Foulis - Restoration

Restoration

Unfortunately no records survive of what the fortifications at Castle Foulis looked like before 1746. However much has been learned about the castle and what the fortifications might have looked before 1746 by Captain and Mrs. Munro in their various stages of restoration. They believe that it was probably surrounded by a series of smaller dwellings, of possibly a fortified nature. They found in 1957–59, much evidence to suggest that in the courtyard area horses and cattle were kept, and that it was a self-contained community able to withstand a siege, when attacked.

Certainly the foundations of the Castle are of mammoth proportions, as has been found by the late Chief during the three stages of restoration that he and his wife have carried out — in 1957–59, 1977–79, and most recently, in 1985–86. The Tower was obviously a "fortification", as its walls at the ground level are a massive five feet six inches thick. In May 1985, while repairs were being carried out in part to the Courtyard building, an interesting discovery was made. Four "cannon loops of an inverted key hole type," dating from the early part of the 16th century, were discovered behind four wedge-shaped, blocked-up apertures facing north, south, east and west in a five-foot-, six-inch-thick wall. Above them is a barrel-vaulted stone ceiling.

This building, at one time separate from the Castle, had certainly been constructed as a small defensive fort with an all-round "field of fire" to guard against possible attack.

At some later date, perhaps after 1746 and when the Chief felt that the chances of attack had lessened, the use of this building had changed. Three of the apertures had been completely blocked while the fourth had been partially blocked, leaving a narrow slit six inches wide and three feet long, into which a three-quarter-inch iron bar was strongly built, giving light, some air and access through which food could be passed to the unfortunate prisoner. It was likely the castle's gaol. According to Munro sources, some of the stone wall of the original castle was found under the plaster of the current main mansion house building at Foulis.

Foulis Castle is not to be confused with Fowlis Castle, a completely different, and much smaller, fortified house in the village of Fowlis Easter, near Dundee. The coincidence in name is doubtless to be attributed to both castles being derived from Gaelic - foghlais, 'streamlet'.