share in the work has been preserved. During the long period that the title remained attainted after the rebellion of 1745, it may be supposed that nothing to increase the accommodation within the castle would be attempted, and the first important alterations made upon it after the time of the third Earl were executed when the estates had come into the hands of Walter, titular seventh Earl of Airlie, who succeeded in 1803. He completed the quadrangle of which the castle was composed, and built a heavy stone portico over the main entrance door, incorporating the ancient tower within the building, but providing a new access to the principal rooms.

The imposing effect which the Castle thus produced architecturally was considerably nullified by the lack of a proper approach to it. The absurd system of landscape-gardening introduced by Kent and his imitator Browne was then in vogue; and, as the main article of their creed was to imitate Nature in her rudest form, all walks and avenues were denounced as artificial and sophisticated, and transformed into turf-covered hollows and hillocks, so as to give the place a more parkish appearance. The magnificent pile of Cortachy Castle, with its massive towers and splendid porch, all telling of a high stage of civilisation, was thus set in the midst of an artificial caricature of Nature-as though it could be natural to stumble upon such a building in the midst of a grassy wilderness! This foolish fashion did not long endure, and when the most recent alterations were effected by the late Earl of Airlie (1826-1880) a fitting approach was provided. The noble avenue, overshadowed by ancient trees, which had been the original passage to the Castle, was again opened, and the numerous pathways through the grounds were diverted so as to converge towards the chief doorway.

The plans for the extensive improvements made some seventeen years ago were prepared by the late David Bryce, R.S.A. (18031876)—an architect who has left his mark more decidedly upon the baronial mansions of Scotland than any of his contemporaries, and to whose work at Kinnaird Castle, the seat of the Earl of Southesk, we have already alluded in laudatory terms. He found a congenial task in harmonising the discordant portions of Cortachy Castle, and succeeded in transforming it into a "lordly pleasure

house." When he began his alterations he found that the Castle consisted of that part which now forms the southmost block of the present building. The old square-capped tower was the limit of its extent in one direction, whilst that quaint structure was balancedor rather over-balanced-by a huge circular building crowned with a heavy battlemented parapet that dwarfed the remainder of the

Castle. The main entrance was by a doorway opening upon a covered porch which stood midway between the two towers, and projected a considerable distance beyond the wall-line. The alterations made by Mr. Bryce may be readily detected on a most cursory examination. Leaving the exterior of the old tower untouched, he cleared away the stone porch and erected in its place a curious stair and terrace, supported upon massive stone pillars, by which

access may be had to the windows of the principal Drawing-room. The massive round tower was reduced until it became the segment of a circle forming the starting-point for the additional building which he had designed. It now occupies a subordinate position as an angle-tower connecting the new and the old parts of the Castle, and has been raised by the addition of a storey and completed by a conical slated roof.

The new portion of the Castle is almost equal in extent to the old, and takes the form of a main block with two wings, the entire building projecting beyond the line of the original west wall. The wings are finished with corner-turrets and crow-step gables, while the cornice line is skilfully broken up by the insertion of dormerwindows decorated with carved mouldings. The buildings are grouped around a square central tower, with three embattled warder-turrets and one cone-roofed barbican. The main doorway is now placed in the centre of this new block, the Chapel occupying the ground-floor of the north wing, and the Billiard-room being placed in the opposing wing, and having a door in the south gable.

The Hall is a spacious enclosure within the main entrance, and has panelled wainscot-walls and a rich tesselated pavement; the ascent to the upper apartments being accomplished by a grand staircase of ample dimensions, composed entirely of oak. There is no balustrade on the lower part of the staircase, but the landing branches off into corridors on either side, screened by pillared arcades of carved and turned oaken work. These corridors give access to the upper rooms in the two wings, and that on the right hand communicates with the older portion of the Castle.

