Spynie Castle (11)
Along with the east gate, this was the only other entrance in the final version of Spynie castle, a narrow and easily defended passage and gate that led down to the shore of the loch below. Remains of cottages and kilns for drying grain have been found in this area and it would have provided access to the jetty and for the folk that lived outside the castle, in the busy little village of Spynietoun - not a vestige of which now remains above ground.
If you look at the masonry on either side of the passage leading down to the gate, you can see that there is a wall within a wall. This is because in the 16th century it was decided that the passage was too wide to be easily defended, so they made it and the gate itself narrower.
The Wars of Independence demonstrated that constructing massive defensive complexes, typical of the 13th century, was a waste of money and effort. No matter how impressive a castle's defences might appear, they could he breached by an army suitably equipped with men and war machines or with enough patience to sit out a long siege and force its occupants to surrender. Therefore, in the 14th century, more attention was paid to the comfort and convenience of castle dwellers, and whilst security was still an important issue, new castles were not usually designed to withstand a besieging army. Therefore, when Spynie's original peripheral defences had to be replaced in the 14th century, the ditch was filled in, probably with the soil from the ringwork, and a 30ft high curtain wall was built, more than sufficient to keep out anyone not equipped with siege equipment.
Spynie Castle (11)
Along with the east gate, this was the only other entrance in the final version of Spynie castle, a narrow and easily defended passage and gate that led down to the shore of the loch below. Remains of cottages and kilns for drying grain have been found in this area and it would have provided access to the jetty and for the folk that lived outside the castle, in the busy little village of Spynietoun - not a vestige of which now remains above ground.
If you look at the masonry on either side of the passage leading down to the gate, you can see that there is a wall within a wall. This is because in the 16th century it was decided that the passage was too wide to be easily defended, so they made it and the gate itself narrower.
The Wars of Independence demonstrated that constructing massive defensive complexes, typical of the 13th century, was a waste of money and effort. No matter how impressive a castle's defences might appear, they could he breached by an army suitably equipped with men and war machines or with enough patience to sit out a long siege and force its occupants to surrender. Therefore, in the 14th century, more attention was paid to the comfort and convenience of castle dwellers, and whilst security was still an important issue, new castles were not usually designed to withstand a besieging army. Therefore, when Spynie's original peripheral defences had to be replaced in the 14th century, the ditch was filled in, probably with the soil from the ringwork, and a 30ft high curtain wall was built, more than sufficient to keep out anyone not equipped with siege equipment.