V. THE BARONY, CASTLE, AND CHURCH OF ROTHIEMAY. BY W. DOUGLAS SIMPSON, M.A., D.Lirr., P.S.A.Scor.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. mose Onth f teo remarkable facts that strike studene sth Scottisf o t h historical topography is the continuous na.ture of its development. Despite the successive waves of racial immigration and cultural influences, and the numerous and often severe political revolutions and devastating wars through which the country has passed, the local centres of Scot- land's population have remained in most cases surprisingly constant— even from a period so far ba.ck as the Age of Bronze. I have elsewhere discusse significance dth f thieo s phenomenon s observe,a e districth n di t e Spey d havth an d ;e an analysebetweee De e dnth special instancef so its occurrence, as at Inverurie, Midmar, Auchindoir, Essie, and Auchter- less.1 In the present paper it is proposed to deal with another very striking example, a,t Rothiemay on the left bank of the Deveron, in Banffshire. Here the evidences of continuous human occupation and of local politica religioud an l s importance, fro e Ston dowme th eAg o n t modern times, are unmistakable and highly significant. Rothiema districa s yi t (see map, fig tha) 1 . t offered many advantages 1 See Scottish Notes and Queries, 3rd series, vol. ii. pp. 39-42; Proceedings, vol. Ixiii, p. Ill; vol. Ixiv. pp. 48-52; vol. Ixvi. pp. 86-8. Cf. also ibid., vol. Ixv. pp. 115-7, and Journ. Brit. Archceol. Assoc., November 1932 . 143,p Celtice ; Th als y Churchom in Scotland, , not. 66 e 1 . p 224 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 14, 1935.

N

^cv^yjAV

CA1ENHILL

a ^\\K~\r'- or ISLA.

m AVOCHic MOUSE

B Mi les ^ ( AVOCH1« CASTi.fi.

.-

Fig. 1. Sketch-map of Rothiemay and District. THE BARONY, CASTLE, AND CHURCH OF ROTHIEMAY. 225

to a primitive population, and was sure of being early settled. It con- sists of a gently sloping plateau descending, southwards and westwards, into the valleys of the Isla and the Deveron. The basins of these two rivers to-day for e finesmth t agricultura n e lparishi th lant n i dbu ; ancient times what are now fertile haughs would have been largely tracee swampth f prehistorid o s an , c inhabitatio e mosth r t fo par e tnar found on the slopes above, which combined shelter from the north and a warm sunward outlook with natural drainage, while not -being so steep l surfacal f of e n eithewateru rapidlo o t to rpreveno rt r yo t good an d deep soil from accumulating e nativTh . e granites (gabbr d noriteoan ) e mostlar y overlai a toug y b dh specie f boulder-clao s y knowe th n i n north countr "pan,s ya " obstinat impermeabled ean wherd an ; e this si nea e surfacth r e soil e waterloggeth e ar s farmind an d s a s poori g t bu , a rule the inhospitable clay is overlaid by a sufficient depth of good, kindly arable soil. Four extensive peat mosses l stilal , l worked—Moss of Rothiemay, Rowan Bauds, Moss of Mayen, and Craigbourach Moss— afford an ample ready-to-hand supply of fuel; 1 and no doubt in primitive day indees (a s e remain dth e pea th tn i sbog s show) large e areath f o s country were under forest. Such woodlands would shelter an abundant supply of game, and the two rivers, then as now, must have been well stocked "with salmon, eel, and trout. It is hardly to be conceived that a locality so favoured could have faile becomo t d e populated l event soos al a , t nhuntins a a s g gave place agriculturo t e staplth s ea industr f Scotlandyo . Weapon impled an s - ments of the Stone and Bronze Ages do not seem to have been frequently picked up in Rothiemay, but sites of flint industries exist at Inchcorsie d Clashmanhillockan e presenc s sufficientli Th .n f Bronzo ma e e y Ag e vouched for by the great assemblage of round cairns found on the ridge including Hil f Retanaco l h (871 feete highesth , t groune parishth n di )

and Hill of Cairns (800 feet).2 And that Rothiemay must have become Ole dTh Statistical 1 Account, publishe 179n di 7 (vol. xix . 385).p , records tha t thita s dat egreaa t part of the town of Huntly, 6 miles distant, was supplied from the Rothiemay peat moss. This moss is still extensively worked, the tenants on the Rothiemay estate having each his "lair." The peat cuttings are most impressive, being as much as 10 or 12 feet deep, and showing in their middle and lower levels roots and stumps of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) many of which have the appear- ance of having been burned. Craigbourach Moss, which is not shown on the map (fig. 1), is about a mile north of Conjure Cairn. (6-inche O.Sp Th Ma . , Banffshire, Sheet XV.) shows some forty cairn r siteso cairnf e so th n so woode2 d ridge between Gallowhil d Moss-sidan l f Mayeno e . Thes e mostl ar esubmerge w yno n i d vegetation e averag t seeth bu ,n m o havo et e been abou fee8 1 diametern ti t largese Th . t cairn tha I havt e inspecte knowe districe on Conjurs th e n a n th d i s i t e Cairnstrie th rougf po n i , h wooded ground immediately north-west of the farmhouse of Mid Knauchland. This cairn is now plundered to a mere foundation and covered with grass, but the well-marked kerbstones enable the diameter to be fixed at about 33 feet. 5 1 VOL. LXIX. 226 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 14, 1935.

n importana t centre toward e clos th sf thi o e s perio e s showi dth y nb fragment whaf o sundoubtedls ha t largese th yf o bee te stonnon e circles in the' north-east. When complete it will have measured fully 80 feet diametern i , but onl ye pilla th fou f ro r stone remainw no s , besidee th s splendid recumbent stone, about 14 feet in length, with its fine series of cup-marks, some of them ringed. This circle belongs to a type peculiar to the district between the Dee and the Spey, and characterised presence th e souther th y b n eo n (generall e south-westernyth ) segment of the circle of a large horizontally placed or recumbent stone set between pillarse th t Avochif A o .grea a o n tw eo t whinstone boulde anothes i r r remarkable serie cup-marksf so , also includin gnumbea ringef o r d ones.1 Naturally the first Christian missionaries would make their way to the already existing centres of population, and in the north-east there is frequent evidence tha e earlth t y chapel r cello s s were planter o t da near the stone circles of the old pagan faith. At Rothiemay, however, . St Drostan, Abbot of Deer in Buchan in the sixth century, ignored the heathen temple high-perched on the brae above, and built his church on the broad haugh alongside the Deveron. Celtic ecclesiastical sites