The most important public room on this flat is that known as the "L Drawing-Room," so named from its rectangular shape. It is placed at the south-western corner of the old Castle, its principal angle abutting upon the most ancient tower. The windows in two of the walls command views of the park in different directions, one moiety of them looking out upon the stone terrace already described. The white stucco ceiling is a reproduction of an elaborate Jacobean roof-decoration introducing the Airlie crest, which is now in the old mansion of Auchterhouse, one of the possessions of the family.

The floor and woodwork is of dark oak, waxed, as is also the heavy over-mantel that surmounts the tiled fireplace. One end of the room is occupied by a black oak bookcase, apparently of French design, overlaid with figures and ornamentation carved in bold relief. A specially antique character is given to this room by a curious architectural device. By opening a door through the southwest corner of the drawing-room a small ante-room is gained within the compass of the old tower, and a side-door leads thence to the ancient staircase formerly alluded to. On ascending the first flight of this stair a quaint carved oak door is seen, which opens upon a corbelled balcony erected within the drawing-room over the corner door, from which a full view of the apartment may be obtained at a glance. Though the idea is Italian, the details of the oak balusters and mouldings are strictly in keeping with the Scottish Baronial style of architecture which prevails throughout the castle.

A door in the eastern wall of the drawing-room communicates with a chamber of special historical interest, called the "King's Room." The window looks out towards the south, and the walls are closely panelled for about nine feet from the floor with dark. wainscot oak, The over-mantel is richly carved, and bears the arms of Airlie fully blazoned, with supporters. Several of the principal family portraits are hung here, and a magnificent chandelier of antique tinted Venetian glass, wrought into fantastic shapes, depends from the centre of the ceiling. This was the room in which Charles II. slept on 4th October, 1650,* during one of the crises of his tempestuous life, which may be thus briefly explained. After the ignominious defeat of the Presbyterians by Oliver Cromwell at Dunbar the King and his courtiers became dissatisfied with the yoke of the vanquished Kirk party, and contrived a plot to escape from their control. The King was then at Perth, and it was arranged that he should elude Presbyterian surveillance and fly to the north, where he was to find ample support from the great Highland leaders. Accordingly Charles left Perth accompanied only by

* There is now in the Register House, Edinburgh, a letter from Charles II., dated "Cortaquhy, Oct. 4th, 1650.”

a few domestics, under the cover of a hawking expedition, and rode to Dudhope Castle, Dundee, where he was received by Viscount Dudhope and the Earl of Buchan. These noblemen accompanied him to Cortachy Castle, where they expected to meet the principal Lairds of Angus under the Earl of Airlie, and a strong force of Northern warriors under Middleton and Huntly. To their disappointment, however, they found only some seventy half-clad and ill-armed Highlanders there; and after spending an anxious night in the "King's Bedroom," Charles and his dispirited followers retired to Clova, hoping to meet the Highland contingent on their way south. Here he was found on the succeeding day by a party of horse under Lord Montgomerie, lodged, it is said, "in a miserable cottage, where, after the fatigue of his journey, he was fain to repose upon an old bolster above a mat of sedges and rushes." It was not difficult for Lord Montgomerie to induce the unfortunate King to return to Perth with him, and thus the plot and incident referred to by historians of the time as "The Start" proved utterly abortive.

The principal bedrooms in the castle are now reached by a long corridor which runs parallel with the south wall, and traverses the whole length of the older portion of the building. The upper and attic floors are also occupied as bedrooms and as apartments for the servants. The Charter-Room is a strongly vaulted chamber on the ground floor, in that part of the old castle beside the pillared external staircase; and it contains many interesting deeds and letters connected with the Airlie family, to which we shall refer when treating of the history of the House of Ogilvy.

Cortachy Castle has twice suffered from fire, and on each occasion has risen from its ashes with renewed splendour. The last occurrence of this kind took place on 14th September 1883, and resulted in the partial destruction of the central portion of the most recent addition to the structure. The hall, grand staircase, chapel, and billiardroom were seriously injured; and the whole of the interior of this part of the castle, from ground floor to attic, was reduced to a state of ruin. It has now been reconstructed in accordance with the original design, and shows few traces of the extent of the conflagration.

U