the time of David i., in a different position from that of the present castle. It was placed on a strong situation near the junction of the Hermitage Water with the Liddel. Mr. Armstrong gives a plan of this fortress, with
