temporarily broken up, the monks being distributed among other religious houses till their own home was repaired. After that it seems to have received little or no injury, except from occasional assaults by the English from the sea. The ruinous condition in which it is now seen is mostly the result of neglect, the using of its materials in the erection of other buildings, and natural decay. The sanctity of this monastery of Benedictine monks was in its early days sufficient protection for it, but in later times when movable wealth had accumulated, it seemed necessary to build a kind of fortification round it, part of which exists. This was probably erected about the same time as the enclosing walls of St. Andrews Cathedral in the early part of the sixteenth century.

By order of the Government in 1815, the west doorway, the east and south walls of the presbytery, and the top of the south wall of the transept were renewed or repaired. These works could not be of any use, and if intended for works of art are very misleading. The designer might have been better employed at the battle of Waterloo, as he had never as an artist eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

That great Christian age whose builders produced this wonderful architecture, and whose knights believed that chivalry was the grandest virtue, has passed away never to return. As Coleridge wrote:

"The knights are dust,

And their good swords are rust,

Their souls are with the saints, we trust."

EXCURSIONS OF THE SOCIETY.

1904.

THE Annual Excursion took place on Thursday, 8th September, its programme including Glamis Castle and Restennet Priory. A large number of the members took part in the excursion, which left Buchanan Street Station for Forfar by the train at 10 A.M. After luncheon, which was served at the Royal Hotel, Forfar, the party was driven to Glamis Castle, where Mr. Hippolyte J. Blanc, R.S.A., acted as guide. The inspection of the Castle, which is the most perfect specimen of Scottish baronial architecture in Scotland, was of the greatest interest, and the plans which Mr. Blanc had been good enough to prepare greatly assisted the visitors in understanding the arrangements in the building. A visit was afterwards paid to Restennet Priory, where Mr. Blanc again acted as guide. After dining at the Royal Hotel, Forfar, under the presidency of Mr. J. D. G. Dalrymple, the party returned to Glasgow by the train reaching Buchanan Street Station at 9 o'clock.

1905.

The Annual Excursion took place on Thursday, 29th August, when a visit was paid to Falkland Palace, House of Falkland, and the Town Hall, Falkland. Leaving Queen Street Station at 9 A.M. the members of the party reached Falkland Road Station at 10.55 A.M. and were then driven to the village of Falkland. A visit was paid to the Palace under the guidance of Mr. Harold O. Tarbolton, F.R.I.B.A., President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association. After luncheon at the Bruce Arms Hotel the party visited the Town Hall, and also the House of Falkland, where they were most courteously received by Sir John and Lady Murray.

Later in the year, on 7th and 21st October, shorter excursions were made to Glen Fruin and to Stirling respectively. On the former occasion, members having lunched at Helensburgh, drove through Glen Fruin and, under the guidance of Mr. John Bruce, F.S.A. Scot., visited the site of the "Conflict of Glen Fruin" between the Macgregors and the Colquhouns, and the ecclesiastical remains in the Glen. Heavy rain necessitated the abandonment of a visit to the excavations which Mr. Bruce was at that time carrying out at Auchengaich Burn and Faslane Castle.

The excursion to Stirling took place in beautiful weather and was very largely attended. Under the guidance of Mr. J. S. Fleming, F.S.A. Scot., who had been good enough to prepare a detailed itinerary, a visit was paid to Cowan's Hospital, the High Church, Regent Marr's Ludging, the Earl of Stirling's Mansion, and the Castle.

1906.

The Annual Excursion took place on Thursday, 6th September, the programme including a visit to Melrose and Dryburgh. Leaving Queen Street Station by the train at 8.45 A.M., the party on reaching Melrose visited the Abbey under the guidance of Mr. Thomas Ross, F.S.A. Scot. The Rev. Prof. Cooper addressed the members in the Abbey. After luncheon in the George Hotel the party drove to Newstead, where Mr. James Curle of Melrose pointed out the site of the Roman Camp. Heavy rain considerably interfered with the arrangements, and the visit to Dryburgh was abandoned.