again and again show a preference for such2 a machair or flat alluvial side plairunninf th eo y nb g watertrus i t eI tha. Celtio n t c sculptured cross or other positive evidence exists to prove that the old church site at Rothiemay is the actual spot where Drostan fixed the first focus of Christian worship. But the place is so typical of old Celtic religious e persistencth sites d e s namfounderit an th , f f o eo e , Drostano s s i , characteristi f Celtio c c practice o rendet s a t ,i ver r y likely that this is the case. In the later days of the medieval Church the memory of d Celtiol e c th missionaries, "whose name o staunchls s y e clunth o t g chapels they had in most cases personally founded, often tended to become obscured by dedications to saints in the Roman hagiology. At e parenth t monaster e twelftf Deeryo th n i ,h century thue w , s observe a tendenc submergo yt e memor eth s founderit f yo t DrostanS , n a y b , invocatio e Apostlth f no ealso s Peter od heran t ;Rothiema a e s i t yi significan fino t t d tha littlta echurcd abovol e heth sitsprina s ei g known as St Peter's Well.3 Abou centura t y afte t Drostan'S r s tim fine ew d tracepresence th f so e Rothiemae th r 1Fo y circl Proceedings,e ese vol. xxxvii . 133- 227d pp . 7an ; vol. . 104-8liipp . ; G. F. Browne, Antiquities in the Neighbourhood of Dunecht, pp. 160-2. The Avochie cup-marks are • describe illustrated dan Proceedings,n di vol .. 318-20xlpp . vold an ,. . 114-5liipp . . 2 The O.S. Map makes an extraordinary mistake in showing the old church on the east side Kirktowe oth f n Burn. 3 See on this subject my Historical St Columba, 2nd ed., pp. xxviii, 38. A dedication to St John is hinteautho e "Descriptioe th th y f db ro Parise th f nho of Rothiemay," circa 1726 (Ant. Aberdeen and Banff, vol. ii. p. 225).

228 PROCEEDING S E SOCIETYOTH F , JANUAR , 1935Y14 .

of another Celtic missionary in Rothiemay at the sites known as St Knauchland' t Knanchland'sS Kird an k s Well, immediatele th o t y south of the farm-steading of Mid Knauchland. These are evidently foundations of St Nachlan or Nathalan, of Cowie, Bethelnie, and Tullich (near Ballater) e dat th f whos, eo e deat e Iriss givehi th hn n i Calendar s as 8th January 679.1 Inchcorsie, just east of Rothiemay Castle, and Mannoch Hill to the north-west, are place-names which tell of the early ecclesiastical associations of the locality. Near Rothiemay railway station, but in the paris f Cairnieho s Tillytarmonti , , spelt in 1534 Tilentermend, which is ex- plaine meao dt n '' girth hill build "2an ; t e farm-steadin intth e wal of th o l g here is one of those mysterious sculptured symbol stones (fig. 2) that mark the dim borderland between paganism and Christianity. The stone shows the bird, mirror, and mirror-case symbols, s i abou d 3 fee tan 8 inchet s high.3 a kins f basIt n o i d ed seemen o t s tenon, as if it had been designed to Pig . Symbo3 . l stone from North Redhiii e fixea stonb .n di e socket d thi;an s fact, coupled with the name Tillytarmont, raise possibilite sth y that such sculptured stone havy ma se sometimes served, like the later girth-crosses, for sanctuary boundaries. On the terrace along the south front of Rothiemay Castle another sculptured symbol ston es preservedi (fig ) 3 . , which came originally from North Redhill, on the opposite side of the Deveron. It shows a rectangular symbol with spiral ornamentation.4

E BARONTH P ROTHIEMAYYO . Durin Anglo-Normae gth n penetratio twelfte th thirteentd n ni an h h centuries the old Celtic centre of population at Rothiemay was organised

1 See my Origins of Christianity in Aberdeenshire, pp. 27-30; also W. J. Watson, Celtic Place- Names of Scotland, . 308pp , 329-30. a Watson . cit., . 259op , p . J. Stuart, The Sculptured Stones of Scotland, vol. ii. pi. cix., and Notices of the Plates, p. 63; . BomillJ 3 y Alie Josepd nan h Anderson Earlye Th , Christian Monuments of Scotland, . iii. 185pt p . ; G. BrowneP . , cit.,op , pi . 143. p xliv d . an . 4 Alien and Anderson, op. cit., pp. 154-5. E BARONYTH , CASTLE CHURCD AN , F ROTHIEMAYHO 9 22 .

int omanoa r barono r parisd yan h with associated churc castld han e normae siteth n i s l medieval fashion t herBu e. once againofteo s s na , in the north-east, continuity seems to have been preserved even amid all the great and complex series of changes involved in the infeudation of Scotland medievae Th . l parish church readiny phenomenm e f i ,th f go a be correct, remained on or near the site of St Drostan's early chapel; e bolth dn o gree t se castle n s th bluf d ewa fan overlookin comd an -, git mandin e Deveroe ancien th th fore f gth d o d tnan north road, leading thence along the haugh and up the under-slopes of Mayen Hill. Here again the ensemble is thoroughly typical: for I have elsewhere shown that in the ancient Celtic province of Mar, as also in the district on the sunward side of the Mounth, the early Norman castles are constantly found to be placed so as to command the great cross-country routes.1 Thoug mucw hno h obscure latee th ry db stone-and-lim e buildingse th , stance of the castle, as seen from the haugh below, still appears to retain somethin e moundeth f go d character commo o Normat n n strongholds, and it is quite likely that it should be classed as a motte. The name Rothiemay is said to signify the "rath or fortress of the plain," 2 a description which sufficiently appliee strongholth o t s d dominatine gth broad haugh of the Deveron. Fescantd wan y records hav ee earlsurviveth yo t Normas a d r o n Normanised lord f Rothiemayo s e placTh e. seems firs o occut t n i r histor yeae th rn y i 1264 , whe Exchequee nth r Rolls record tha lande tth s of Rothymayng are escheated to the Crown.3 They appear to have remained in the royal hands until as late as 1291, in which year it is • stated that their rent beed ha sn assigne y Kinb d g Alexander IIIs a . part of the tocher of his daughter, the Princess Margaret, to King Eric of Norway. King Robert Bruce grante e landth d s successivelo t y

Murdoch Stewart4 , Earl of Menteith, and to David de Barclay; 6 and on 22nd November 1345 David II. bestowed them on his faithful adherent, Willia Abernethye md e annuath r fo ,l servic f threeo eheae suitth dt sa court f Banfo s e paymenfth shire d an , t when require a pai f f gilo do r t spurs yearlKine th t Rothiemaga o y t Whitsunday.n yo This charter

reveals thae landth tf Rothiemao s d beeyha n forfeite y Davi6 b d e d Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, who had been a partisan of Edward Balliol Proceedings, vol. Ixiii . 102-38pp . ; vol. Ixv. 115-7pp . .

