Field Visit
Date 14 May 1929
Event ID 1099368
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1099368
Tullibole Castle.
This castle stands within its policies a mile to the east of the Crook of Devon. It is a good example of a laird's house of the early 17th century, built on the 'palace' plan. It has been modernised internally, for it is still occupied, and a wing has lately been added on the northern side. The lay-out is interesting, and the system of communication has been carefully considered. The original house consisted of an oblong main block lying east and west, the eastern part having three storeys and the western having four, with a wing projecting on the southern side. The wing contains the main staircase, above which are two chambers, entered from a turret-staircase corbelled out within the eastern re-entrant angle. At the back of the house-that is, to the north-a newel-stair projects within a turret and serves all floors. The elevations are simply treated but have a certain dignity. The masonry is of rubble and is harled, but two turrets corbelled out at the southern angles of the stair-wing and a bartizan corbelled out above the front door, between the south-east turret and the adjoining stair-turret, are of ashlar. The entrance is in the east wall of the wing. The door-piece is moulded and is surmounted by a large panel in excellent preservation, which has a delicately moulded border enriched with cherubs' heads. The panel contains a shield parted per pale: within a bordure; dexter, a chevron charged with a crescent, between three cinquefoils, for Halliday*; sinister, three crescents, for Oliphant. Enclosing the shield are the initials M. /I.H. and H.O., for Master John Halliday and Helen Oliphant, his wife (2). On the dexter side of the shield is the inscription: THE LORD IS / ONLIE MY DEFENCE / 2 APRIL 1608; and, on the sinister side: PEACE BE / WITHIN THY WALLES AND / PROSPERITIE / WITHIN THY HOUS /.
The bartizan, with its machicolation, covering the entrance, is unexpected at this date. It is borne on two massive corbels. The slab forming the floor or platform is perforated for the machicolation, the upper surface having a little kerb round it, probably for a wooden cover. The surface water from the bartizan has been carried along a stone gutter to a spout wrought on the south-east turret. In the western re-entrant angles are little circular shot-holes, and on the southern wall of the wing is a stone bearing a sunk circular panel, cable-moulded. The original windows were only half-glazed. The majority of them have been enlarged. A dormer on the main block beside the southern stair-turret has a pointed pediment, delicately moulded and enriched with scrolls, initialled M.I.H. and H.O., and dated 1608. The entrance to the house opens at the foot of the main staircase. At ground-floor level the main block contains three apartments, none of them vaulted. The eastern chamber is the kitchen, and the original fireplace arch is still traceable in the gable. The mid-chamber has probably been a store-room, and it seems originally to have been entered from a lobby opening at the foot of the main staircase, but this has been' closed and now forms a large cupboard,** while a new entrance to the mid-chamber has been formed from the kitchen. At the north-west angle the mid-chamber communicates with the north or newel-stair, at the north-east angle a straight service-stair within the thickness of the wall rises to the upper floor. The western chamber of the basement can be entered only from the mid-chamber. It was a living-room and contains a fireplace. On the first floor also there were originally three chambers, but the two eastern ones now form a single apartment, modernised as the dining-room. It is lit from each of the three outer walls. The partition wall at the western end contains the fireplace, and to the south of this a mural chamber, while to the north is a mural lobby, which leads to the north stair. The western chamber has been modernised and is now the drawing-room. The upper rooms are bedrooms and these also have been modernised. HISTORICAL NOTE.-John Halliday (‘Haly-day’), advocate, bought the lands of Tullibole (‘Tullieboyle’) in 1598 (1). He was dead before 1607, but in 1605 he had granted these lands to his eldest son John, also an advocate, and his future wife, Helen Oliphant (2). The erection of the house followed in 1608, the date beside their initials on the heraldic panel and the pediment. This John, afterwards knighted, was dead by 1620, in which year his son William was served heir to Tullibole (3).
RCAHMS 1933, visited 14 May 1929
(1) Reg. Mag. Sig., s.a., No. 769.
(2) Ibid., s.a., No. 1912.
(3) Inquis. Spec., Fife, No. 311.
*But these are not the arms given by Nisbet to Halliday of Tullibole.
**This compartment was not available for inspection on the date of visit.
