The upper storey of Dowhill castle, built around 1500.
DOWHILL CASTLE, Kinross-shire.
A ruin, situated about three miles south from the town of Kinross and near Blair Adam Railway Station. It occupies an elevated position on the Cleish Hills, and overlooks the greater part of the country with the whole stretch of Loch Leven.
It is unfortunate that this castle has fallen into such a complete state of ruin, as the interior presents points of considerable interest. All the stonework of the interior has been carefully wrought, and the window-sills are checked so as to have a stone ledge inside the woodwork to keep out draught or rain. The kitchen sink and fireplace and other masonry show the same desire for superior masonry. The ground floor is entire, and is all vaulted, and part of the side walls of the first floor are still standing above the vault.
The present appearance of the castle is not at all picturesque, as it is reduced to the level of the first floor all round, and is thus not unlike a large packing-box. It was an oblong structure, measuring about 78 feet from east to west by about 27 feet from north to south, with a round tower at the south-west corner and two square towers on the north.
There has also been a courtyard, on the north side of which one round tower remains at the north-east corner, but it is in a very ruinous condition.
The entrance to the court appears to have been adjoining the house at the east end, while the entrance door to the house was in one or other of the north towers, both of which are much ruined. The centre tower has contained a wheel-staircase.
The whole ground floor is vaulted, and, as already said, the cellars are much superior in style to those usually found in our Scottish castles. The eastmost apartment contains a garde-robe or closet in the south wall, and in the east wall a door, the sill of which is 5 feet above the floor, gives access by a passage and wheel-stair to the floor above.
The centre apartment was the kitchen, with its arched fireplace in the middle wall. It has a window in the south wall, with a finely-wrought stone sink, and a stone ledge all along the south side of the apartment. The part of the kitchen floor contained within the lines on the Plan represents a portion of the pavement, which is slightly sunk below the general level. This, we think, must in some way have been connected with keeping the place clean. The round tower enters from the west room; it is defended with live shot-holes, and a straight stair in the thickness of the wall leads up to the floor above.
The first floor has been divided somewhat in the same manner as the ground floor; it contains the same evidence of careful finish, which, however has not availed to prevent it from becoming a total wreck. At the north-east corner there is a hiding-place in the thickness of the wall beneath the floor of a small closet.
Dowhill, dating from the 16th century, belonged to a branch of the family of Lindsay. The plan, although peculiar, has more analogy with the Z form than with any other.
THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND BY DAVID MACGIBBON AND THOMAS ROSS, 1889