21 Watson, op. cit., p. 501. 3 Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, . volclxxxip . i . . 4 Documents Illustrative History e oth f of Scotland, 1286-1306, ed . StevensonJ . , . 313volp . i .; cf. J. Taylor, Edward I. in the North of Scotland, pp. 57-9. Reg. Magni Sigilli Begum Scotorum, 1306-1424, app. ii., Nos. 384, 513, 663. 5 . cit.,. 1004 r Op WilliaNo 6 Si ; m Fraser Fraserse Th , of Philorth, casa r . n 296ei p vol Fo . .ii . point of this reddendo being made, anno 1456, see Exchequer Rolls, vol. vi. p. 172. 230 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JANUAR , 1935Y14 . and was killed at the battle of Culblean, 30th November 1335.1 How Athol d comha l e into possessio f Rothiema o t nknow no t I o .d I y remaine hande e Abernethies—sincth th f n do i s e 1445 Lords Saltoun— until 1612,2 when it was purchased from the eighth Lord Saltoun by Sir James Stewart of Killeith,3 afterwards created Lord Ochiltree, who in his turn sold the barony five years later to John Gordon of Cairn- burrow,4 by whom it was made over to his son William, the first Gordon laird of Rothiemay. The Gordons "had the guidin' o't" at Rothiemay until 1712, when, having got into financial difficulties, they sold the propert r £101,751yfo Archibalr . ScotM 5s , o st d Ogilvie,f Loro n d so a 5 Boyne s acquire n 174I wa .t 1i Williay db m Duff, Lord Braco, after- wards Ear f Fife,resideo o l wh 6 d there wit s numerouhhi s familr fo y many years. The old Countess died there in 1788. The Fifes remained possession i n unti n 189 i le estat 0th s purchase ewa Lieut.-Coloney db l John Foster Forbes, presene fatheth f o r t laird, Lieut.-Colonel lan Rose Innes Joseph Forbes, D.S.O.7 Specific mention of a castle of Rothiemay is absent from the early recordsoldesthe t and referenc, Johappearit in nto ebe Hardyng'to s s f Scotlano p ma d (circa 1465), which mark e "castelth s f Strabolgyo s , of Rithymay, of Dony Dowre (Dunnideer)." 8 As the other two castles of this trio both show masonry assignabl thio et s period r oldero s ,i t i , probable that Rothiemay also had become a stone-and-lime fortress by the date when it was considered important enough to be marked with them on Hardyng's map: and indeed it is quite likely (as we shall see) thae oldesth t t portioe structurth f remainingo nw no e , namelye th , massive eastern wing belony fifteente th ma , o gt h centurywrite th sn I . of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it is referred to variously as the "castle," "fortalice," " tower," "tower and fortalice," "house and fortalice," "place, r "houseo " f Rothiemayo " e last-mentioneth ; d

1 See Proceedings, vol. Ixiv. pp. 201—11. / 2Saltoue Onth f eo n lord Rothiemaf so e "Bey th fel t da l Harlaw," 24th July 1411 recordes a , d in the old ballad: "The Lord Saltoun of Rothemay, ' A Man of Micht and mekle Main, Grit Dolour was for his Decay, Tha unhappylie sa t slain.s ewa " Frasers of Philorth, vol. ii. p. 66; Reg. Magni Sigilli, 1609-20, No. 898.

3

Reg.1 Magni Sigilli, 1609-20 1598. No , . d H.an Tayler. A Booke 5 Th , Duffs, e oth f . vol 112 p alse Ogilviese . se i .o;Th of Boyne,e th y b same authors, pp. 62-6. 6 Ibid. 7 Good though undocumented summaries of the history of Rothiemay will be found in Notes, Historical Ecclesiastical,d an Parishe th n f Rothiemay,o o . SheareD y b r (1886)n Rothiemayi d an ,

House, by W. Oramond (1900). 8 Facsimiles of National MSS. of Scotland, pt. ii., No. Ixix.; The Chronicle of John Hardyng, ed. H. Ellis, pp. 417, 418. E BARONYTH , CASTLE CHURCD AN , F ROTHIEMAYHO 1 23 .

designation became tisual in the time of the Earls of Fife, but the more ancient and appropriate style of "castle" has been revived under the Forbeses. On 3rd September 1562 Queen Mary, then on her northward expedi- tion that terminated in the defeat of the Grordons on the field of Corrichie, spent a night at Rothiemay. The room in which she is said to have

slept is still pointed out on th1 e first floor at the north end of the east wing. In most Scottish houses where Queen Mary passed a night, such a room is shown for the edification of visitors; and it may be suspected that in many cases the ascription is an apocryphal one, dating from that revival of interest in the tragic Queen which was a by-product of Sir Walter Scott and the Romantic Revival. Exit at Rothiemay "Queen Mary's Room knows theres " i wa bac r t t leasni a fa 1797,s -ks a d a t an

fore by no means improbabl2 e that the tradition here may be a genuine one. The baron of Rothiemay at the time of the young Queen's visit was Alexander Abernethy, sixth Lord Saltoun, who afterwards took part in the overthrow of the Gordons at Corrichie: an act that had unfortunate consequences for the Rothiemay lands which lay within such easy reach from the Gordon headquarters at Strathbogie, for in 1568 Lord Saltoun and other northern barons reporte Privthe yto d Council that "thair landis, rowmes, and possessionis wer and ar in utter perrell and dangeir to be invaidit and persewit with fyre, swerd, and all uther kynd of hostilitie be George, Erll of Huntlie, his assistaris and complices." 3 Whether any scathe was done to the castle at this time we do not know. In 1578 the Castle of Rothiemay seems to have figured as a State prison, for hither apparently was sent, at the behest of Lord Ruthven, who had recently "cleaned up" the Border rievers, one Archie Batie, brothe Scoire Johf th o r f no , "t suirlie ob e keipit unletti libertio nt r eo sufferri o past t s hame." Despite these stringent instructions Archie soon vanished and Lord Saltoun had to procure himself a special exonera- tion from the Privy Council.4 In 1601 the plenishing of the "place and fortalice" of Rothiemay Proxima nox ad Rothimaium Abrenethiorum villam satis tranquille transacta est—Buchanan,

Hist.1 Scot., hk. xxvii. (ed. 1700, p. 488a). Cf. Ogilvy's Diurnal of the Queen's Journey (MS. in Nat. Lib.), printed in Banffshire Journal, 9th April 1935, p. 2: "The 2nd she left Balquhain after dinner an dt afte suppeou rt sleeped dinnese dan e t sh Rothiemayda r d fro3r me RothiemaTh . d yan suppe d sleepean d t Granga d n Strathisla.i e e artillerTh " y demanded from Lord Huntlt a y Strathbogi s directe ewa sene b Rothiemayo t to d t , and thenc Banffo eAccountst e Se . Lorde oth f

High Treasurer, vol. xi. pp. 201-2. 2 Old Statistical Account, vol. xix. p. 386. 3 Reg. Privy Council, vol . (1545-69i interestine th r . 645p )Fo . g letter sent from Rothiemay, 23rd August Regene 1570th o t , t Morto Lordy nb s Saltou Pitsligod Fraserse nan Th e se , of Philorth, vol. ii. p. 59. 1 Reg. Privy Council, vol. iii. pp. 42, 62. 232 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 14, 1935.

