. The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland, from the twelfth to the eighteenth century. Fio. 157.—Fast Castle, from South-East. FAST CASTLE 223 — THIRD PERIOD over a chasm 20 feet in width. The remains of a round tower whichguarded the entrance gateway are still observable on the castle this stood a keep 30 feet in width, but the length of which cannotbe ascertained from the existing ruins. The north-east wall still remainsas high as the corbelling, and two corbels are still observable in situ, butall the rest of the structure is completely destroyed It has the appear-
. The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland, from the twelfth to the eighteenth century. Fio. 157.—Fast Castle, from South-East. FAST CASTLE 223 — THIRD PERIOD over a chasm 20 feet in width. The remains of a round tower whichguarded the entrance gateway are still observable on the castle this stood a keep 30 feet in width, but the length of which cannotbe ascertained from the existing ruins. The north-east wall still remainsas high as the corbelling, and two corbels are still observable in situ, butall the rest of the structure is completely destroyed It has the appear-ance of having been blown up, as a large mass of masonry, with eightcorbels embedded in it (Fig. 158), has been thrown to the ground and com-pletely turned upside down ; but we understand that this was the resultof thunderstorms in 1871, when the battlements were struck by lightning,and the whole of the upper part of the structure was ruined. The fatewhich Sir Walter Scott pictured as happening to Wolfs Craig (of whichFast Castle was the prototype) has thus now been realised. An ambry in. Fig. 158.—Fast Castle, from North. the wall of the first floor (see Fig. 157) contains a rudely-cut old Gothic arch-head. Portions of a surrounding wall are observable here and there. Apiece about 12 feet long, with staircase for access to the parapet, standsdetached at the north end of the platform. Judging from the style of the corbelling, the building probably belongsto the Third Period. In 1333 Fast Castle was a Government fortress, and,like many Border strengths, it often changed hands. The place was heldby the English in 1410, when it was surprised and taken by Patrick, sonof the Earl of Dunbar, with 100 men. In 1467 it was the propertyof the Homes, by whom the castle was rebuilt in 1521. It again fellinto the hands of the English, but was recovered by a bold stratagem in1548. In 1570 it was invested by Sir William Drury, on his way tobesiege the castle of Edinburgh, leaving in it
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