Gatehouse, section
SC 360540
Description Gatehouse, section
Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu
Catalogue Number SC 360540
Category On-line Digital Images
Copy of AGD 81/17
Scope and Content Reconstructed section of gatehouse of in south wall of Skipness Castle, Knapdale, Argyll Skipness Castle was upgraded to a stone fortress by the Stewart Earls of Menteith, probably when, with John MacDougall of Lorn's help, John Menteith held Knapdale against the MacSweens and the MacDonald Lords of the Isles. The first slot over the entrance is a murder-hole. The second (right) housed the portcullis which could be dropped from the portcullis-chamber above. During sieges, defenders dropped a variety of things on attackers including: stones; boiling water; perhaps boiling oil (expensive); wasp-nests and bee-hives; slops; and very occasionally, Greek Fire - the extremely costly medieval equivalent of napalm. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/360540
File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap
Attribution: © Crown Copyright: HES
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