include "cupboarda silvef do r work. 161n I ""place l8 th Rothief eo - may" figure a curiou n i s s altercation between George Gordo f Gichno t and Patrick Livingston of Inchcorsie. The quarrel had to do with the will of Dame Margaret Stewart, Lady Saltoun: Gordon attacked Livingston bitterly "for suffering hir to mak ony testament . . . alledgein birth-rights hi s g thawe l schthad d utherial to an o,n ha t d sha interesse thairto." Afte dispute th rsomr gond fo eha n eo tim laire eth d of Gicht 14tn o , h May, mad attempn ea surpriso t e Livingsto t Rothiena - may, "quhair he hes dwelt thir sax yeiris bigane." "Being walking in quiet maner afor e yet,th e " Livingston "wes almoist surprysi f himo t , witd an h grite difficultie relevi selm fhi t withi e house. yettie nth Th s quhairof being closed and locked, he chopped very rudlie at the yet, cryin d schoutinan g g unt e saith od Patri o comt k e furth, thae h t micht have his hairt blood." Livingston carried the matter to the Privy Council y decreb , f whico e e wilth h d lair f Gich o ds place wa t d under lock and key in Edinburgh Castle.2 The next occasion on which Rothiemay Castle emerges on the stage of histor connexion i s yi n wit e mysteriouhth s traged e burninth f yo g of Frendraugh Octobeh 8t n o t r 1630 whicn i , h William Gordo Rothief no - may was one of those who lost their lives. For long the Crichtons of Frendraugh beed t ha tdaggern a s drawn with their neighbour Rothief so - may concerning some disputed fishing rights upon the Deveron; and Lady Frendraugh s accusee Gordonth wa t y b df havin o s g causee th d fire in which the laird of Rothiemay had perished. The Gordons there- fore engaged a party of Highlanders, who obtained from Lady Rothie- may, mothee burne th f "th f o o rde e us laird hou d castle an sth ,f eo Rothemay, which they doe fortifie with meat, men, and munition; and from thence they make daylie incursions against Frendret kild lan , some of his men." 3 Unfortunately these Highlanders, zealous fellows, soon displayed a tendency to carry on plundering operations on their own t botheno accountd drao t rdi finy wan d e distinctioan , n among their victims between thospaio dwh e the d thosman e against whom they beed occasioe ha non engagen o no s the serveo d t y An expelle. d Lady Rothiema r daughterhe d an y s froe house—"schomth e ladth t y with r dochteri hi ano ownr t et he kilbarneyi o s t e quhair they remanit''—=and held high revelr "thin yi s strong houss" unti adven e Sheriffe lth th f o t - Principal of Banff, George Baird of Auchmedden, at the head of 200 men, forced e representativ thes th sooa s o mquitt t a n bu w ; la f o e

and order had departed "they cam all back agane to Rothimay, quhair

2 1 Cramond, op. cit., p. 13. Reg. Privy Council, vol. xi. pp. 395-9. 3 Sir Robert Gordon, Genealogical History ofihe Earldom of Sutherland, p. 475. THE BARONY, CASTLE, AND CHURCH OF ROTHIEMAY. 233

they held houss in wonted forme." 1 Lady Rothiemay was accused of having acted collusively with the rievers, and in the beginning of 163e Privth 5 y Council sen a heralt d chargin e o rendet th r p ghe u r castle, whic t e didalmosbu sh h; t immediately thereafte a partr f o y Gordons "cam back agan Rothiemayo et ,yetie durrisd strath san p kw , and duelt thairin noblie. Bot in the meintyme letteris of intercommon- ing is proclameit aganis thame, quhairby as thay war lawless so maid freindless and sua micht not byd togidder, thairfoir thay pairtit the pelf amongiso d them o t e yettin , th kesf Rothimap ma o s w tk il d yan for himself pairtid an , t company vpon 23re e th Januar.f do Sherife "Th 2 f of Banff now (2nd April 1635) took possession again and garrisoned the place with "powder ,souldiours 4 bullet2 d an , t Lada " y Rothiemay's expense. hersele sens Sh 3 prisonefa wa t Edinburgho rt r fo , y wherla e esh nearly two years. Her trial before the Privy Council gives a vivid descrip- tion of the "heirschipis, reiffis, oppressiones, and depradations committed be licht horseme e namth f Gordouf eo no utherid nan s upo e lairnth d of Frendraucht and his tennentis." The description of the manner in whic rieverse hth , wit withour ho lady'e th t s consent, share e housdth e d themselvebetweean r he n s interestingi s . They "pairti e placth t e betwi xe clos e utheth e thamesidn thame o th st f o th eo o d t e r th ,an , lady." This suggest buildinsa courtyare th n go d plan, witlaterao htw l wings. The lady, it was alleged by her accusers, was so well pleased with the raiders' successes against the Frendraughts "that at Christmas thaireftir schoe dancit wit liche hth t horseme place th Rothiemaf en o i y e cusheouth n dance upo r schoulder.nhe r triaterminates He wa l" y db a personal appeal on her behalf to King Charles I., who in a letter written from Whitehall on 14th February 1637 directed the Privy Council to' set her at liberty upon sufficient sureties.4 On 30th October 164 e "plac4th f Rothiemay,eo " thee n th hel y db Covenanters, was captured and plundered by Montrose on his march from Fyvie via Turriff to Strathbogie.5 In August 1651 it opened its

Englisn gatea o t s h garrison, which remaine possession di t leasa r tnfo 1 Spalding, Memorialls Troubles, e . oth f 55 , 51 . volpp . .i 2 Spalding, ibid.,. 59 vol. p . i . The Sheriff, however, considered himself out of pocket to the extent of "nyne hundreth foure- scor3e three punds nyne shillings of his owne proper moneyes, hy and attour the charge of the taking and transportin e Ladith f eo g Rothemay d otheran , s rebellis, fra tim timeo et e s alsua th , n ai persut searchind ean othergd fobrokie an rth n s imploymentsnme Majesteis hi s ,a s service required." These moneys wer resolutioy eb allowe e Privym th hi f o no dt Council, 28th July 1635 (Reg. Privy Council, 2nd series, vol. vi. p. 73). 4 Fo l thesral e wild doing Reg.e sse Privy Council, seriesd 2n , vol. iii . 255-7.pp , 429-31, 485-6, 496, 509-10; vol. iv. pp. 241-5, 333-4, 654-5, 671-2; vol. v. pp. 439-43, 446, 449, 515-7, 635; vol. vi. pp. 19, 42, 46-7, 73, 88-9, 343, 395, 400, 666. Cf. also Spalding, op. Kit., vol. i. pp. 432-7. 5 Spalding, . vol426p . ii . 234 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 14, 1935.

