Standing Bare, Ruinous, and Lonely, Amid Black, Forbidding Hills, Frowned
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LOCH-IN-DOKB ANCIENN A , T ROYAL 7 FORTRESS35 . III. LOCH-IN-DORB, AN ANCIENT ROYAL FORTRESS. By A. D. GUMMING, F.S.A. Scot. Standing bare, ruinous d lonelyan , , amid black, forbidding hills, frowne greyy b n ,do weatherbeate n rocks washed sluggise an , th y db h wavepeate th f yso lake regioa n ,i n well-nigh inaccessibl irrespond ean - e reforminth siv o t e ge late th zea rf o lScottis h kings t i appear, a s strange perversion of history that the chief title of the island castle of Loch-in-dorb to a place in history should be due to its close associa- tions wit earle hth y Plantagenet king f Englandso . Bard bleaan e k as the surrounding country now appears, in comparatively recent s coveretimewa t i sd witdense hon e fores f pineo t , oak, birchd an , hazel, froFindhorne e Speth mth o yt . Ther s cleaei r evidence that forese destroyeth s twa firey db , sinc mann ei y place neighboure th n si - hood may be seen black stretches of moss, utterly devoid of vegeta- tion, covered with thousands of charred tree stumps. How this wanton destruction occurred, history does not record.1 This wooded countr s calle e ywa Fores dth f Leanico t d Braean h - moray s suitabilitIt . a roya r fo yl hunting domai s seey wa b nn King Alexander II., who n 1236i , , exchanged with Andrew, Bishop 1 Tradition says that in the days of Queen Mary a chief in the uplands of Strath- spey tarried long amid the pleasures of the Court at Holyrood, while his lady pined r Highlanhe n i d keep t last A despairn i ., despatchee sh , da trust y servitoo t r Edinburgh to seek her lord, giving him strict injunctions to treasure well the first queries with which his chief might address him. The mission was duly accom- plished, and on his return the henchman was ushered into his lady's presence. answen r eageI he ro t rquestions informee h , thar chies dfirshe d hi t ha ft inquired as to the state of his woods, in which he took great pride. He then questioned e welfarfavourito th tw o t hif eo s m a e staghounds, whil lase eth t inquirs a s ywa to the health of his lady. Transported with anger and jealousy that woods and hounds shoul dr husband' ranhe n ki s mind before herself forthwite sh , h ordered the woods to be set fire to, while the favourite hounds were immediately slaughtered. 8 35 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , APRIL 8, 1912. of Moray, the lands of Fynlarg (near the church of Inverallan) for this forest. Loch-in-dorb is two miles long, about two-thirds of a mile broad, and the surface of the water is 969 feet above sea-level. The island on which the Castle is built is more than an acre in extent, and bears evident trace beinf so g partly artificial thin I t resemblesi . s Loch-an- Eilan and Loch Moy in the same province.1 Probably the original stronghold was a crannog, or fortified retreat, whic peacefun hi l times migh a huntinusee b ts a d g e shelteth y b r Caledonian kings who followed the chase in the surrounding forests. Afterward t becami s e strongholeth e Comynsth f do , the e mosnth t powerfu le Highlands clath n ni . From public records leare w , n that Black John Comy f Badenocho n , Governo f Scotlando r s , hi die n di Castl Loch-in-dorf eo 1300son n s bi notable Hi th , . e claimane th o t t Scottish throne slais Brucy wa n,b t Dumfriesea s sonHi , .John n i , turn possessed Loch-in-dorb camuntim deats hi ehi ln i 1326n h i d an , to an end the direct line of a family once the most populous and power- ful in Scotland. When Edward I. of England returned from Flanders to crush Wallace e invadeh , d Scotland wit a hlarg e arm f Englishyo , Welsh, Irish Gasconsd an , , and, penetratin o Moraygt abods , hi too n ep i k u the Castle of Loch-in-dorb. As Andrew of Wyntoun tells— " And owre the Mownth (Grampians) then alsa fast l LowchyndorbTi e then strach pase h t t There swjourne quhilda bade eh e Quhill he the North all wonnyn had." Having settled there on 25th September 1303, he despatched his forces against the opposing strongholds of the north. Those of 1 In the statistical account of the parish of Cromdale of 1791, it is stated that— " Great rafts or planks of oak, by the beating of the waters against the old walls, occasionally make their appearance, which confirms an opinion entertained of the place that it had been originally built upon an artificial island." LOCH-IN-DOKB, AN ANCIENT ROYAL FOKTEESS. 