Rattray Castle (6 of 6)
The next period of occupation on the motte appears to co-inside with the change in ownership from the Comyns / Cummins to the Douglases in 1324, following the first War of Independence.  The overall impression of the castle hill during this phase is of a moderately affluent household with its hall, stores and kitchens all built as an integrated group on the mound.  The buildings were not themselves defensive but took advantage of the defensive nature of the mound itself.  Not all land owners lived in castles at this time, and it is probable that small, lightly defended manor houses were a common element in the rural settlement of parts of Scotland in the medieval period.

The hall was stone built, appears to have been of a single storey (no indication of a stair were found) and was 23m long.  No slate was found in the rubble, so it appears safe to assume that the roof was thatched.  This need not imply a lack of sophistication as, for example, there is known to have been a thatched roof on Robert Bruce's manor at Cardross in the early 14th century.

The hall was abandoned in the 15th century and although the site continued to be used for a while thereafter, continual erosion and deposition of sand from the 17th century onwards, caused the gradual blocking of the mouth of the inlet, the final blocking being said to have taken place in a single storm in 1720.

I read a nice article in The Scotsman, which stated that the 'castle' was inundated by sand, perhaps at the same time that the loch was closed.  Apparently, tradition states that &quot;the force of the sand blew over the castle and buried alive the inhabitants of the nearby settlement of Rattray - &quot;a godless crew&quot; - who were engaged in playing cards of the sabbath at the time of the tragedy!&quot;  Serves them right!

(The &quot;hardened field defence&quot; or pillbox, as they have always been called, is a 'Type 24'.  There were numerous styles built around Britain during WW2, mostly, but far from exclusively, along the coast, of which the 'type 24' was the most common, with (according to Wikipedia) 1724 recorded as still being extant.)
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