two years; and the presence of these Puritan soldiers, of whose saintly qualities Macaulay's robust and partial imagination has painted in a famous passage such a golden picture, was productive—here as else- where in Scotland—of the most disastrous results in the morality of the servan te neighbourhood th girl f o s . "Scandalouse carriadge wite th h English souldiours quartered in the Castell" gave the Kirk Session of Rothiemay ample, and no doubt pleasant, opportunity during these years for the exercise of their inquisitorial powers.1 On 23rd March 1780 Lord Fife's sub-factor, Alexander Stronachf o Knock, wrote the following letter to his chief, William Rose, who resided t Montcoffea thers Houst Edinburgh:—nwa a t ebu 2 . . . "I am sure you behooved to stop upon the Thursday after we e partewinth ds a dble t greaww t violenc d occasionean e d much damage all over the country, but with still greater excess on Saturday firse lastTh t .tirr' d severa l house partth f Rothiemayf eso o t onlno ,y towed t ol likeway bu e r th s grea te sout partth f ho side- whicin s hwa creased on Saturday. Lady Fife proposed that I should aply to ye Earl or you for direction to make the necessary repairs on his Lp's expence, e considersh s a s hersele f th onl r yfo lyablt no r tead wea t fo ean r bu r effect of Hurrycanes and she expects. she will be relieved accordingly. e meay n nI s preparein i tim e sh e g matterial s bespokha d ean s work- t proposno takeind y di em meconcery d gan nan n unti I lreceiv e par- ticula rt inclyn directionsno d troublo et di I Lor y I tolr n e.m d o he ye subject at this time but promised to lay ye case before you." Little seems to have been done at that time, but in 1795 the Earl him- self visited the place, and writes in high wrath about -the state into which it had been allowed to degenerate by the tenant. "I was yesterday t Rothiemaya , nothin describn gca e HousStile Geckr th eth eM s eyha e Library e Windowth s taketh f o t t ha wilI t nou e . l H ou sdriv . in e it to ruin. It is lucky I went. I shall get him out of it directly and get that part made watter tight, pull down the old side as the roof in some parts is fallen in." 3 That Lord Fife carried out his intention, and 1 For details see extracts from the Session Records in Gordon, History of Scots Affairs, App. to Preface . Ivii-lixpp , ; also Shearer . cit., of . ,23-5 pp contrasy B . e passagth t e from Macaulas yi worth quoting showins ,a greaa w tg ho historian's prepossessions combined wit golden-mouthes hhi d eloquence to delude his readers into a conception of the Roundhead soldiery which the slightest acquaintance wit parochiae hth l record Scotlanf o s d durin Protectorate gth e would have serveo dt dispel. "But that which chiefly distinguished the army of Cromwell from other armies was the auster whicd e moralit Go feae h f th o pervader d yan l ranksacknowledges i dal t I . mose th ty db zealous Royalists that, in that singular camp, no oath was heard, no drunkenness or gambling was seen, and that, during the long dominion of the soldiery, the property of the peaceable citizens and honoue th womaf o r n were hel servando sacredN . . t . gir. l complaine rouge th f hdo gallantrf yo the redcoats. Not an ounce of plate was taken from the shops of the goldsmiths"'—Hist, of England, ed. T. P. Henderson, p. 32. 2 Extract from the original letter kindly furnished by Miss Henrietta Tayler. . TaylerH d an , . Lord 3-A Factor,s hi . d 260-1Fifepp an . E BARONYTH , CASTLE CHURCD AN , F ROTHIEMAYHO 5 28 .

without delay leare Statisticalw ,d n Ol fro e mth Account^ publisheo dtw years later, wherei s statei t i n d that "the most anciene t th par f o t house, which was fast going to ruin, his lordship has lately taken down, and has repaired and furnished the rest in a manner which does honour to his taste." E CASTLETH . Rothiemay Castle (see plans,2 fig. 4) consists to-day principally of two long rangest righa t tse , angles, sout d eastan h . These ranges represent the portions of the ancient building that have survived; and to both additions have been made, apparently in course of the recon- struction initiated by Lord Fife after 1795. I am informed by Miss Henrietta A. Tayler that the alterations were mainly effected by her grandfather, Major Alexander Franci ss grante Taylerwa o dleasa wh , e of Rothiemay House in January 1809, when his wife's father became thire th d Lord Fife. The addition to the south range consists of a new front facing north, and containing on the ground floor the present library, with a triple bow-window looking north, and on the west side a semi-round tower rising through the full three storeys of the building. The bow-window was inserte Majoy db r rese Tayler thif th o t sd buildinan , doubtless gi s Lord Fife's work originalls A . y designed r altereo , Majoy db r Taylert i , included a pillared entrance porch, and the new front terminated with a broad, low-pitched gable looking north, havin ga crockete d pinnacle on either sideprolonged an , d eastward wit hquasi-classicaa l balustrade, part of which still exists. The addition made about the same time to the east range consists of a two-storeyed transverse wing set across the north end of the range, like the head of a T, and having a bold semi- round e centretoweth n i r. This towe s originallwa r y cappea y b d balustrade with crocketed pinnacles, all similar in design to the corre- sponding features on the addition to the other range; but the balustrade beehaw nsno taken down, thoug pinnaclee hth s remain transverse Th . e wing finishes at either end with plain gables, and its roof is lower than anciene thath f o t t east range, which override finished an semia t si n i s - conical helmeroune th o dt t tower, this helmet rising int opyramidaa l peak in a quaintly picturesque manner.3 An important addition to

1 Vol. xix. p. 386. face vien masonrd th I t f ol wthao e th teverywhers y i e covered externall hary interd yb an l - nall panellingy 1yb e difficult th d an ,y which consequently exists about identifying precisele yth work of different periods, it has been deemed inadvisable to attempt a dated plan. The general sequence of building will be understood from the text. 3 The appearance of the mansion, as thus remodelled at the beginning of the nineteenth century, is shown in an old lithograph reproduced in Lord Fife and His Factor, p. 260. 236 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JANUAR , 1935Y14 .

FT 10 p 10 20 30 FT

Fig. 4. Eothiemay Castle: Plans. THE BARONY, CASTLE, AND CHURCH OF ROTHIEMAY. 237 e buildingth , consistin e talth l f porcgo h re-entrane toweth n i r t angle of the two ranges, was made by the late Colonel Foster Forbes in 1901. This very effective tower (fig , whic.5) h tiee wholsth e sprawling archi- tectural composition of the house together, is reminiscent, with its corbelled cap-hous d pointean e d stair turret a simila f o , r building, dated 1602 t ,a Ballindalloc. A s h designedr wa M Castle d y b an , Marshall Mackenzie, LL.D., R.S.A., F.S.A.Scot. f Aberdeeno , e Th . same architect carried out a still further improvement upon the

'

Pig. 5. Rothiemay Castle: view from north-west. castle in 1912; this latest work consists of the segmental turret, with bathroom and other accommodation, inserted in the angle betwee e anciennth t eas e west th rang td liman e f Majobo r Tayler's addition. ancieno tw e Otth f range e sout sth measuree hon s 88 fee lengtn i t h and 22 feet 6 inches in breadth. It has been built across the south end e easteroth f n range, whic s olde hi d moran r e massiv constructionn ei , and measures about 74 feet in length and 28 feet 9 inches in breadth. botn I h range basemene sth t consist seriea f so tunnel-vaultef so d offices; but, whereas in the south range the walls are for the most part only 3 feet thick, in the east range they reach a thickness of about 5 feet on the outer side and over 4 feet on the inner or courtyard side. Also the 'three main cross-walls dividing the cellars in the east range are of great 238 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JANUAR , 1935Y14 .

