Gatehouse, first floor plan
SC 360542
Description Gatehouse, first floor plan
Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu
Catalogue Number SC 360542
Category On-line Digital Images
Copy of AGD 81/17
Scope and Content First-floor plan of gatehouse 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. Four arrow loops cover the approach to the gate and the walls. The outer slot is a murder-hole. The inner slot housed the portcullis. The chamber was entered from the south range backing onto the gatehouse. 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.
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File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap
Attribution: © Crown Copyright: HES
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