359 Inverness, Nairn, Forres, and Elgin surrendered at once, and the strong Castl f Urquharteo Locn o , h Ness, afte lona r g siege, also capitulated Hammee e Scottiso "t Th th f o rh Nation." Fordoun relates that during Edward's residence here, the northern parts of the kingdom submitted to him. The conditions as first laid down as a basis for treatin f submissiogo n were extremely hard e d manHighth an , f yo - land chiefs, like the bard of Wales, must have cursed in their hearts Edward of the long shanks. t whe e submissionBu nth s were duly accomplished, Edward enter- tained the vanquished chiefs right royally. Long and strenuous days were spent in hunting in the Royal forests of Leanich and Braemoray, while by night the island rang with revelry. Edward left the Castle in December 1303, and spent the winter in Dunfermline. The Castle bears such a strong resemblance to the mediaeval military fortresses in England and Wales, that we are justified (apart from the vague evidence of tradition) in assuming that it was entirely rebuilt s Tytlea , or ,r suggests d extensivha , e additions made under e orderth f Edwardo s , betwee e e beginninclos nth th f 130 o ed 3an g of 1306 s irregulaIt . r quadrangular shape, curtain walls strond an , g circular towers, bell-shape base th et d(ona e commandin entrance)e gth , would in England at once rank it amongst the " Edwardian " castles.1 The magnificent gateway on the east side, built of freestone, was a pointed arch of the early English style. The walls were built of whinston d granitean e . Accordin r ThomaSi o t g s Dick Lauder, 1 Dr Mackintosh, in his History of Civilisation in Scotland,, vol. i. p. 247, writes : " During this period a new form of defensive work was gradually intro- duced, usually calle Normae dth n typ castle f earliese o Th . t remain f castleso s of this styl Scotlann ei d belonthirteente th o gt h centurybese th t d examplean , s of them were the castles of Loch-in-dorb, Hermitage, Bothwell, Kildrummy, Caerlaverock, and Dirleton. These appear to have been built in the latter half e thirteentoth f h century. Massive wall f enormouo s s strength wer e chieth e f features of these structures, but they presented little distinctive art character- istics, as strength and defence was the original idea and end contemplated by their owners." 0 36 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , APRI , 19128 L . '' the lime used in the building of the castle was brought in the state of stone creeln i horsesn so ' backs fro quarriee mth s nea Grantowno rt , and burne t limekilnda opposite th n so ehile sidth l f froe o loch. e mth " The massive iron gate (one of the few distinctive Scottish " yetts " now in existence) which guarded the entrance, may still be seen at Cawdor Castle. outee Th r walls were seven fee stille t e thickar spitn th i , d f eo an , " gnawing teeth of time," almost 30 feet in height. Within the inner walls were the keep, banqueting hall, chapel, and domestic offices. r werNo e dungeons, those necessary adjunct f mediaevao s l strongholds, awanting. e mosTh t notable e historeventh n f i Loch-in-dorto y s it s wa b siege by Sir Andrew Moray, Regent of Scotland, and its relief by Edward III Englanf o . ragins 1335n dwa i civiScotlanr n A gi . wa l d roun rivae dth l claim Edwarf so d Balio David lan d Bructhrone th o et e of Scotland. At this time David Bruce was a prisoner in England, while Sir Andrew Moray was Regent of Scotland. On St Andrew's Day, 1335, the Earl of Athol, who was besieging Christian Bruce, sister of King Robert, in Kildrummie Castle, was surprise e foresd slaith f Braemaran do n ni t s wifeHi ., Catherine Beaumonte d , flerefugr e Castldfo th f o Loch-in-dorbt eeo , where esh was besieged for seven months by Sir Andrew Moray. All the early historians of Scotland gave prominence to this notable siege and its subsequent raising. The account given by Hector Boece, Canon of Aberdeen, as translated Bellendey b Croniklesn i n of Scotland, probabls i mose yth t complete. John of Fordoun's account is similar ; the only difference is his men- tioning that Edward of Baliol accompanied the King, and that they brought away " the wife and heir of David, Earl of Athol." King Edward left Blair Athol on 12th June 1336, and arrived with 500 horseme t Loch-in-dorna 15tn bo h countrJunee Th densels .