strength, being abou fee4 t inche6 t s thick e southmosth ; t cross-wall, dividin scullere gth soute yth fro f hkitchee o measrangee th d th en t t na , mucs i h thinne fee2 r( t 2^ inches) clearld an , y belong same th eo st period e soutath s h rangee easterTh . n vaults alse rathear o r lower, only about 8 feet to 8 feet 6 inches in height, as compared with 9 feet to 9 feet 6 inchesouthere westerth o n stw i e nn th range vaultt lattee th Bu f .rso are of more massive construction, and doubtless are older than the'rest of thi sfirse rangeth t n floo O e eas. th r t range contains, from souto ht north, the present drawing-room, dining-room, and " Queen Mary's Room. dininge Th drawing-roomd " an - separatee ar s d ligha onl y yb t partition (inserte y Majob d r Tayler d originallan ) y formed orie great hall, measurin fee3 g6 feeinche4 0 t 2 inches4 t y b s whico t , h ''Queen Mary's Room" seemingly formed the.solar s dimensionit , s bein fee2 g2 t fee0 e south-eas 2 inches4 tth y t b A . t cornehale th servica lf o r e stair or hatch, traces of which still exist, established connexion between the e kitchescreenth d nan s below. Originall n boti y h range e cellarth s s appear to have opened directly on to the courtyard, and the rooms above were reached one from another in the old "through-going" Scottish manner. The present corridors along the eastern range on the ground and first floors were added by Major Tayler, by whom also the vault in the south range next the kitchen was cut out, and the present wide open main stair constructed, which with its balustrade and fine landing form dignifiea s d internal feature castleth f o e. Durin alteratione gth s of 1901 a wooden service stair on the scale-and-platt design—also part of Major Tayler's work—which occupie da positio n immediately north e libraryoth f removeds s placwa it , d e take an , a storeroo y nb e th n mo basement leved toilean l t accommodation abov s show(a e plan)n o n ; the present service stair was built to the north of the main stair, and the corrido d straighan r t fligh f stepo t s were inserted betwee e lardenth r anciene th d tan outeease wal d th provide o tf t en r wingo l s a o s , internal accesbedrooe th firs e o st th teastere mn flooo th f o r n T-annexe e limth f bo . windoe e soutTh th n whe i laird' th wal f o sle groun rooth n mo d floor "was slapped out at the same period. The eastern onl storey rango w ytw no evidentl s s eheighti n s i ha d an , y been cut down: its roof mitres into that of the south range, which is of three storeys d presentan , s (figimpressivn a ) .6 e exampl e symth f eo - metrical and rather severe designs that came into vogue in Scotland afte e Restorationth r . Midwa e wall-heath n yi d a semicirculalin s ei r gablet with a void for a clock and a chimney perched atop. The gables are not crow-stepped and have plain skewputs, upon which in the altera- tions of the Puff period crocketed pinnacles have been imposed. On THE BARONY, CASTLE, AND CHURCH OF ROTHIEMAY. 239 groune th d centre compositioe flooth th f n i reo n iT-headesa d freestone door with late bolection mouldings e window n freestonTh i . e ar s e and uniformly show a 2^-inch chamfer: that of the laird's room still retain s cageit s d grill f interlockino e g bars e modth , f intersectioo e n being reversed in diagonally opposite quarters in the usual Scottish manner. Only two of the windows in the east range, namely those lighting " Queen Mary's Room," are old: they are in freestone and show a 3J-inch chamfer. A poor and incorrect water-colour drawing by the Rev. Charles Cordiner, done before 1780, now in the possession of Lord Carnegie, preserves the appearance (though in very bad perspective)

Pig. 6. Bothiemay Castle: view from south.

of this range before the Duff alterations; then, as now, it was only two storeys in height, and terminated north-wards in a crow-stepped gable. e Aabsenco datest sth n i , e internall f distinctivo y e architectural features, and as the walls are all either plastered or panelled, it is difficult to speak with any certainty. The south range, however, is plainly an addition. With the exception of the two massive older cellars at its west end, it seems to be uniform throughout its height, and its sym- metrically planned external details lattee poin data th o n rt eti parf o t e seventeentth h century e easTh t . rang s clearlei y more ancientd an , may not impossibly be as old as the latter part of the fifteenth century. In its general design it recalls the "palace" added about this period to the neighbouring castle of Huntly. The heavy chamfer found on the windows of "Queen Mary's Room" is very common in the later fifteenth century, though found also both earlie laterd an rI suspec . t thae th t builder of the east range may have been William Abernethy, second Lord Saltoun, who was the first of his line to make Rothiemay his definite 240 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 14, 1935.

headquarters appears a , s fro mcrowa n charter tha obtainee h t 10tn do h January 1482, gathering all his scattered lands—which lay in the shires of Banff, Angus, Fife, Stirling, Midlothian, East Lothian, Berwick, and Roxburgh—int free oon e barony knowe e baronb th o t s ,n f a Abery o - nethy, the service for which was to be done at the Sheriff Court of Banff, evidently becausd madha e h eRothiema s chieyhi f residence.s i t I 1 probably significan te nex thath tn i tAberneth y charter after this date (issueMarch 9t n hdo 1491) 2 specific mentio e firsfounds ni th tr timfo , e so far as I know in charter evidence, of the castrum de Rothiemay. At this time the p'lace was sometimes styled Abernethy in Rothiemay, the Saltouns evidently desiring to transfer that name to their new capital messuage—i s theia e samy rth n wa neighboure e Gordonsth s , with greater success, brough name th t e Huntly from Berwickshir Stratho et - bogie. In the bow which now caps the north end of the east wing is a remarkable doorway (seen to the left in fig. 5). It is in granite and round-arched, with quasi-classical mouldings, and the keystone shows n angel'a r cherub'o s s head with outspread wings. This doorwas yha clearly been derived from elsewhere, and when built into its present positio s heightene wa ne insertio th a y sandston b df o n e course mid- way in each jamb. Originally the height had been about 7 feet 8 e widt inchesfeeth 3 inches6 s d thi an t , I seem. dato t s e froe mth late seventeenth century, and probably came from the old parish church. There still exist three stones which had formed portions of a dormer windo r windowswf theo o e m On appear. shoo t s we Forbe parth f o ts arms and the motto SALUS PER [CHRISTUM]: the other two show e Th initiale . f th theS o e . e m E sar a dova supporter on s n ea o d an , Lady Rothiemay who figures so prominently in the feud with the Crichton f Frendraughto s s notea , d above s Katherinewa , a daughte, r of John, eighth Lord Forbes. Internall e decorativyth e feature castle th f eo smaie seeth o nt mn i be due to Major Tayler's restoration, though two rooms on the first floor at the west end of the south range show good vernacular panelling e latoth fe seventeenth century y MajoB . r Tayle e drawing-rooth r m ceiling was heightened, with the peculiar result that the windows of the storey above open below e flooth r level. Many fine paintinge th f o s Duff period still remain.3 Octoben I r 1932, whil draiea beins nwa g laid smala , l subterranean