By the kind invitation of Sir Archibald Lawrie, a large number of the members on Saturday, 11th August, visited The Moss, Dumgoyne, the birth-place of George Buchanan, the Quater-Centenary of whose birth was celebrated this year. The excursion, which included a visit to the Buchanan Memorial and the old Parish Church of Killearn, under the guidance of the Rev. A. Gordon Mitchell, D.D., was largely attended, the members of the Society being joined by others from the George Buchanan Quater-Centenary Committee, the the Buchanan Society, the Glasgow and Stirlingshire and Sons of the Rock Society, the Sir Walter Scott Club, and the Old Glasgow Club. The weather was delightful.

1907.

The Society visited Arbroath, Ethie Castle and St. Vigeans Church on 3rd September. They were fortunate in the weather, for the day was very fine.

The party included Mr. J. D. G. Dalrymple, of Woodhead, President of the Society, and Mrs. Dalrymple; the Rev. Professor Cooper, D.D., Vice-President, Mr. W. G. Black, one of the Hon. Secretaries, and Mrs. Black, Mr. Alex. Park, the Rev. James Primrose, Mr. Jas. S. Fleming, Mr. James Wood, Mr. D. T. Boyd and Miss Boyd, Mr. and Mrs. John Edwards, Mr. W. D. Smith, Mr. T. B. Fotheringham, Mr. Walter Wingate, and others.

On their arrival at Arbroath by the N.B. mid-day train they were met by the Rev. Dr. Duke and Mr. T. S. Robertson, Broughty Ferry. Mr. J. M. M'Bain, F.S.A. Scot., was also invited, but was unable to be present.

The party went direct to the Abbey, where Mr. Robertson gave an account of the history and architectural features of the building which appears at p. 234 of this part of the Transactions.

After a survey of the ruins and the interesting collection of stones and relics in the sacristy, the party had lunch in the White Hart Hotel, after which they proceeded by motor and brake to Ethie Castle by way of Auchmithie, looking into the pretty church built there more than twenty years ago by Mr. Robertson as architect. They were most courteously received by Lady Northesk, who personally conducted them over the Castle, which is full of objects of interest and closely associated as a place of occasional residence with the name of Cardinal Beaton. The Castle has been judiciously restored and adapted to modern requirements, but it retains both outside and inside all the features of a Scottish nobleman's residence of the early half of the seventeenth century. The many beautiful tapestries that adorn the walls of the bedrooms were greatly admired, and it was pointed out that several of the bedsteads were nearly three hundred years old, and apparently retained their original silk hangings. The Castle is particularly rich in family portraits, including that of Admiral Lord Northesk, who was third in command at Trafalgar.

There are also good portraits of Cardinal Beaton, two pictures of the old Chevalier, and of many of the royal Stuarts. On taking leave Mr. Dalrymple thanked Lord Northesk and her Ladyship for their permission to visit the Castle, and the great kindness with which they had been received. A pleasant drive of five or six miles brought the party to St. Vigeans Church, picturesquely situated on a conical mound in the valley of the Brothick about a mile from the town of Arbroath. This has been a religious site ever since the introduction of Christianity into the east of Scotland by St. Columba and his followers. The Church was dedicated from early times to St. Fechin of Fohbar in Ireland, who died A.D. 664, Vigianus being a latinised form of his name.

Dr. Duke pointed out the successive changes made in the fabric of the building, which at the present day consists of a nave of four bays, a south and two north aisles, an apsidal chancel, and a western tower. The only remains of the Norman church that can now be identified are a few arch stones, with the characteristic mouldings of the period, recovered from a later wall where they had been utilised as ordinary building material. There are no remains of equal antiquity in the Abbey of Arbroath, which was built in the parish many centuries after the existence of a parish. church. The east and west gables of the north aisle are the remains of an oblong church measuring 60 by from 22 to 26 feet over walls which, curiously enough, as regards length, at least, is the exact measurement, according to the tripartite life of St. Patrick, which that saint prescribed as suitable for a parish church of the first class, and which appears to have been invested with a sort of sacred character. The ruined church of Ethie, dedicated to St. Murdoch, is of the same size and belongs to the same period-another instance of the great influence exercised by Irish missionaries over the early Scottish Church.

In the thirteenth or following century the south wall of St. Vigeans Church was removed to admit of the erection of a nave, the greater part of the earlier edifice being converted into a north aisle by the insertion of an arcade of four bays. Soon afterwards the tower was built at the south-west corner of the nave in line with its south wall, the basement forming the porch of the church. The pre-Reformation church was completed