A social interpretation of the castle in Scotland

• Main Author: Rutherford, Allan Gavin
• Published: University of Glasgow 1998
• Subjects: 930.1; NA Architecture : DA Great Britain
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.284972

Space is not something just out there. It is a human construct, to which architecture can give lasting form. Taking this as a premise, this thesis has investigated the castellated architecture of Scotland, not as a military fortress or an expression of architectural genius, but as a structure where people lived and which influenced how they lived. In achieving this aim, certain techniques of spatial analysis have been used, access analysis and planning diagrams, alongside a more experiential approach to the castle. The combination of these techniques has helped in providing an engagement with the material culture, which would not have been possible singularly. This engagement has been made all the richer for the extensive use of documentary sources to provide a context for the multitude of spatial relations which took place in and around the castle. The castles which form the case-studies are Dirleton (East Lothian), Bothwell (Lanarkshire), Tulliallan (Fife), Morton (Dumfriesshire) and Elphinstone (East Lothian). The selection thus encompasses curtain wall castles, hall houses and tower houses. The analysis has brought about a greater understanding of the individual case-studies. However, the conclusion reached about the nature of space within the castle has been widened out by relating the findings to other castles. Most interestingly, the analysis has suggested what one could call the 'privatisation of space' in late sixteenth century Scotland. This change in material culture coincided with dramatic religious, political and social changes.