1 Reg. Magni Sigilli, 1424-1513 . 1534No , . 2 Ibid., . 2094No . 3 See list of the paintings in Cramond, op. cit., pp. 28-30. THE BARONY, CASTLE, AND CHURCH OF ROTHIEMAY. 241

vault was discovered close outside the south-east corner of the castle. The vault alignmenf ,o whict ou s hi t wit existine hth g buildings, measures 6 fee inche7 t s entere squarwa d d ean fro m abov trapa y feeeb 2 , t 5J inches by 1 foot 6^ inches, carefully checked for a hatch. On the east e vaul lona th sid f s i tgeo narrow aumbry fee3 , inche2 t 4 s1 dee d pan inches square. This vaulhavy ma et bee n"pita r priso"o e n th cel n i l basformea f eo r round angle towe suggestes (a r plann do , fig , whic.4) h must have been removed before the present south wing was built. If this -was so, then the original east wing -will have been a long building with an angle tower, very similar to the "palace" at Huntly Castle. s knowi t I n thad cobblinol t g exists immediatele fronn th i y f o t north bow window of the library, so that this ground was doubtless within the ancient barmkin.

THE PRECINCTS. e castle farWesth th f Mainm f o s eo i t f Rothiemayo s , representing the demesne or "board-land" of the manorial residence. The "Mains thereof" is listed along with "the place, fortalice, and yards" of Rothie- may in a deed of 1601.l Part of the buildings seem to be of consider- able antiquity, and they include a large kiln with a stone-domed roof. Perhap se identica th thi s i s l "kiln-barn recorn o " 163n di 4 (see supra, e south-wes . 232)th p o dovecote T . th s i t buildina , g measurin fee7 g2 t 4 inches square over wall fee3 s t thic s dividei k t I (fig d. .7) int o otw compartments, of which the east one has been altered to serve as a shelter for beasts, while the west one still retains its numerous stone nests. On externae th l wall flat-archee sar d recesses midwae soute on , th n hyi face, e easth tw t n o i side d thre e wes an d nort,th eacn ei an f t ho h faces. Som f theso e t leasa e t e built-useeb o mt p o doowindowstw r e Th . e soutlintelth n hfreestonen i o s face ar ed chamfered an , . Thera s ei garret floor under a plain hipped roof, but both are secondary, and the dovecot, which must have been of unusual size, has evidently been cut dow rearrangedd nan s demesn it e castl d Th .ean e have been enclosed, east and west, by spacious precinct walls, taking in a stretch of some 800 yards alon e Deveronth g d extendinan , g back northware th n o d west distancsida o et ovef eo r 1300 yards. These walls thosd an , e which enclose the very beautiful garden, are of a most remarkable character, composed of enormous boulders, often as much as 3 feet by 2 feet on garden e facee Th th . t Rothiemasa probable yar verf yo y ancient date, fon Octobei r r 149 e thir6th d Lord Saltoun sen o Kint t g Jame. IV s 1 Oamond, op. cit., p. 13. VOL. LXIX. 16 242 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 14, 1935.

a gift of pears,1 presumably from Rothiemay. At the end of e nort th e weshth tavenuen i e avenuentr th d an t y,a e froe mth Mains, are rusticated pillar .gates of the Duff period. Prior to Lord Fife's time, when it was diverted to the north, the ancient main road (see map, fig. 1), after crossing the Deveron by the Milltown ford, held alongsid rivere eth , wher s courseit stils ei l marke avenun a y db finf eo e old treese precinc gapy th b e picturesqu, n i sth ty b walls d ean , little balustraded bridge (now known as "Queen Mary's Bridge") that carried t ove i Kirktowe th r n Burn. From this poin approace th tcastl e th eo ht

Fig. 7. Rothiemay Castle: Dovecot. led up the east bank of the burn, and then crossed it again by another but plainer bridge at the north-east corner of the precinct. The village of Milltown of Rothiemay, at the eastern entrance to the precincts, preserve close sth e association betwee capitae nth l messuagf eo a medieval manorial centre and the barony mill to which the tenants, were thirled e "castlTh .f Rothiemaeo d millyan s thereof mene ar " - tioned in a charter of King James IV. dated 9th March 1492. The

mill is evidently very old, and on its door, whose massy iron ke2 y is a notable specime Scottisd ol f no h smitbwork mara , k still indicatee th s highest point reachee Deveroth y b d n durin e "Mucklth g e Spatef o " 1829. In the Kirk Session records under the year 1607 mention is found

Accounts Lorde oth f High Treasurer, vol . (1473-98)i . . 302p , .

1 2 Reg. Magnl Sigilli, 1424-1513, No. 2094. THE BARONY, CASTLE, AND CHURCH OF ROTHIEMAY. 243

'e ' oCastletoufth n of Rothiema picturr appurtenancee ou yth d f "e 1o ; an s oa medievaf l baron s completeyi e Gallowhillth y b d , which overlooks castle th e fro easte mth .

THE "QuBiB OF ROTHIEMAY." Rothiema mensaa s ywa l churc Bishoe th f ho Morayf po varioud an , s entries relative to it will be found in the chartulary of that diocese.

On 28th May 1540 Alexander, Lord Saltoun, received a tack of the2 parsonag f Rothiemaeo r nineteeyfo n years—"the said Lor uphaldo dt , beid menan t d durin e forsaidith g s yeir e queith sf Rothemao r n i y theking the utheris necessaris reparatioun concerning the personage thereof upov awis nhi n costis." 3 From thi t appearsi s thachurce th t h consisted of a chancel to which no nave had been added, as often in Scotland durin e lategth r Middle Ages d als an oe ;sixteent thath n i t h centur l evental thatcheds root e ya s th wa f Septemben I . s r wa 162 t i 6 slated,- as appears from an entry in the Kirk Session's records in the following terms:—4 "Iti s ordeini mt i t that thri e sclaith e pleuck o thorst il s f o shpa heuc Maynf ho brino et g heam sclaite Kirk.e th o st " On Sunday Augusd 3r , t 1651, "avere th t y tym ringinf eo thire gth d bells," the congregation in the church was "quytte brockenupp" by the arriva a troo f o f lEnglis po h dragoons, unde e commanth r f Captaio d n Robiesone, who quartered themselves upon the parish, and as befitted Cromwell's sectaries t delano yd di lon, ventinn gi g their ill-feeling upon the church. "The Sackloth wes tackne awaye," laments the Session Clerk, "and not long after this the stoole of repentence upon the very Lords day after sermone tumoultously throwne downe by the English souldiours." 6 About e churc172th 6 s describehi s standina d g "ami a dwoo f o d birc alded Dovern.n s an pulleho r wa dt e I firs dowth " t y Earb n l

of Fife in 1756 2 because it interfered with the privacy of the house.7 A new church was built at the Milltown, the stones of the demolished building no doubt being used for the new one. Many of these stones see havmo t e reappeare e presenth n di t church, which dates from 1807. Nothing save the site of the old building until recently was apparent, 1 Gordon, History of Scots Affairs, vol. i., App. to Preface, p. lii. 2 Megistrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, p. xix, and reff. in Index. 3 Op. cit., p. 419. 4 Gordon, Scots Affairs, App Prefaceo t . . livp , . . cit., . IviiOp p 5 . B Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, vol. ii. p. 225. 7 Cramond . cit., . 23-4op , pp . 244 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 14, 1935.

