View of arch and grotto (no.4 on plan), from South East. Digital image of D 59528 CN.

Description View of arch and grotto (no.4 on plan), from South East. Digital image of D 59528 CN.

Date 1/4/1999

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 757585

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 59528 CN

Scope and Content Arch and grotto from south-east, Drummond Castle, Perth & Kinross This shows the grotto under the arch of the steps down to the parterre from the castle. The keystone of the arch is carved with the stern head of Neptune, the sea god, with shells in his hair, and every alternate stone around the arch is carved to resemble seaweed fronds or stalactites. The interior houses carved stone shells set on white quartz rocks. Grottoes were fashionable features in houses and gardens from the 17th century onwards, and varied in complexity from simple shell-lined niches to huge complexes of man-made caves with fountains, shell work, statues and cascades. A growing interest in natural history made grottoes popular for the display of mineral and shell specimens, as well as picturesque areas for entertaining. Drummond Castle was built c.1490, but the complex of buildings visible today consist of a gatehouse which was added in 1630-6 by architect John Mylne III (1611-67) and an L-plan mansion built for the 4th Earl of Perth in 1689. The mansion was extended in the 18th or early 19th century, and remodelled in Baronial style into its present form by architect G T Ewing in 1878 and 1900. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/757585

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap