1894 525 to 547 - Electric Scotland

76
The Scottish Antiquary ;
wooden floor on strong joists, supporting the flagstone floor of the kitchen
above. The descent into it is from the kitchen by wooden steps. The
'
terrass '
shown by Stukeley led from the '
Temple,' about half-way to the
entrance of the '
'
King's Gallery,' on the face of what he marks as a precipice.'
Then comes a ledge of rock, after which he makes a descent (or it
may be an ascent) of some twelve steps round by the end of '
Bruce's
Bedroom,' to a level '
platform in front of the entrance to the King's
'
Gallery,' where there is marked an iron gate.' Now a great deal of this
may be fanciful, and simply a work of the imagination, as undoubtedly the
form of the caves is and some other particulars in this plan. But this
much, at any rate, seems perfectly clear, that there was a way into the
'
King's Gallery,' and the three caves leading out of it from the outside of
the cliff northwards; that this way has since 1724 disappeared by the
denudation of the rock; and, further, that the present entrance on the
south side is of a date subsequent to 1724, at what date I have been
hitherto unable to discover. I wish also to observe that at the very bottom
of the precipitous rocky peninsula on the north-west, and close to the
earthy bank, is a space reaching far back under the rock, probably eight or
ten feet, and about six or seven feet wide. It looks almost like the roof
of another large cave, but nearly filled up with earth and fallen debris. It
seems to me to go in the direction of the well (see ground-plan A in
Appendix) ; and if so, may it not be the outlet of an opening which is said
to exist in the side of the well (and certainly facing in that direction), but
the passage of which, after four or five feet, I am told is choked up with
earth and fallen rock? The opening of this passage from the well I
mention in my Guide, on page 113.
It was popularly supposed that there existed an underground passage
from Hawthornden to Rosslyn Castle a distance of about a mile and a
half. Curiously enough, about three years ago, a well was discovered by
the ploughshare in the field at the back of Rosebank. It was covered
over by two heavy slabs of stone, which at first were supposed to be a
stone coffin. On being removed, a well was discovered, 40 feet deep, the
upper part well built of stone ; but it was perfectly dry. It is in a direct
line between Hawthornden and Rosslyn Chapel not the Castle. But as
far as one could see there was no opening from the sides of the well. It
looked more like an unfinished well, the work having been given up as
hopeless of finding water at a reasonable depth. I have been unable to
discover when, by whom, and for what purpose this well was made. It is
of such a width as to allow of only one man at a time to be working in it ;
so that it must have taken a considerable time in sinking. It was shortly
afterwards covered up as before. It had no connection whatever either
with Rosslyn Chapel, Castle, or Hawthornden.
The existence of openings in the side of the well at Hawthornden may
have led to the belief of a passage leading from it to Rosslyn Castle ;
though, judging from their respective positions, on high rocks and on
opposite sides of the river, the idea seems both impossible and absurd.
carved
With reference to the face of a woman (?) of *
Mongolian type '
in relief on the north-west angle of the cliff, there is little to be said. It
is 8 inches long and 6 inches broad across the cheeks (the broadest part),
and has a pointed chin. It never appeared to me, however, as ever
having been on the interior of a cave now removed nor do I now think
;
so, after having examined it and the adjacent rock again, though, of course,