enclosed wit a hpaling d containinan , a gsingl e tombstone. Colonel Forbes has now cleared the site, exposing the foundations of the whole building s showa , plan o n n (fig pedimena , wit .e 8) fond hth an t- in t scribed 1672. The north jamb of the transept door is in Byth stone d showan a 3-incs h chamfer n i granitee fon s i Th t. , octagonal externally, 1 foot 5 inches in internal diameter and 1 foot 8 inches in height.o tw Ther e sida centre e edgon s ar ei e th f eo n o drain d an ,

Fig. 8. Old Church of Rothiemay: plan of foundations.

sockets for the hinge of a lid. A quantity of human remains were found, and one shard of medieval pottery. The inscription on the tombstone, now mostly illegible thus i , s give Cramondy nb : "Among his ancestors underneath this stone is interred John Aber- nethie of Mayen, a young man of an amiable character. He died 2nd May 1779, in the 21st year of his age; also Helen Abernethy, his sister, who die Aprid— l 1787, aged 34; also their nephew, Charles Grahamo wh , died December 1800, age years.8 d2 "

T PETER'E MANSS TH D AN ES WELL. The old manse, a plain oblong two-storeyed edifice, still stands in the Den to the east of the castle, and is now used as the laundry. Beside t Peter'S s i t si Well, wit ha ston e lintel bearin e datgth e 1580; this, however n situ,i ,d probabl e doet an seeb no so m t y came froe mth castle. E BARONYTH , CASTLE CHURCD AN , F ROTHIEMAYHO 5 24 .

THE KIRKTOWN. The Kirktow f Rothiemano recorn o s yi 1617n di whicn i , h yeat i r was erecte royay b d l charter int oa fre e burg f baronyho , with power of choosing bailies and councillors, maintaining a courthouse and market cross holdind an , gweekla y marke Thursdaysn o t . There were also ot be three annual fair : sDusta t Drostan'sn(S 14t)e Faith hn Decemberro , Sanct Denneis Fair on the 9th October, and Halycroce Fair on the 3rd May. The Castle of Rothiemay was declared to be the principal messuage of the barony.1 Traces of a cobbled causeway exist between the old manse and the church, and this probably was the principal street e Kirktownoth f . An "oastle re tou hou th f Rothiemay no n i s mentiones "i 1628,n di 2 t whethe e Kirktowbu th t a r r Milltowno n doe t appearno s . Probably e Kirktownth t a s r durinfo wa , e campaigt i gth f 171 no heae a 5w f o r "blin house dal e very near Rothiemay's House, whicn "i h Lord Lovat, Duncan Forbe Cullodenf so Majod an , r Fraser too theip ku r headquarters n theio r journe o Invernesst y f whico , h Major Fraseo s s lefs u ha rt entertainin accountn ga . Lady Rothiemay, whose husband (Archibald Ogilvie) was with Mar at Perth, invited them to the house, and on their declining her offer of hospitality sent them down "two dozen of strong ale," which with the brandy that they got in the inn no doubt insured them comfortabla e night.3 Miss Henrietta Tayler has kindly drawn my attention to an amusing passag lettea n ei r amongs e Harleth t y Papers, from whic t happeari s tha r Johnson'D t s famous Dictionary joke about oats—"a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people"—was not original, but had been made a century before, and a propos of Rothiemay. The letter is written at London, on 13th September 1672, by Denis de Repas to Sir Edward Harley: 4 "I was forced for two months' time, in the north, in a place called Rothimay, to live altogether upon pap for want of bread. The Scotch e Scotcth med hnan horses live altogether upo same nth e diet I mea, n upon oats, for there is not a horse in thirty to whom hay is afforded; their brea s maddi e wits theii o hs r oatbonnd an s y ale." I have much pleasure in acknowledging the facilities and assistance whic hI hav e received preparinn i , g this paper, froms ColoneMr d an l

Forbe f Rothiemayo s d froan m; Miss Katherine Forbes o helpewh , d

1 Meg. Magni Sigilli, 1607-20 . 1598No , .

2 Reg. Privy Council, 2nd series, vol. ii. p. 334. 3 Major Eraser's MS., . Col . Pergusoned A . . ,62-4 volpp . ii ..

Hist. MSS. Commission, Portland MSS., vol. iii. (Harley Papers) p. 327. 1 246 PROCEEDING SE SOCIETYOTH F , FEBRUAR , 1935Y11 .

me to make the surveys. The illustration of fig. 2 is taken from Bisho . Browne'F . pG s Antiquities f Dunecht,o with permissioe th f no syndics of the Cambridge University Press. Fig. 5 is reproduced by courtes f Aberdeeo y n Journals, Ltd r AlistaiM . d Misan r s Henrietta Tayler have done me the favour to read my typescript through, and I have derived much benefit from their intimate personal knowledge of the castle.

MONDAY, llth February 1935. SIR GEORGE MACDONALD, K.C.B., LL.D., F.B.A., President, in the Chair.

A ballot having been taken, the following were elected Fellows:— WILLIAM FENTON, 5 Meethill, Alyth, Perthshire. BERNARD FERGUSSON, Lieutenant e BlacTh , k Watch, Kilkerran, Maybole, Ayrshire. Rev. WILLIAM MACGILLIVRAY, West Manse, Cairnie, Huntly, Aberdeenshire. Miss ANNIE STEEL, L.L.A., The Croft, Annan. Rev. JAMES TOLLAND, The Manse, Belmont Church Road, Belfast.

The following Donation Museuthe to s m were intimate thankdand s Donors:e voteth o dt — SIMOy B ) N(1 BBEMNEB, Corresponding Member. Hammer-ston Quartzitef o e , measuring 1-| inc 1-y hfb inch inc1 y hb ; Leaf-shaped Arrow-hea d Flintre f ,o d imperfect, measuring ^ incy b h f inc -y jh b inch ; Side Scraper, measuring I^Q inc slightlx h si long d yan ; worked Flakes and Cores of Flint; small rim fragment of a Vessel of very thin dark Pottery, the rim flattened; another with the rim slightly everted and rounded on the top; and three fragments of soft Pottery, outside th founbufl coree blacd n th Al o fe t an wha t .d hava ky a ma te been a flint-workers' site on Freswick Links, Caithness. • Small Ston e usea hammer-stone s eAx a d , measuring 2^f inchey b s if inc fy hb inch ; Lead Whorl, measuring f inc diametern hi ; fragment of a thin Bronze Plate; Bone Needle, point wanting, measuring 2-f inches